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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Eashoa' M'sheekha who wrote (49888)	10/7/2002 8:47:46 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

One of the Political "What Ifs" that interests me is if Missouri elects a Republican Senator, who would be seated Immediately. This would give the Senate to the Republicans until the first of the year, no matter what the total outcome. Here is an article from "RollCall." October 7, 2002 Lame Duck Talk Swirls By Mark Preston Senate Republicans have mapped out a floor strategy that calls for muscling through GOP-sponsored bills and President Bush's outstanding nominations in a four-week span if they control the majority in a lame-duck session. Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-S.D.) warned last week that Senators should be prepared to stay in session until Nov. 5 and return following the elections to complete the chamber's unfinished business. If the Senate does return and the GOP temporarily seizes the majority, then the Republican leaders plan to invoke Rule XIV, which would allow Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott (Miss.) to bypass the committee process and place bills directly on the Senate calendar for consideration. This is significant because even if Democrats lose the majority they are likely to retain control of the committees in a lame-duck session because the current committee chairmen would be loathe to approve a new organizing resolution. "Clearly that is an option," said Lott, who has been critical of Daschle for bypassing the committee process in some cases. "We do have certain tools that would be at our disposal, and Rule XIV is obviously one of them." A Senate Republican leadership aide was more blunt regarding the GOP's determination to try to use this rule to its advantage. "When we take over the majority, we intend to move so fast to pass bills and confirm judges that have been held up by the Senate Democratic leadership that it will make their heads spin," said the aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity. But Republicans need former Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) to defeat Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.) to take over in a lame-duck session. Because Carnahan was appointed to the Senate seat two years ago, Missouri law allows for Talent to be sworn in immediately if he wins. Democrats brushed off the Republican plan as wishful thinking. "Senator Carnahan is going to win her election," said Ranit Schmelzer, Daschle's spokeswoman. "This discussion is academic." And a second source close to Daschle noted that if Talent were to win, Missouri's Democratic governor would make sure that "the Pony Express would deliver the certification papers" to Washington, a half-joking reference to stalling any effort to seat the Republican quickly. And seizing the majority does not automatically mean Republicans would be able to push through their agenda items. The GOP would need to overcome Democratic objections to any bill they try to bring up, an unlikely scenario in a lame-duck session that is expected to be woven with partisan vitriol. "Rule XIV is a cute political ploy, but it still is not going to ensure that they can get anything through the Senate," said a senior Democratic Senate aide. "There will be cloture votes and a whole ball of wax." A senior Republican aide acknowledged it would be difficult to achieve the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic objection. "There is no question we could put legislation on the calendar, the problem is getting it off," the aide said. Senate Democrats suggested that a lame-duck session under these circumstances would lead to continued partisanship and gridlock on the Senate floor. "It would make the Gingrich revolution an exercise in bipartisan relations," said a Democratic aide. But the senior Republican aide said Democrats are responsible for the heated partisanship that has put the Senate in this quagmire. "There has been failed leadership [since June 2001], and when you govern to fail, you fail to govern," the aide said. This week, a use-of-force resolution against Iraq will dominate the legislative agenda in both chamber. Bush will deliver a prime-time speech tonight on why he believes Iraqi President Saddam Hussein should be ousted, an address that is likely to put pressure on Congress to quickly approve a use-of-force resolution, and final votes on the measures are expected later this week. On another legislative front, Senate Democrats and Republicans still remain at loggerheads over labor issues in the proposed Department of Homeland Security. The impasse prompted Daschle to warn Senators the chamber will stay in session until it is completed. This threat riled some Republicans seeking re-election this year. "I will be back in Arkansas, thank you very much," said Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.), who added he would return to Washington for "important votes." Hutchinson said he is frustrated because the Senate has accomplished little in the past few months. "I got a campaign to run, and I have been here week after week after week with virtually nothing being done except a vote here or a vote there," Hutchinson said. "The people of Arkansas are expecting to see me. So I will do my best to be here for key votes, but I am not going to be staying around here until Election Day." Sen. James Inhofe (Okla.), another Republican seeking re-election, agreed with Hutchinson that forcing Senators to stay in Washington when nothing is getting accomplished is wrong. "It doesn't do any good because we haven't been doing anything anyway," he said. "I have served for 16 years, and I have never been in this environment where we are not doing anything." Should the Senate resolve its impasse with the White House over the homeland security bill and pass it, Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said he is willing to call Members back into town to work on it so that it can move it to the president's desk before the Nov. 5 election. "I think it is very important for us not to have that bill and go home," Hastert said Thursday. "I think that is something that the American people deserve and they should have before we leave if the Senate acts, we will be here to finish it." If the Senate fails to move the bill, Hastert predicted the House would continue to pass a series of continuing resolutions to keep the government funded. But Hastert said any decision about trying to solve the appropriations impasse with the Senate in a lame-duck session would be made after the election. According to GOP leadership aides, Hastert is putting off any decision about a lame duck to see if Talent wins. "Quite frankly, the elections could create chaos in the Senate before or after," Hastert said. "We can't make unilateral decisions on this and will have to wait and see." Still looming in the background is the need for Congress to pass the 13 spending bills that fund the federal government. Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) said, "I think the American people expect us to stay in Washington and finish our work." Susan Crabtree contributed to this report. rollcall.com