|
 |
 |
|
Player of the week: Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) is facing her first major test since being named Appropriations Committee chairwoman earlier this year.
She is working with Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), her House counterpart, to send a bill to President Obama this month that will avert a government shutdown.
Mikulski, who represents a state that will be significantly affected by the sequester’s $85 billion in automatic spending cuts, has been outspoken about the need to replace the cuts to defense and domestic spending.
But the continuing resolution that Obama will sign will likely adhere to spending levels at post-sequestration levels.
Furthermore, the new House GOP spending bill that would fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year calls for the continuation of a spending freeze for federal employees.
Mikulski, who represents 130,000 federal employees, excoriated a similar Republican amendment last year, saying, “For too long, these hardworking civil servants have been targeted through downsizing, diet COLAs [cost of living adjustments], furloughs and shutdowns.”
But there are other spending provisions in the House bill that will probably be embraced by Mikulski and Democratic leadership in the Senate. Rogers is seeking spending exceptions for embassy security, border security, FBI cybersecurity efforts, weather satellites and wildfire suppression initiatives.
Mikulski is not shy about saying what’s on her mind, but her negotiations with Rogers will reveal how she plans to lead the Appropriations Committee.
Over the past several years, the panel has lost a lot of its clout on Capitol Hill — especially in the wake of the ongoing earmark ban. How Mikulski plans to restore the committee’s prestige will be something to watch throughout this Congress, though she must first iron out a bipartisan agreement that keeps many of her constituents working.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
