Does Anyone Know When Congress
Will Vote?
On December 8, the House will return for the final day of the first
session of the 108 Congress. The only business will be passage of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2003. The legislation covers
well over half the domestic discretionary spending in the federal
government including funding for the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Labor , State
and other number independent agencies including Small Business Administration
and Environmental Protection.
The future of the legislation is murky. Not for spending, but for
last minute action by the republican negotiators, at the insistence
of the Administration, on legislative riders, taking out overtime
pay and media ownership, and inserting language easing certain gun
control documentation.
The House will vote on Monday and be gone until January. The Senate,
which has essentially adjourned for year, will not vote on the bill
until January 20, 2004. The Senate leadership had intended to have
a voice vote on the bill after House passage. However, ranking Appropriations
Committee Member Byrd (D, WV) has indicated his intention to object
and force a debate and roll call vote when the Senate returns. It
is possible that the House will pass the bill and the Senate will
follow suit the bill will become law in early in 2004. It also possible
that the House will defeat the bill, or vote to return the bill
to conference committee or that the Senate will filibuster or defeat
bill.
A continuing resolution at the FY 03 rate is in effect until January
31, 2004. It may take until then to get a final appropriation bill.
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