House Finishes, Senate Starts Money Bills.

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Author: Baumann, DavidSmallen, JillMitchell, Charlie

PIVOTAL EVENTS IN CONGRESS

JUNE 27-30

The House this week wrapped up work on its fiscal 2006 appropriations bills, while the Senate passed its first measure of the spending season. On June 28, the House approved its annual Foreign Operations funding bill, after adopting a floor amendment that would prohibit assistance for Saudi Arabia. And the House was expected by week's end to approve its 11th and final spending measure, the Transportation-Treasury-Housing and Urban Development-Judiciary-District of Columbia bill. During that debate, the House dealt a setback to the Appropriations Committee by restoring $626 million in funding for Amtrak that the committee had sought to cut. The Senate had been expected to fully fund Amtrak, but the Bush administration opposes the funding. Meanwhile, the Senate on June 29 approved its first fiscal 2006 spending bill, the Interior measure. Included in the bill was $1.5 billion for the Veterans Affairs Department, which last week reported a funding shortfall. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., also scheduled debate by week's end on several other appropriations bills.

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By David Baumann, National Journal; Jill Smallen and Charlie Mitchell