|
House leaders are banking their hopes for passing the emergency supplemental spending bill on the Blue Dog Coalition caving on its demands.
Their game plan hinges on the conservative Democrats giving in and agreeing to add $52 billion to the deficit to pay for a new GI bill for war veterans.
But first, the House will vote — one more time — on a version of the bill that includes an offsetting tax hike to pay for the college tuition for veterans. That could happen as soon as Wednesday.
Then the Senate will strip the tax hike out and send the supplemental back. Democratic aides say leaders have been assured that Blue Dogs then will drop their insistence on the so-called “pay-for.”
“What they send back will be it,” a House Democratic aide explained.
If it sounds like Congress has been down this road before, it has. The House has already passed a spending bill with the GI bill and the tax increase (on incomes higher than $500,000). The Senate passed the GI bill, but rejected the tax increase. House leaders expected the Blue Dogs to give in when the bill came back from the Senate, but they didn’t.
Republicans criticized the House Democratic leadership for trotting down the same path twice.
“One definition of insanity is to repeat the same action and expect a different result,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) in a statement. “But when it comes to the safety of our men and women in harm’s way, repeating the same cynical action is more than just insanity; it demonstrates a complete lack of judgment and responsibility.”
Attempts to reach the Blue Dog leader who’s spearheaded the charge on the issue, Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), were unsuccessful Tuesday.
 House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). Photo by Oscar Matatquin
House leaders are banking that Bush won’t veto the bill over another provision that would extend unemployment benefits by three months. The Labor Department this month reported the largest jump in unemployment in 20 years.
Bush has signaled that he doesn’t like the unemployment benefits plan, and the House failed to get a solidly veto-proof majority on the provision last week. The House has been unable to get veto-proof majorities on any of its votes on the supplemental, while the Senate has been emboldened by its veto-proof majorities on the bill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) last week said she wants the bill passed by the Independence Day recess that is to start June 27. |
