03-16-2002

ENERGY: Senate Puts Brakes on Fuel-Efficiency Bid

Nearly two dozen Senate Democrats joined with most Senate Republicans on
March 13 to head off an attempt to impose stiff new fuel-efficiency
requirements on the auto industry. By a 62-38 vote, the Senate approved an
amendment offered by Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Christopher S. Bond,
R-Mo., that would delay for two years any increase in the so-called
corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, standards. Conceding defeat,
Sens. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., then withdrew an
amendment that would have set an ambitious 36 mile-per-gallon standard by
2015. The turn of events was a major blow to efforts by Senate Majority
Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., and other Democrats to promote energy
conservation in the far-reaching energy policy bill that the Senate has
been debating since March 5. Democrats charge that the energy bill
approved by the House last year focuses too much on boosting U.S. energy
production, and not enough on conservation and energy efficiency.
Republicans say that the Senate Democrats' bill does not do enough to
increase the supply of energy.


Senate Finale Near on Campaign Reform


The epic battle over campaign finance reform could culminate in the Senate
next week with a somewhat anti-climactic procedural vote, now that even
die-hard opponents are predicting that the bill will pass. Under a plan
devised by Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., the Senate is
expected to hold a cloture vote on March 15 on moving to the House-passed
campaign finance reform bill. That schedule sets up a Senate vote on final
passage late next week, before the two-week spring recess begins on March
22. Key Republicans this week said they were not planning an all-out fight
against the legislation, although Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, said he
intends to force a cloture vote. "I'm not willing to give up my
rights to see basically that they've got the 60 votes," Gramm said of
the bill's proponents. He indicated that he wouldn't launch a full-blown
filibuster, saying nothing was to be gained from the "second kick of
a mule." Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is seeking to offer an
amendment dealing with "coordination" between candidates and
outside groups, as part of a separate "technical corrections"
bill. But Daschle and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., appeared confident and
not inclined to cut deals. Keeping the pressure on, Daschle told reporters
that sleeping bags were arriving to make Senators comfortable in case of
an all-night filibuster.


Geoff Earle/CongressDaily


Pickering Vote Divides Senate Panel


The Senate Judiciary Committee at press time on March 14 appeared headed
toward rejecting the nomination of Charles W. Pickering of Mississippi to
the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Committee Democrats emphasized that
their opposition to Pickering reflected their concerns about his record on
civil rights, abortion, and other key issues. Pickering "repeatedly
injects his own opinions into his decisions on issues ranging from
employment discrimination to voting rights," said Chairman Patrick
Leahy, D-Vt. Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., has said that
without the Judiciary Committee's approval, he would not allow Pickering's
nomination to reach the Senate floor. Ranking member Orrin G. Hatch,
R-Utah, complained that Pickering had been victimized by a smear campaign
by liberal interest groups seeking to impose "an ideological litmus
test." The rejection of Pickering would be President Bush's first
defeat in his effort to place conservative judges on the federal appeals
courts. Bush, at his news conference the day before the committee vote,
argued that the full Senate should consider Pickering's nomination.
"A handful of United States Senators on one committee have made it
clear that they will block nominees, even highly qualified, well-respected
nominees, who do not share the Senators' view of the bench, of the federal
courts," Bush said. "By failing to allow full Senate votes on
judicial nominees, a few Senators are standing in the way of
justice."


Elisabeth Frater/National Journal


House OKs Class-Action Lawsuit Bill


The House on March 13 voted 233-190 to approve legislation backed by
business and insurance interests that is aimed at curbing class-action
lawsuits. The bill, written by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Rick
Boucher, D-Va., would shift most large class-action lawsuits from state
courts to federal courts. Federal courts would have jurisdiction in cases
in which any plaintiff and any defendant live in different states, and
when the total claims exceed $2 million. "This is a very important
milestone in the effort to bring fairness and balance to American
courts," said Melissa Shelk, the American Insurance Association's
vice president for federal affairs. But many House Democrats and consumer
advocates opposed the bill, saying that business interests want to move
class-action cases to federal court because they get more-favorable
treatment there. The Bush Administration this week said it strongly
supports the House legislation. Senate Democrats, however, have shown
little interest in the measure.


Pamela Barnett/CongressDaily


Budget Resolution Clears House Panel


The congressional budget season officially began on March 13, as the House
Budget Committee approved its fiscal 2003 budget resolution following a
markup that lasted almost 13 hours. Voting 23-18 along party lines, the
panel sent the $2.12 trillion plan to the full House, which is expected to
vote on it next week. The nonbinding resolution, which sets spending
limits for appropriators to use, closely follows President Bush's budget
by doubling homeland security programs to $38 billion and providing a 13
percent boost for the Pentagon. Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa,
called it a "wartime budget." Many other programs face cuts or
no funding increases, although the budget contains "reserve
funds" that could provide more money for Medicare prescription drug
benefits, highway programs, and special education. The blueprint would
result in a $224 billion deficit in fiscal 2003 when Social Security funds
are not included. The Senate Budget Committee marks up its budget
resolution next week.


David Baumann/National Journal


GOP Seeks Help on Debt Limit Boost


Faced with the refusal by House Republicans to move a stand-alone bill to
increase the debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill this week
reluctantly prepared to borrow funds from federal retirement accounts to
keep the government solvent. Republicans hoped that the temporary step-the
money has to be repaid with interest-would help them avoid raising the
debt limit for now, and perhaps even for the rest of the year if the
economy maintains its momentum and revenues pick up. House GOP leaders
have feared that if they schedule debate on a stand-alone bill to raise
the debt ceiling, Democrats would loudly oppose it and bash Republicans
for last year's tax cut, which added to the debt. The Republicans hope
that Treasury's action will give them breathing room so that, if
necessary, they can attach the debt limit legislation to a popular wartime
supplemental spending bill expected later this spring. President Bush on
March 13 called for action on the issue, asserting: "Congress ought
to pass a clean bill that raises the debt ceiling, and I'll sign it."
And Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., this week said that
tapping the retirement funds was a bad idea. "I don't think it's
appropriate to use other funds," Daschle said, even though former
Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin did the same during the 1995 budget
battle between the GOP and President Clinton-despite protests from some
Republicans.


Keith Koffler/CongressDaily


Final Negotiations Begin on Farm Bill


As House-Senate conferees met for the first time on the farm bill on March
13, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest, R-Texas, set an
ambitious schedule designed to finish the conference before the two-week
spring recess begins on March 22. Combest contended that critics who
suggest the bill cannot be completed in time to apply to this year's crops
"are probably the same people who said we wouldn't pass the bill in
the House" last fall. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, seemed less
concerned about the schedule, saying, "We can't agree to anything
less than a sound farm bill." And agriculture lobbyists expressed
skepticism that the rapid schedule outlined by Combest was realistic. Key
conferees hoped for quick agreements on dollar amounts for each title of
the bill. An aide to Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D.,
emphasized that Daschle considers retaining the $2 billion dairy
provisions in the Senate bill vital to getting the conference report
through the Senate.


Jerry Hagstrom/CongressDaily


CongressDaily's Final Word


"I hope that people are listening. None of my colleagues
are."


-Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., speaking recently
from an otherwise empty dais at a hearing on the budget


Brody Mullins/CongressDaily

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