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Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday on the House floor that no decision has been made on whether the war supplemental spending bill will be brought directly to the floor. Pressed on whether the measure will be marked up in the Appropriations Committee, Hoyer said during a colloquy with House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), “Candidly, it is still up in the air.” The Maryland lawmaker noted that Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) is working on moving the bill. Hoyer expressed hope that the measure could be voted on by the House next week but added that the schedule is in flux. Blunt urged Hoyer to move the supplemental in regular order, noting that bringing the measure straight to the floor would break away from tradition on Defense subcommittee appropriations measures. The Republican lawmaker also pressed Hoyer on whether the GI-related legislation will be included in the spending bill and whether it would require a waiver of so-called pay-go budgetary rules. The Democratic leader responded that it is unclear whether GI provisions would be part of the supplemental but indicated that they would not be subject to pay-go. Hoyer also said that unemployment-benefits legislation, which may or may not be in the supplemental, would not fall into the pay-go category. He noted that the economic stimulus package that was signed into law was not paid for, arguing that unemployment-benefits legislation would fall under that category. Blunt countered that other bills, such as measures on business research and benefit tax credit and the Alternative Minimum Tax, should also not fall under pay-go rules. In addition, Hoyer said lawmakers are “close” to reaching a budget deal and that he hopes to have a measure on the floor soon, but did not commit to an exact date. |
