Category: On the Hill

Negotiations on the FY11 budget continued yesterday mostly through competing press conferences where Republicans and Democrats traded blame, with little indication of any movement toward a compromise.  The likelihood of government shutdown remains high as Democrats continued to argue that GOP leaders were refusing to compromise because they didn’t want to upset conservatives and tea party groups, while Republicans argued that Democrats didn’t yet have a unified position from which to negotiate. It has now been 39 days since the House passed its FY11 bill, HR 1, which would cut $61.5 billion in discretionary spending for the remaining six months of the fiscal year. 

The current continuing resolution (CR) doesn’t expire until April 8, next Friday night, but it will take some time to draft a legislative package once the outline of a deal is reached. And until a top-line spending figure is agreed to, negotiators can’t determine the extent of cuts and hence the specific funding levels for individual agencies and programs.  The practical deadline to reach a deal may be the end of this week, which would then provide the weekend for drafting the measure so House Republicans could post it on their web site as soon as possible early next week to comply with House rules requiring that legislation be publicly available for 72 hours before votes occur.  It’s because of this that the media is reporting that there is a real potential for a government shutdown.

The Office of Federal Relations continues to urge our Congressional Delegation to oppose reductions to federal research and training accounts that would take them below FY10 levels.

Congress returns to work today for a three-week session where lawmakers face some difficult budget and spending decisions.  The most urgent task remains funding the government for the rest of FY11, with the latest continuing resolution (CR) set to expire in less than two weeks (April 8^th). The current CR cut another $6 billion in current spending — bringing to $10 billion the amount of spending that has been cut so far by CR extensions enacted in the past month.  Still, Republicans and Democrats are more than $51 billion apart in the additional amount of cuts to discretionary spending they want for this fiscal year, which is now about half over.

Little progress has been made between the two parties on spending since they approved the last CR on March 16^th and many pundits now believe that the chances for a government shutdown are increasing. Congressional leaders at the end of last week criticized one another regarding the status of talks, which reportedly broke down March 22 over the question of whether negotiations should proceed from the $61.5 billion in cuts proposed by House Republicans as part of HR 1, or the $10 billion in cuts already made so far this year.  

The Senate this week expects to take what amount to “test votes” on many of the policy issues now linked to the FY11 spending bill.  Those votes would occur on amendments being offered to an otherwise non-controversial small-business bill (S 493).  The Republican amendments include provisions to bar the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and to block federal funding for Planned Parenthood, public broadcasting, and implementation of the health care overhaul law.  Other possible amendments include a series to end the federal ethanol subsidy, eliminate leftover earmarks, and eliminate or consolidate duplicative federal programs.  Another amendment is planned that would put senators on record as to whether efforts to reduce future debt and deficits should involve Social Security.  

So far, the FY11 debate has spared most federal research accounts from the harshest cuts – but there are still programs and funding in jeopardy.  The Office of Federal Relations is in frequent contact with our state’s congressional delegation, as well as others, to make sure they understand the implications of reductions and eliminations to federal research and training accounts.

** UPDATE 3/17 **
This afternoon, the Senate voted 87-13 in favor of a three-week stopgap spending measure, or continuing resolution (CR), that would keep the federal government funded through April 8th.   The new CR includes $6 billion in cuts to the federal budget.

Some conservative House Republicans had pledged to vote against the measure, saying it does not make enough cuts and does not include social-issue riders some had wanted.  Fifty-four House Republicans ultimately voted against the bill – far more than the six who voted against the last CR – while 85 House Democrats helped to pass the measure.

It remains unclear whether Members will be able to negotiate a longer-term spending bill in the next three weeks.  So far, the White House, Senate Democrats and House GOP leaders have made little progress on a deal.

Washington delegation members voting for the CR:  Cantwell, Inslee, Herrera Beutler, Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Dicks, Reichert, and Smith.

Washington delegation members voting against the CR: Murray, Larsen and McDermott

The Senate today rejected alternative Republican and Democratic approaches to the long-term FY11 spending bill.  The House-passed HR 1, which would cut $57.5 billion from current FY11 funding, failed on a vote of 44-56; the Senate Democratic leadership plan, which would cut $4.7 billion from current funding, failed on a vote of 42-58.  Since neither proposal came close to receiving the 60 Senate votes needed to pass, the votes made clear that neither party holds a real advantage at the moment, and that serious negotiations will need to take place before the issue is resolved.  National Journal reports that Senate Democrats also hope to broaden the debate to include other parts of the budget, such as farm price supports and offshore oil subsidies. 

Meanwhile, with little chance that a budget agreement will be reached by the time the current continuing resolution (CR) expires on March 18, House appropriators are developing a new short-term FY11 CR.  House Republicans say that another short-term CR will, like the current one, include a $2-billion cut in spending for each additional week of the CR.    

Washington Senators Murray and Cantwell voted against HR 1 and for the Democratic alternative.