Amidst protests from Democrats and Republicans, the Senate on September 20 defeated, 28-69, the conference report for the FY2001 Legislative Branch appropriations bill (H.R. 4516). The conference report also included the FY2001 Treasury-Postal Service appropriations bill (H.R. 4475/S, 2900), which passed the House and had been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as a bill to repeal an excise tax on telephone and communications services. The House approved the conference report on September 8 (see The Source, 9/15/00).
In an effort to expedite the passage and enactment of FY2001 appropriations bills, the Republican leadership has begun pairing bills. Although the Senate had not considered the Treasury-Postal Service spending bill, it was attached to the legislative branch conference report in an effort to avoid an onslaught of amendments that would have stalled the Senate’s consideration of the bill. Under House and Senate rules, conference reports cannot be amended. Most Democrats were angered by the procedural decision, which prevented them from amending the Treasury-Postal spending bill, while several Republicans opposed the bill because it did not block a cost-of-living increase for Members of Congress.