While disputes over reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration and enacting an omnibus parks bill have pushed back the final adjournment of the 104th Congress, a disagreement over the confirmation of judges may actually hasten the Senate's departure.
Senate Democrats are tying the confirmations to other minor pieces of legislation Republicans want to move during "wrap-up," so adjournment may come a few hours earlier if both sides remain stalemated. "I don't think they're in a position to accommodate us on judges, and I don't think we're in a position to accommodate them on anything," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., yesterday. He added that since Democrats understand the House is not in a position to move anything by unanimous consent, there is no reason to waste time on any of the bills.
Wrap-up, which was expected to take a few hours as non-controversial bills were passed by unanimous consent, may now be reduced to "a couple of minutes" after the FAA bill is completed, Daschle said. Both Daschle and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., predicted Tuesday that adjournment will happen late Thursday or Friday.
The squabble over judges is being fueled by several sources. Republicans say Democrats have tied several judicial confirmations to the confirmation of former Secretary of the Senate Kelly Johnston to a Republican seat on the Federal Eelction Commission. But several GOP senators are objecting to the confirmation of any more judges appointed by President Clinton. There are seven judges ready to be confirmed by the Senate and six more bottled up in committee, according to a Democratic aide.
The eventual timing of wrap-up and adjournment may also depend on how much of the 30 hours of post-cloture debate opponents of the Federal Express labor provision in the FAA bill take. No Republicans are expected to speak on the issue, but Senate Labor and Human Resources ranking member Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., yesterday refused to rule out using the time.
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