NCGA Key Legislative Issues Threatened by ‘Nuclear Option’
(4-26-05)
If the Senate’s threatened “nuclear
option” happens this week, key legislation championed by the
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) could be stalled for a
significant period of time.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is threatening
to change Senate rules to ban filibusters for judicial nominations
(what has been called the “nuclear option”), clearing
the way for candidates to be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
Democrats have warned they will bring the Senate to a virtual halt
if such action is invoked.
Key corn grower
legislation on Capitol Hill includes comprehensive energy legislation
containing a Renewable Fuels Standard, the Water Resources Development
Act of 2005 (WRDA), appropriation, budget reconciliation and the
Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.
“The
Senate is going into uncharted territory with the halting of the
filibuster rules and it has potential to get extremely ugly,”
said NCGA Vice President of Public Policy Jon Doggett. “This
kind of action could have serious repercussions for all legislative
action for the year.”
Under Senate
rules, Frist could move forward with a vote on the filibuster rule
change during debate on any piece of legislation, thus forcing Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to decide if he will shut down
the Senate during consideration of all legislation.
Doggett said he foresees difficult times ahead in the Congress,
noting that the problems of the last two Congresses would pale in
comparison to this action. “We could see regular business
halted either for the next couple of months or possibly the whole
year resulting in yet again another year of a lot of the blame game
and nothing significant being accomplished,” he said.
The Senate
has been debating the $284 billion transportation bill this week;
however it is unlikely it will complete work on the highway bill.
Even as the possibility of a legislative floor fight looms, the
Senate is hoping to complete the fiscal year 2006 budget resolution
and the war supplemental spending bill before the May 2–6
recess.
The funding extensions in the highway bill expire at the end of
May, so the Senate has been under pressure to move and pass this
bill. Once this bill is out of the way, that makes room for the
Senate to take up WRDA, which includes legislation authorizing construction
of seven locks on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
Those around Capitol Hill suspect that if Frist does move ahead
with his plan to end the use of filibusters, the comprehensive energy
bill will also be derailed.
“Energy and gasoline costs are rising and are expected to
stay high throughout planting season and the upcoming summer driving
season,” Doggett said. “Consumers’ anger will
be directed at both sides of the aisle if we do not get a comprehensive
energy bill this year due to this kind of action by the Senate.”
While energy legislation has been debated for nearly four years,
Doggett believes consumers’ patience for legislative games
is dwindling. “It’s been four very long years of heated
debate. Everyone agrees we need energy policy enacted. Oil, gas
and natural gas prices have fluctuated continuously. We are more
dependent on foreign oil than every before and our national security
is at risk. All of this has happened and yet we still have not seen
an updated energy policy. Consumers will not allow this important
legislation to be stalled once again,” he said.