[HCCN] Fwd: War Supplemental Stalls in the Senate

[Dick Atlee]

Not to sound naive, but is the message here that offsets are required 
for domestic programs, but not for military programs?

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CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS – APPROPRIATIONS
July 13, 2010 – 3:20 p.m.
War Supplemental Stalls in the Senate
By Brian Friel, CQ Staff

The must-pass supplemental appropriations bill funding the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan is stuck in a logjam that could delay action on
the Senate floor for a few weeks, a key Senate Democrat said.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education, said Democrats are trying to find
a set of offsets for $10 billion in funding to avert teacher layoffs
across the country after the White House issued a veto threat over a
House-passed version that cuts money from one of President Obama’s
signature education programs to pay for the teacher funding.
“Maybe there are some different offsets or something we can use,”
Harkin said. “Look, nothing’s going to happen this week. Nothing’s
going to happen next week. So we’ve got time to work on it.”

Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are stepping up calls for quick action
on the fiscal 2010 supplemental bill after a meeting Tuesday with
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

“He told us clearly today that it has to be done by the end of the
month or he won’t be able to pay the troops,” Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said. “We need to figure a way to get the
funding for the troops in the field, and we need to do it as soon as
possible.”

The Senate passed a version of the supplemental in May (HR 4899) that
included $58.8 billion for the wars, disaster relief and veterans. The
House on July 1 added $22 billion for various domestic programs,
including $10 billion to prevent teacher layoffs in local school
districts.

House Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wis., included a cut of
several hundred million dollars to Obama’s “Race to the Top” education
initiative to offset the added domestic costs and placate deficit
concerns among House Democrats. Obama issued a veto threat in
opposition to the proposed cuts in his education initiative.

Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., said, “We have some
issues with the House on the supplemental. I don’t personally, but
issues in terms of finding 60 votes in the Senate.”

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said he would not support the domestic funding
that the House added on. “We’d like to fund the troops and not have a
bunch of add-ons that don’t have the emergency status that these kinds
of bills ordinarily require.”

Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said the teacher funding issue did not come
up at a White House meeting with President Obama and Senate Democratic
leaders Tuesday morning. But Harkin said he’ll fight to keep the
teacher funding in the bill.

“It seems to me the Republicans are drawing a line and saying no money
for teachers,” Harkin said. “That’s an interesting position to take.”
Source: CQ Today Online News