–Senate Majority Leader Wants Senate To Pass Bill ‘Quickly’
–Senate Vote on Stop-Gap Expected Monday or Tuesday
–House Expected To Vote On Stop-Gap Spending Bill Tuesday
–Senate Resumes Debate on START Treaty

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – The final fiscal item left on the agenda of the
111th Congress is passing a stop-gap funding bill to keep the government
running until March 4.

In comments on the Senate floor Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid
said he hopes the stop-gap funding bill can be passed “as quickly as
possible.”

A Senate vote to end debate on the measure is set for Tuesday, but
Reid hinted he would like to hold the vote Monday if possible.

The House returns to Washington Tuesday to vote for the stop-gap
spending bill.

Last Friday, Congress passed a three day stop-gap spending bill
that funds the federal government until this Tuesday at midnight.

Several weeks ago, the House passed a year-long stop gap spending
bill that would have funded the government for the rest of fiscal year
2011 at fiscal year 2010 spending levels.

However, Senate Democrats initially tried a different approach,
combining all 12 of the regular spending bills into an omnibus package.

Senate Republicans jumped on the measure’s $1.1 trillion cost and
it’s length at nearly 2,000 pages as central reasons for blocking the
measure.

Republicans also cited the inclusion of hundreds of earmarks as a
reason to oppose the omnibus spending bill. Lawmakers from both parties
were recipients of these proposed earmarks.

With longer-term funding measures derailed, congressional leaders
are near an agreement to pass a spending bill that would fund the
government until March 4.

Congress has passed none of the 12 regular spending bills for the
2011 fiscal year that began Oct 1. A series of short-term spending bills
have kept the government funded.

House and Senate leaders are trying to wrap up their work for
the year this week.

Senate Democratic leaders are trying to pass a nuclear arms
reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia in the coming days as well
as the stop-gap spending bill.

Reid said he would also like the Senate to pass a health care and
compensation bill for the responders to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

House leaders have indicated that the stop-gap spending bill is
one of the final item’s on their agenda this year. The House could also
consider a bill to reauthorize science, education and technology
programs.

** Market News International Waoshington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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