With members still trickling back to Washington and many Senators expected to be out of town Wednesday for the funeral of former Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., aides say it could be Thursday before leaders confer on how to proceed with a proposal to link IRS reform and an education savings account bill.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., withheld his opinion of the idea when he spoke with reporters Monday. He would only affirm his interest in getting the IRS bill to the President's desk as quickly as possible, and said he wants to confer with the chairmen of the relevant committees before a course of action is laid out.
House Ways and Means Chairman Bil Archer, R-Texas, believes both bills "are good policy and good for the nation," his spokesman said. He has made no firm decision on whether to oppose or accept the linkage of the two bills, but is "keeping open minded."
Senate Finance Chairman William Roth, R-Del., does not want the education savings account bill authored by Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., to "weigh down" the IRS bill, according to his spokeswoman. She said Roth is "very much opposed to that," adding that "it probably won't happen."
Without that delay, she predicted IRS reform conferees would meet soon and downplayed some of the issues now dividing the conferees--such as the way the bill is paid for, composition of an oversight board the bill would create and other issues.
"We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will have something by July," she said.
A spokesman for Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who sponsored the reform bill in the House, said the effort will be in a holding pattern for now. He said Senate and House staff have met to evaluate the differences in the two bills, but added, "Even on that front there is not a whole lot exciting to report."
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