Reid Plans to Have Spending Bills on Floor in June and July
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is promising the Appropriations Committee a month’s worth of floor time.
The Nevada Democrat said Wednesday that he has given Chairwoman Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., four weeks for moving some of the 12 bills for fiscal 2015.
“I’ve set aside a month for her, two weeks in one month and two weeks in another,” Reid said, adding that the months are June and July.
Reid’s comments will be music to the ears of many a senior appropriator on both sides of the aisle who think that moving some bills through regular order is one opportunity for bipartisanship, even as Democrats move other, more politically-motivated measures.
Mikulski said Tuesday that she hoped to have the military construction-veterans affairs bill to the floor shortly after Memorial Day.
In separate interviews in the past two days, Republicans John Hoeven of North Dakota and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said similarly that it’s a chance for the Senate to function.
Murkowski said Wednesday that she didn’t think Reid could afford to push the “pause button” on all legislative business.