The Cloakroom: September 14 – 18
Conn Carroll /
Senate Analysis –
The Senate will continue their push to complete the four remaining appropriations bills, as the fiscal year nears an end. Senate leadership had hoped by this point health care would be completed and they would be on the verge of passing a cap-and-trade bill. Major policy work on health care, global warming taxation and financial reform will continue in the background for much of September.
Major Senate Floor Action –
- Senators will continue work on the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill, which increases spending by 22.6% over last year’s non-emergency level.
- A global warming debate could break out on the Interior-Environment appropriations bill, which increases spending by 16.5% over last year’s non-emergency level.
- Details in the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill are likely to be overshadowed by debate over the Obama Administration’s investigation into the CIA.