We haven't had too many times in recent years where a budget bill has been on the floor of the U.S. Senate with a wide open amendment process, so as Senators try to finish work on a bill that funds the government for the rest of this fiscal year, there are some interesting plans being floated by members of both parties.
Among the over 90 amendments filed last week included some like one from Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), which would shift money around (post-sequester) to allow the White House to again open its doors to public tours:
On page 455, between lines 19 and 20, insert the following:
Sec. 574. Of the amounts appropriated under title II to the Transportation Security Administration for civil aviation security services, $2,500,000 shall be transferred to the United States Secret Service for salaries and expenses to permit the resumption of self-guided tours of the White House.
Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) would do the same thing with money from a different source:
(1) the amount appropriated for the National Recreation and Preservation account shall be reduced by $8,100,000, which shall be taken from the National Heritage Partnership Program; and
(2) the amount appropriated under section 1401(e) for ``National Park Service, Operation of the National Park System'' shall be increased by $6,000,000, which shall be used for expenses related to visitor services and maintenance of national parks, monuments, sites, national memorials, and battlefields, including the White House, Grand Canyon National Park, the Washington Monument, Yellowstone National Park, and the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Other efforts to deal with the aftermath of automatic budget cuts include a plan from Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) to keep food inspectors on the job:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, during fiscal year 2013, the Secretary of Agriculture may transfer any amounts appropriated for the Department of Agriculture, made available for that fiscal year, and subject to reduction under a sequestration order under section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901a), among accounts of the Department of Agriculture so as to prevent disruption in the inspection services of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
And here is part of one amendment from Senators in both parties that would shift money around to keep dozens of contract air traffic towers open at smaller airports:
(1) by substituting ``$7,492,738,000'' for ``$7,442,738,000''; and (2) by substituting ``$10,350,000 shall be for the contract tower cost-sharing program and not less than $130,500,000 shall be for the contract tower program'' for ``$10,350,000 shall be for the contract tower cost-sharing program''.
Sen. Coburn of Oklahoma is also still trying to use this budget bill to go after conference and travel spending by federal agencies:
On page 521, line 15, strike ``this'' and all that follows through ``occurring'' on line 19, and insert ``division A, B, C, D, E, or F of this Act may be used to send or otherwise pay for the attendance of more than 25 employees from a Federal department or agency at any single conference occurring within the United States or''.
And Coburn is also looking to force a vote in the Senate to do away with the rider that bars the Postal Service from delivering first class mail less than six days a week - in other words, he wants to let the Postal Service get rid of Saturday mail delivery:
Notwithstanding section 1101, the matter under the heading ``PAYMENT TO THE POSTAL SERVICE FUND'' under the heading ``United States Postal Service'' of title V of division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74; 125 Stat. 923) shall be applied by striking the second proviso.
Here is one from Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on a program that many know is controversial in Washington, but gets little attention outside the Beltway:
On page 84, between lines 3 and 4, insert the following:
Sec. 74__. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to carry out (or to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel to carry out) the Federal sugar loan program under section 156 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272) or the feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy producers under section 9010 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110) other than in a manner that is of no cost to the Federal Government.
Not every amendment offered to this budget bill though has to do with shifting around money for the sequester, like this one from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), which obviously deals with gun rights:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by division A, B, C, D, or E of this Act may be made used to require a person licensed under section 923 of title 18, United States Code, to report information to the Department of Justice regarding the sale of multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person, unless pursuant to a bona fide criminal investigation.
Here is one amendment from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) that clearly takes care of business in her home state:
At the end of title VIII of division C, insert the following:
Sec. 8131. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to retire, divest, realign, or transfer Air Force aircraft assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, or to disestablish or convert units associated with such aircraft, until the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force submits to Congress the report required by section 363(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013 (Public Law 112-239).
Finally, people always tell me to "read the bill," so maybe they can help by reading this amendment which looks clerical in nature, and telling me what it means:
On page 378, line 3, strike ``a grant for''.
On page 585, line 11, strike ``through C'' and insert ``through F''.
On page 586, line 16, strike ``division C'' and insert ``division F''.
Amendments can be submitted up until 4:30 pm on Monday afternoon; then the Senate will start winnowing down the list, which stood at well over 90 on Friday.
Then, the Senate needs to finish the bill, and get it back to the House for further action.
And maybe more amendments.
