Overshadowed by the jockeying in Washington, D.C. over possible military strikes against Syria, House Republicans on Tuesday rolled out plans for a stop gap budget that would fund government operations until after Thanksgiving and supports a parliamentary move to block money for the Obama health reform law.
Known as the "Continuing Resolution," the temporary budget plan would fund government operations at just under the levels from sequestration, while shifting around money to bolster several programs, like the border patrol, immigration enforcement and two weather satellite programs.
"The Continuing Resolution introduced today is simply a temporary measure to keep the lights on in government until this Congress can fulfill its duty by approving Appropriations bills for the next fiscal year," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY).
In a written statement, and just off the House floor, Rogers made clear once more than this is not how he wants to legislate.
"This is not the preferred way of doing the nation’s financial work," said Rogers.
Of the dozen spending bills that fund the federal government, the House has approved only four bills - the Senate has yet to vote on one.
Congress has not finished its spending work on time - by October 1, the start of the new fiscal year - since 1994.
Also tucked in the bill is a provision that the Senate uses to help the widows of Senators who die while in office, as $174,000 would be given to the wife of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who died June 3.
"SEC. 134. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint resolution, there is appropriated for payment to Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, widow of Frank R. Lautenberg, late a Senator from New Jersey, $174,000."
For those of you wondering about this kind of death payment - it's been around as long as I've been watching the Congress. If a member of the House or Senate dies while in office, the Congress then pays the spouse or estate the equivalent of one year's salary.
Whether that's right or wrong isn't for me to decide - but just to let you know - this has been going on for years. I went back to 1989 and found a reference in a spending bill to a payment to the estate of Rep. Claude Pepper (D-FL); I would bet it goes back many years before that as well.
As for this year's stopgabp budget bill, it does not expressly contain any provisions that deal with the Obama health law, but what Republicans plan to do is add on language to the bill - after it is approved by the House - that would block funding for the Obama health law.
The parliamentary sleight of hand would allow Republicans to say that they had blocked funding for those health reforms, though the Senate could easily dispense with that language.
A number of more conservative Republicans scoffed at the plan, labeling it "hocus pocus," and vowing to vote against the bill.
GOP leaders can't lose too many votes, because Democrats oppose this bill due to its funding levels, which they consider too low.
You can see the health reform language here.
