Congress hopes to complete spending bills next week

The House and Senate hope to complete action on multiple fiscal 2001 appropriations conference reports next week before the continuing resolution that is allowing agencies to stay open even if their spending bills have not been approved expires on Oct. 14.

Scheduling of the measures will depend on ongoing negotiations between the House, Senate and the White House.

Both chambers are hoping to act on the Interior spending conference report this week. The Transportation appropriations conference report should be the next measure available, and could move Friday if negotiations are successful on the Agriculture spending bill.

House and Senate leaders are hoping to move the Agriculture spending bill as a stand-alone measure, and it could come up in both chambers next week. Leaders have also made progress on a combined District of Columbia/VA-HUD appropriations measure that could come up next week.

That leaves the three most troubled spending bills-Labor- HHS, Commerce-Justice-State, and Foreign Operations-to deal with. The House also may consider Commodity Exchange Act legislation Tuesday under suspension of the rules.