Lame Duck? Not Quite Yet

[Annie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...5/07/29/AR2005072901942.html?nav=rss_politics

On Capitol Hill, A Flurry of GOP Victories
Key Measures Advance After Long Delays

By Charles Babington and Justin Blum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, July 30, 2005; Page A01

After years of partisan impasses and legislative failures, Congress in a matter of hours yesterday passed or advanced three far-reaching bills that will allocate billions of dollars and set new policies for guns, roads and energy.

The measures sent to President Bush for his signature will grant $14.5 billion in tax breaks for energy-related matters and devote $286 billion to transportation programs, including 6,000 local projects, often called "pork barrel" spending. The Senate also passed a bill to protect firearms manufacturers and dealers from various lawsuits. The House is poised to pass it this fall.


Before recessing till September, Sen. Arlen Specter, left, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist marked victories for fellow Republicans and President Bush.
Before recessing till September, Sen. Arlen Specter, left, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist marked victories for fellow Republicans and President Bush. (By Melina Mara -- The Washington Post)


Combined with the Central American Free Trade Agreement that Congress approved Thursday, the measures constitute significant victories for Bush and GOP congressional leaders, who have been frustrated by Democrats in some areas such as Social Security. As senators cast vote after vote in order to start their August recess, Bush applauded Congress, saying the energy bill "will help secure our energy future and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy."

Capping a long day of debates and roll calls, the Senate scheduled hearings for Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. to begin Sept. 6, and voted to reauthorize portions of the USA Patriot Act, granting sweeping new powers to authorities to combat terrorism, although the chamber remains at odds with the House.

The bills approved this week won varying degrees of support from Democrats, with most of them opposing the trade pact and gun bill. The energy bill passed the Senate 74 to 26, but Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) denounced it as a missed opportunity to lower gasoline prices and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil...