Volume 1, No. 9 - September 30, 2003
 

Update on the Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriations Process
To Members of the NASULGC Family:

Today marks the end of the fiscal year 2003. But, it will be hard for most folks to tell the difference between today and tomorrow (just like it's hard to tell the difference in the weather from day-to-day).

September brought high winds and sustained power outages to Washington. (I already hear the more cynical among you responding that there are always big bags of wind and those without power here.) Will October and the new fiscal year bring a hurricane -- either literally or figuratively?

I don't know... It's anyone's guess, but consider how the political forces are aligning:

The federal budget deficit is rushing rapidly toward $500 billion;
Nonetheless, the President wants $87 billion more for Iraq; and
Congress wants (more than anything) to just "get out of town."

Here's the appropriations weather report:

The House has passed all 13 Appropriations bills.
The Senate has passed seven.
House-Senate negotiators have finished conference on three of the 13 bills -- Homeland Security,
   Defense, and Legislative Branch.
Four bills are in varying stages of conference between staffs.

Now for Some Macro-Observations
Today the Senate will markup the $87 billion Iraq supplemental in committee with the intent of finishing in committee and taking it to the floor today or tomorrow. The Senate will spend the rest of the week working on this bill and then adjourn until October 14.

Fortunately, there is a Continuing Resolution (CR) in place that allows those federal agencies that do not have appropriations bills enacted to continue to operate at current year spending rates through October 31. However, if the Senate doesn't come back until October 14, then they will only have two weeks to pass six bills plus the Iraq supplemental. Odds are pretty much against that happening. So another CR will most likely be enacted.

Now for the Micro-Climate Forecast
The spending bill we care most about, Agriculture, is completed buried in a big pile of snow. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), Chairman of Appropriations Committee, is telling folks that he can still get all 13 INDIVIDUAL bills (including the Ag bill) done and into conference in a timely fashion. But, most observers feel that such an outcome is not at all likely.

In fact, the Agriculture bill is not even on the list of bills awaiting consideration in the Senate. This is because the bill now faces several very controversial issues -- Cuba sanctions, drug reimportation, disaster assistance, country of origin labeling, payment limitations, etc.

Any one of those issues is hot enough to stall the bill on the Senate floor or cause havoc at conference time. Thus, there is a great deal of talk about not letting the Ag bill see the Senate floor, but to get it to conference on some other vehicle.

So, what's the plan?
Well... there is no plan. The best educated guess at the present time is that Congress will -- somehow -- finish all 13 Appropriations bills either before Thanksgiving or (heaven forbid) Christmas.

Caveat: This report is like the weather. If you don't like it, hang tight. Conditions will change in a couple of minutes.

Tim Sanders
Cornerstone Government Affairs

BRT Report from Washington is edited by Fred H. Hutchison on behalf of the BRT. The BRT,  comprised of Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., and Cornerstone Government Affairs,  represents the Budget and Advocacy Committee of NASULGC's Board on Agriculture Assembly before Congress and executive branch agencies. © Fleishman-Hillard, 2003. For more information: www.nasulgc-bac.com