Hoyer Piles Big Bills Onto Next Week's Floor Schedule

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008


House Majority Leader Hoyer today said he expects the war supplemental, housing reform legislation, and possibly the FY09 budget resolution on the floor next week, kicking off a flurry of major legislative action heading toward the Memorial Day recess. "I want to see the supplemental on the floor next week," he said. Hoyer said the higher education conference report will come to the floor, along with other must-pass bills, including the farm bill conference report and FY09 intelligence authorization.

He reiterated that the defense reauthorization bill would be on the floor in the third week of May and that he hopes to complete compromise legislation overhauling the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before the break. Hoyer dismissed the chances of a second economic stimulus package being completed before the recess, but noted that infrastructure and food stamp-related spending are part of the discussion about what to include if a stimulus bill comes up later.

Democratic aides said Appropriations Chairman David Obey is slated to meet with Senate Democratic leaders today in hopes of completing the supplemental deal hashed out between top Democrats on both sides of the Capitol. Hoyer said details are being worked out, but he mentioned the possibility of addressing unemployment insurance and policy changes to the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the package. He added that measures related to gas prices and energy taxes have been discussed as possible additions.

Democratic aides confirmed that House Democratic leaders are expected to bypass the regular committee process by using the never-enacted FY08 Military Construction Appropriations bill as a vehicle for the war supplemental and other provisions. The supplemental spending measure is expected to be offered directly on the House floor as three separate amendments, striking and replacing the contents of the underlying military construction bill.

Hoyer refused to concede that Democrats were bypassing the regular process, but said the tactic would be justified since House Republicans have demonstrated through their procedural efforts on the House floor a "policy of disruption and, in the Senate, obstruction." The potential move has angered House Republicans, but Democratic leadership aides said they were not concerned about taking a political hit over the move. "No one in America is going to care how this gets done as long as troops in the field are provided the resources that they need and as long as Democrats are trying to put policy provision in there and address important critical domestic needs," said a senior Democratic leadership aide.

In addition to the Bush administration's $108 billion war funding request, the package is expected to include an additional $70 billion in bridge funding for military operations through the first several months of 2009, as well as funding for 13 extra weeks of unemployment benefits and expanded college tuition assistance for veterans. Democratic leaders are also weighing requests for global food aid, money for the Women, Infants and Children nutritional program and other programs.

by Christian Bourge

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008

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