Washington Digest: Heller, Heck vote for funding bill after budget deal reached
WASHINGTON — Congress moved to keep the government running at least through Thursday in a late-night vote after leaders and President Barack Obama reached an 11th hour agreement on federal spending levels for the rest of the fiscal year.
A deal was announced a little more than an hour before a midnight Friday deadline when funding for federal departments was to expire, threatening the jobs of 800,000 workers and a partial shutdown of government services.
With the agreement in hand, the Senate voted by unanimous consent to extend a temporary "continuing resolution" through Thursday for allow the new agreement to be written into legislation and passed.
President Barack Obama and leaders of Senate Democrats and House Republicans agreed on $1.050 trillion in domestic spending for the rest of fiscal 2011, which ends Sept. 30.
That level will require a budget cut of $38.5 billion, one of the largest in history.
The House followed with a 348-70 vote in favor of the short-term funding bill. Reps. Dean Heller and Joe Heck, both R-Nev., voted for it. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., was excused by leadership to attend a family gathering in New York and did not vote.
EPA POWERS DEBATED
Congress debated whether to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, a major goal of Republicans and some Democrats from coal states.
The highly controversial issue was somewhat overshadowed by the looming government shutdown. But a series of votes in the House and Senate showed no consensus on the matter, and thus no likely action this session.
The House voted 255-172 for a bill that would strip the EPA’s authority to cite the Clean Air Act as giving it permission to regulate carbon dioxide emissions tied to climate change. A similar Senate amendment failed on a 50-50 vote; a 60-vote majority was needed for it to advance.
Republicans charged the EPA overreached, and that limiting carbon emissions from power plants, oil refineries and other factories would force big costs on companies and kill jobs.
"EPA regulations will hit our manufacturing sector hard, with direct limits on factory emissions, indirect costs from the higher prices to power their facilities," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Opponents said the bill was an assault on clean air.
"Its premise is that climate change is a hoax and carbon pollution does not endanger health and welfare," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. "But climate change is real. It is caused by pollution, and it is a serious threat to our health and welfare."
Reps. Dean Heller and Joe Heck, both R-Nev., voted to block the EPA. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., voted against the bill.
In the Senate, a series of proposals to weaken the EPA on emissions all failed.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., offered an amendment that mirrored the House bill, and that failed 50-50. Besides Republicans, the amendment drew support from Democrats who represent states that rely heavily on coal for electricity.
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., voted for the McConnell amendment. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted against it.
Democrats offered amendments that variously would have cushioned the impact of new clean air rules on the auto industry, coal industry and farmers. All failed by wide margins.
CRITICISM OF OBAMA ON LIBYA REJECTED
A resolution by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., opposing President Barack Obama’s use of force in Libya was defeated 90-10.
Paul in the resolution appropriated Obama’s own words from a 2007 speech.
"The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation," according to the legislation.
Paul said Obama should have consulted Congress before committing U.S. forces to the multinational effort to isolate Moammar Gadhafi.
"There is no excuse for the Senate not to vote on going to war before we go to war," Paul said.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Paul’s seeming attempt to embarrass Obama was "too cute by half."
Ensign voted for the resolution. Reid voted against it.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.