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A one-year extension of the federal timber safety net didn’t make the cut in the $162 billion war spending bill approved Thursday by the U.S. Senate.
An amendment co-sponsored by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Idaho Sen. Larry Craig that would have reinserted $400 million in safety net funding into the bill was never considered. The procedures used to pass the bill did not allow amendments to be added.
That’s the amount the Senate originally included in the bill, enough to continue the program for another 12 months at full funding. When the House approved its version of the spending bill last week, the safety net provision was left out.
The bill now goes to President George W. Bush for his signature. Adding in the safety net funding would have required the bill to return to the House, where passage would have been uncertain. Leaders also wanted the bill finalized before Congress adjourned today for the Fourth of July holiday and sending the bill back to the House would have made that more difficult.
Work will begin to insert the safety net extension into a separate emergency supplemental spending bill expected to come before Congress to provide flood relief for the Midwest.
“If that’s a vehicle that’s moving, we’ll attach it to that,” Wyden spokesman Tom Towslee said. “We’re not going to give up on this issue.”
On Thursday, before the Senate vote, Douglas County Commissioner Doug Robertson said he was hopeful the safety net extension could be included with the flooding bill if it was rejected in the war spending bill.
Douglas County receives $53 million from the safety net. The Board of Commissioners on Wednesday passed a $35.4 million general fund budget for the new fiscal year that begins Tuesday, down $8.4 million from the current budget.
The Senate funding bill approved Thursday 92-6 included $2.7 billion in emergency flood relief and a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits, but additional funding will be sought.
The bill also included a doubling of GI Bill college benefits for military personnel and veterans.
The spending bill will bring to more than $650 billion the amount Congress has provided for the Iraq war since it started more than five years ago. For operations in Afghanistan, the total is nearly $200 billion, according to congressional officials.
Last week, the House approved the war funding measure, 268-155. The domestic add-ons were approved separately by a 416-12 vote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
An amendment co-sponsored by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Idaho Sen. Larry Craig that would have reinserted $400 million in safety net funding into the bill was never considered. The procedures used to pass the bill did not allow amendments to be added.
That’s the amount the Senate originally included in the bill, enough to continue the program for another 12 months at full funding. When the House approved its version of the spending bill last week, the safety net provision was left out.
The bill now goes to President George W. Bush for his signature. Adding in the safety net funding would have required the bill to return to the House, where passage would have been uncertain. Leaders also wanted the bill finalized before Congress adjourned today for the Fourth of July holiday and sending the bill back to the House would have made that more difficult.
Work will begin to insert the safety net extension into a separate emergency supplemental spending bill expected to come before Congress to provide flood relief for the Midwest.
“If that’s a vehicle that’s moving, we’ll attach it to that,” Wyden spokesman Tom Towslee said. “We’re not going to give up on this issue.”
On Thursday, before the Senate vote, Douglas County Commissioner Doug Robertson said he was hopeful the safety net extension could be included with the flooding bill if it was rejected in the war spending bill.
Douglas County receives $53 million from the safety net. The Board of Commissioners on Wednesday passed a $35.4 million general fund budget for the new fiscal year that begins Tuesday, down $8.4 million from the current budget.
The Senate funding bill approved Thursday 92-6 included $2.7 billion in emergency flood relief and a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits, but additional funding will be sought.
The bill also included a doubling of GI Bill college benefits for military personnel and veterans.
The spending bill will bring to more than $650 billion the amount Congress has provided for the Iraq war since it started more than five years ago. For operations in Afghanistan, the total is nearly $200 billion, according to congressional officials.
Last week, the House approved the war funding measure, 268-155. The domestic add-ons were approved separately by a 416-12 vote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
