Spending bill vote to kick off session
$820 billion legislation may determine level of bipartisanship
From Ted Barrett
CNN Washington Bureau
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The first order of business Tuesday when the U.S. Senate returns from recess could set the tone for how well Republicans and Democrats will work together on legislation this election year.
At issue is a vote on a $820 billion catch-all government spending bill from 2003 that became bogged down in partisan disputes.
Republican leaders who control the chamber will force a preliminary vote on the "omnibus" bill Tuesday afternoon to see if they have the necessary 60 votes to override a Democrat-led filibuster.
Most Senate Democrats oppose the measure, citing policy provisions added to the bill dealing with overtime pay, meat labeling, media ownership, school vouchers and other issues.
A handful of Republicans are considering voting against the bill despite heavy lobbying by their leadership.
Aides on both sides of the aisle said the vote will be close and could go either way.
If Republican leaders succeed, final passage of the bill could take place by week's end, relieving them from what has been a drawn-out battle and clearing the increased funding to government agencies affected by the legislation.
If the Democrats win the vote, they will score a rare legislative victory and may force Republicans to strip the bill of the unwanted policies.
However, Republicans are considering another strategy if they lose. Instead of changing the bill to meet the Democrats' demands, they might pass a bill keeping the funding at last year's levels.
Some fiscal conservatives have said they approve of that approach because it saves the government money. But it also means that millions of dollars in pork barrel spending inserted into the bill by lawmakers from both parties would be lost.
The vote will take place hours before President Bush delivers his State of the Union address, outlining the policies he wants Congress to pass this year.
Bush, who angered Senate Democrats last week by promoting U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering to the federal appellate bench over their objections, has a lengthy agenda. It includes contentious issues such as an overhaul of immigration policy, Social Security privatization and a commitment to make its tax cuts permanent. These measures will be difficult to pass through a Congress polarized by pre-election posturing, lawmakers said.
That posturing could continue in the months ahead as congressional Republicans and Democrats try to pass a budget for 2005 as well as a handful of other bills they say they want approved.
Included in the agenda are bills dealing with highway funding, higher education costs, pensions, gay marriage, tort legislation, corporate tax cuts, free trade, welfare, mutual funds and post-war Iraq.
Few in Washington said they are optimistic that lawmakers will be able to bridge their differences on many of these issues while splitting their time between Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
