by Congressional Quarterly

rough primary season, an extremely competitive general election and a spate of upcoming retirements portend significant changes next year for the Appropriations panels in both chambers. Four of the six congressional incumbents who have lost to their party rivals in primary contests this year were longtime appropriators, and three GOP appropriators have lost their primary elections for other offices. While a unique set of circumstances led to each appropriator’s loss, their ability to steer federal dollars home was not enough to save their candidacies, said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. Click to learn more! “When you have some of the anti-Washington furor that’s going around the country, coupled with the concerns over the deficit, that creates a perfect storm that’s going to really challenge the appropriators at the ballot box,” said Ellis. “Being an appropriator didn’t help them escape.” All four of the appropriators who lost their primary contests are veteran lawmakers. Utah conservatives denied the GOP nomination to Sen. Robert F. Bennett as he sought a fourth term, and Pennsylvania Democrats rejected a bid by five-term incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter , who switched from Republican to Democrat last year, for their party’s nomination. House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee Chairman Alan B. Mollohan , D-W.Va., lost a primary in which his ethics troubles were the dominant issue. And Democratic Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick , Michigan’s lone appropriator, lost her bid for an eighth term. Meanwhile, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison lost to incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in the Texas GOP primary. And this month, Republican Reps. Zach Wamp , a gubernatorial candidate in Tennessee, and Todd Tiahrt , who sought a Senate seat in Kansas, lost their primary bids.

Subscribe to CQ Midday Update »
Subscribe to C-SPAN Alert! »

   by Congressional Quarterly

Asserting its constitutional jurisdiction over revenue measures, the House passed its own version of a $600 million border security bill Tuesday that would be paid for through increased visa fees. The Senate had passed the legislation July 27, hours before adjourning for its summer recess. But the House bristled at the infringement on its revenue powers, and insisted on originating the bill — even though the content is identical to the Senate’s version. The measure, passed by voice vote, will have to wait for final action by the Senate, which is unlikely to act until it returns from recess Sept. 13, according to Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev. The legislation would give the Obama administration the $600 million it requested June 22 to beef up security along the southwest border. The money would be used to send 1,500 new agents, two additional unmanned aerial drones and millions of dollars in communications equipment to the border with Mexico to combat the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. “What is before us is an emergency measure [to address] cartel violence and gang activity in Mexico which requires an emergency response, an immediate response, a targeted response,” said Rep. David E. Price , D-N.C. Passage of the bill was cheered by those who have demanded bolstered border security, but some immigration advocacy groups expressed anger over what they called a piecemeal approach. “Republicans have falsely and in bad faith used border security to shore up their base in the runup to the fall elections,” said Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change. “Democrats in the last few days have taken the bait and fallen into the trap.” Chung–Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigrant Coalition, and other advocates urged lawmakers to take up bills in September that would provide temporary legal status for agricultural workers and a path to citizenship for undocumented college students. “The window is closing for President Obama and Congress to build positive steps forward, not backward,” she said.

House Leaders Expect State-Aid Bill To Pass

August 9, 2010

   by Congressional Quarterly

House Democratic leaders are confident they will have the votes Tuesday to pass a $26.1 billion bill that would keep more than 140,000 teachers on the job and help states pay for medical care for the poor, leadership aides said Monday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week called the House back from its planned six-week recess to deal with the measure after the Senate overcame Republican objections and passed the bill on Aug. 5. Key to winning Senate approval — and giving House leaders the confidence the bill will pass — was the Senate decision to offset the legislation’s cost by making cuts elsewhere. The legislation proposes $10 billion in aid to states to prevent layoffs of teachers and other public employees and $16.1 billion in Medicaid help to the states. To pay for that spending, cuts were proposed for several programs popular with Democrats, including food stamps and a renewable-energy loan initiative. Republicans are expected to be near-unanimous in their opposition to the bill, which they attack as yet more government spending from a Democratic Congress and president. If the House passes the Senate-passed measure, it will go to President Obama for his signature. His administration has called for the legislation to pass. Quick enactment could keep teachers on the job when schools return for the fall session. Once the legislation is cleared, Democratic leaders are expected to start looking for ways to restore the money that will be cut from the food stamp and renewable energy loan programs to pay for the help to the states.

View previous stories »