August 03, 2005

Appropriations Season: Updates from Capitol Hill

EPA

On Friday, the Senate followed suit with the House by voting 99-1 to pass the Interior conference report. The lone dissenter was Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), a fiscal conservative. The Senate's action cleared the bill to be sent to the White House, where it now awaits President Bush's signature. Mr. Bush is widely expected to approve the bill, at which point the OEE will be guaranteed a $9 million appropriation for FY 2006.

NOAA

As members of Congress left Washington on Friday for its August break, it left behind a fairly impressive flurry of completed appropriations activity. The House was able to pass all 11 of its bills by July 4th, while the Senate struggled to pass five bills, given a late start following budget disagreements. Nonetheless, September looms ahead as a busy month, particularly since October 1st-the official start to FY 2006-draws close.

As a result, September's greatest challenge will simply be finding time on the Senate floor for consideration of the remaining spending bills, the CJS measure included-not to mention consideration of conference reports as well. There are several elements that restrict this short time frame even further: several of the bills left to be considered are the more contentious (and will therefore be thoroughly debated) spending measures, in addition to upcoming judicial hearings over the President's Supreme Court nomination and the anticipated budget reconciliation bills.

What this means for the OESD funding in question: September may prove to be a rapid fire month as the CJS bill makes its run through the Senate floor, then through conference, and back through both chambers before it will become enacted as public law. Alternatively, Congress, due to a lack of time, may have no choice but to issue continuing resolutions to fund the government and its programs beyond the start of FY 2006, if they have not completed their appropriations work by October 1st.