Prior to adjourning until December 5, both the House and Senate cleared the conference report for the FY2001 District of Columbia (D.C.) spending bill (H.R. 5547). On November 14, the House approved the measure by voice vote. The Senate followed suit the same day, approving the measure by unanimous consent and clearing it for the President’s signature.
Both chambers had previously approved a conference report accompanying the D.C. spending bill (H.R. 4942) that also included the FY2001 Commerce, Justice, State, and Related Agencies appropriations bill (H.R 4690), but the measure was never sent to the President (see The Source, 11/3/00, p. 1; 10/27/00, p. 5). The President had issued a veto threat due to immigration provisions included in the Commerce-Justice-State bill.
To date, eight FY2001 spending measures have been signed into law—Agriculture, Defense, Energy and Water, Foreign Operations, Interior, Military Construction, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development. Enactment of the FY2001 D.C. spending bill will make it nine.
The President vetoed the FY2001 Legislative Branch appropriations bill (H.R. 4516), which contained the FY2001 Treasury, Postal Services, and General Government spending bill (H.R. 4871), in an effort to send a message to lawmakers that negotiations on the remaining issues would have to be completed before he would sign a bill to fund the White House and Congress.
When Congress returns in December, agreements will have to be reached on the FY2001 Commerce-Justice-State spending bill, as well as the FY2001 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill (H.R. 4577). H.R 4577 is expected to be the final bill considered by the 106th Congress and will contain all remaining appropriations bills, as well as any additional measures.
