The Week Ahead
As news of President Obama’s announcement to revise U.S. antimissile plans in Eastern Europe made the headlines, the Senate moved closer to finishing at least half of the 12 FY10 Appropriations bills with passage of the Transportation-HUD bill yesterday. It remains unclear whether or not the Senate will have the time to bring up the $48.7 billion FY10 State, Foreign Operations bill, the largest component of the International Affairs Budget. If not, then it may be wrapped up into a “mini-bus” bill with any other unfinished Appropriations bills. Currently, The FY10 International Affairs Budget is on track to be funded at $51 billion, $2.9 billion or 5.4% below the Administration’s request.
The Senate began consideration of the Interior-Environment bill yesterday, and is expected to resume debate on the measure early next week. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) has indicated that the Defense and Military Construction-VA bills will be up next. It remains unclear how many bills will make it to the President’s desk prior to the start of the 2010 fiscal year on October 1st, as no formal dates have been announced for conference committees to meet to iron out differences between the House and Senate-passed bills. Congress is expected to pass a month-long continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government operating until it finishes the FY10 Appropriations process, which the House may take up sometime next week.
