Good summary of the week-end's Congressional activities. -----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 7:19 AM To: Arctic Lobbying Team Subject: [ak_lobby] Congress Daily Back up plans for new DOD bill APPROPRIATIONS Several Major Bills Passed As House Wraps Up Work The House wrapped up its legislative work early today following passage of a $453.5 billion FY06 Defense spending bill, a $39.7 billion spending reconciliation package and the FY06 defense authorization conference report. Republicans aimed to make today the last of the year, but the House will return Thursday in pro forma session in case the Senate fails to pass the bills. The Senate outlook on the Defense appropriations bill is uncertain because it contains contentious language to allow oil and gas exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Defense spending bill passed the House on a bipartisan 308-106 vote. If the Senate balks at the ANWR language, the House would have to reconvene to resolve the impasse -- because a continuing resolution approved by the House and Senate Saturday expires Dec. 31. Under that scenario, the entire House would not be called back before Dec. 27, according to aides. Members will not be asked to return if leaders can resolve problems by unanimous consent; otherwise roll- call votes would be necessary before New Year's Eve. A number of other issues also could call the House back into session, particularly if problems arise over Senate passage of the Labor-HHS appropriations conference report, which was approved by the House last week. If the House does not have to return before the end of the year, it will reconvene Jan. 31. There was little doubt on the outcome of the Defense spending bill in the House, even though efforts were made by Democrats and some Republicans to vote down the rule in protest of the ANWR language. While 21 Republicans, mostly moderates, broke party ranks to vote against the rule, 16 Democrats, mostly ANWR proponents, joined Republicans to move to final passage on a 214-201 procedural vote. Despite the overwhelming final support for the spending bill, members engaged in heated floor debate. Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., was furious about a last-minute provision to provide liability protections for avian flu vaccine manufacturers and create an unfunded compensation fund for people who suffer health problems as a result of taking the vaccine. Obey said conferees were assured in writing Sunday that it would not be included in the final version, but language was inserted after conferees signed off. "For the last eight hours we have been dealing with a majority leadership that has stripped out of the appropriations process and the conference virtually every understanding in those bills," Obey said on the floor. "We've had the United States Senate ram down our throats an ANWR provision, and after we were assured in conference there would be no [liability language], three hours after the conference report we get 45 pages that [Senate Majority Leader Frist] and [House Speaker Hastert] insist be included in the conference report." Obey was particularly critical of Hastert and Frist, calling them "a couple of musclemen in the Congress that think that they have the right to have everyone else do their bidding." By Susan Davis -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- APPROPRIATIONS Senate Leaders Face Filibuster Of Defense Approps Despite House passage early today of a $453.5 billion FY06 Defense spending bill by a 308-106 margin, the outlook for the bill remained uncertain in the Senate this week. Passage there is contingent on Majority Leader Frist and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska -- who successfully inserted language allowing exploratory oil and gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge --- garnering 60 votes to achieve cloture. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., plans to raise three separate parliamentary points of order against the ANWR provisions, which -- if upheld -- could kill the entire conference report. Stevens can overturn an adverse ruling of the chair with a simple majority of 51 votes, and his real hurdle will come on the cloture vote. "There's still a long way to go ... I really don't count votes that far in advance," Stevens said late Sunday. His plan would spend billions on Gulf Coast recovery, low-income heating subsidies, border security and agriculture in order to woo Democrats and moderate Republicans concerned about ANWR. "I see that you are being driven on this issue by concern about the Gulf," House Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., sarcastically told Stevens. Stevens would rely on long-term estimates of royalties generated by ANWR leases and proceeds from spectrum auctions that may or may not materialize to pay for Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts. The plan would create a "Gulf Coast Recovery Fund" and dedicate 80 percent of an estimated $5 billion in initial ANWR lease sales and rentals for states affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Beginning a decade from now when royalties kick in -- estimated to total $40 billion over 30 years --- 20 percent would be divvied up among the affected states. Half of that would go to Louisiana, 25 percent to Mississippi, 10 percent apiece to Alabama and Texas and 5 percent to Florida. In addition, 5 percent of total sales, rentals and royalties would go to increased funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program -- LIHEAP. Meanwhile, included in the nearly $40 billion reconciliation bill that also cleared the House early today is $10 billion in proceeds from sales of broadcast spectrum. But Stevens includes another $10 billion from spectrum sales in the Defense spending measure, which he estimates could be generated on top of the $10 billion assumed in reconciliation. The additional funds would include $2 billion to Gulf Coast states and $3 billion for homeland security initiatives such as interoperable communications, public health responses and "enhanced 911" -- so-called E-911 -- public safety centers. Another $2 billion would go to LIHEAP -- on top of $1 billion in reconciliation -- and Stevens altered the program's funding formula to ensure that 75 percent goes to cold-weather states. There is also $1.1 billion for a border security package authored by Senate Budget Chairman Gregg and $1 billion for agriculture conservation programs. The Defense appropriations bill also carries $50 billion in "bridge" funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which adds to the deficit, as well as $29 billion for hurricane relief and $3.8 billion for avian flu preparedness that is fully offset. The hurricane and flu funds are more than offset by reallocating $23.4 billion in existing appropriations for the Gulf Coast rebuilding effort; rescinding $1 billion from an array of discretionary programs, and imposing a 1 percent across-the-board cut to all FY06 spending other than veterans' programs, saving $8.5 billion. By Peter Cohn, with Darren Goode contributing Larry Romans Lawrence J. Romans & Associates 499 South Capitol Suite 403 Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-0538 (202) 547-5379 fax [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. 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