Appropriators lash out against biennial budgeting

Appropriators lashed out Wednesday at the leadership- controlled Rules Committee over a decision to mark up biennial budgeting legislation today. Democratic and Republican appropriators caucused Wednesday between votes to mount an assault on the bill and later fanned out on the House floor to let colleagues know their projects could be in danger if they support biennial budgeting. Appropriators appealed to the leadership to either call off the Rules Committee markup or else to put the bill on the floor next week--presumably so they could defeat it. Rules, which has not whipped the bill, does not want it on the floor until early next year. But an Appropriations Committee spokesman said that "nothing new is going to move" on the appropriations front until the committee quashes the biennial budgeting plan. Also Wednesday, the White House insisted it would oppose spending more than $686 billion for the 13 regular spending bills and $40 billion in supplemental spending as Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.V., pressed his plan for an additional $20 billion for domestic security needs to combat a "psychology of fear." As the skirmishing dragged on, Byrd said his package could be attached to a $70 billion economic stimulus package drafted by Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., but also signaled that "if push comes to shove," he would move it on the fiscal 2002 Defense spending bill. Earlier Wednesday, House Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., pitched to his caucus a domestic security spending package that closely tracks what Byrd has proposed. But House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., is under pressure from the GOP leaders and the Office of Management and Budget to keep the supplemental title to $20 billion. One option the committee is considering is to exceed the $20 billion, but to designate any spending over the $20 billion a "contingent emergency"--meaning the money could only be released if the president goes ahead and designates an emergency. On Wednesday, the House adopted the conference report on the fiscal 2002 Treasury-Postal bill by a vote of 339-85 and the rule for debate on the Legislative Branch conference report, 423-0. The House is expected today to vote on the Legislative Branch conference report, the rule for debate on the Energy and Water conference report, and the Energy and Water conference report itself. The Senate is expected to pass the Labor-HHS spending bill and possibly vote on conference reports. The Senate also could begin debate on the District of Columbia spending measure. And conferees are scheduled to meet on the fiscal 2002 VA-HUD bill this afternoon.