U.S. Congress looks for way out as election nears (Adjournment & Unfinished Issues)

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - U.S. congressional leaders are grappling this week with the politically sensitive issue of whether to adjourn and face voters with much of their business unfinished on issues ranging from homeland security to the budget.

House of Representatives and Senate leaders have already conceded Congress will probably have to return after the Nov. 5 election -- which could change party control in both chambers -- to wrap up its work for the year.

But neither has found a way to leave, even temporarily, without exposing their members to political attack.

Illustrating the problem, House Republican leaders last week were abruptly forced by a revolt within their own ranks to shelve an effort to delay tough decisions on government spending until after the election.

Congress has yet to complete any of the 13 annual spending bills required to fund the government in 2003, even though the new fiscal year began two weeks ago. It has since been passing week-to-week stopgap bills to avoid a federal shutdown.

House leaders had proposed a longer-term stopgap spending bill that would run until Nov. 22 and allow them to adjourn.

But enough rank-and-file Republicans rebelled -- citing concerns over Congress' inaction on aid for drought-hit Western farmers and ranchers and funding boosts for Medicare health providers -- to send the plan back to the drawing board.

"We're not ready yet to just go home and kiss all of these issues off for the year," said South Dakota Republican Rep. John Thune, who is locked in a one of this year's tightest Senate races against Democratic incumbent Sen. Tim Johnson.

Democrats, who control the Senate, face a different problem -- but a similar result.

Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota has vowed the Senate will not leave town without passing legislation to create a new Homeland Security department to better protect the United States against future terrorist attacks.

"If it isn't passed, we're just going to stay until the election," Daschle said earlier this month. "And then we'll be right back right after the election."

But the bill has been bogged down for more than a month by a seemingly intractable dispute over labor rights in the 170,000-employee department, and Republicans are eagerly latching onto the impasse as a campaign issue.

President George W. Bush has argued he needs broad powers to hire, fire and transfer workers. Democrats, long allies of organized labor, say he is trying to roll back collective bargaining and civil service protections.

Some key pieces of legislation are still moving. The Senate is expected this week to give final congressional approval to one of the biggest overhauls ever of how Americans vote.

The $3.9 billion measure would help states replace antiquated voting machines; create statewide computerized registration systems; improve access to the voting booth for the disabled and establish new anti-fraud protections.

The Senate is also expected to approve $365 billion in defense spending to support the biggest military buildup in two decades, after the House cleared the package last week.

Congressional negotiators continue to work on bills to revamp U.S. bankruptcy laws, redraw national energy policy and provide government backing for insurers in the event of another Sept. 11-like attack, but their prospects remain unclear.

Hey congressCRITTERS, I'm paying you to WORK, not to figure out the most politically expedient way to dodge the tough issues. Get yer collective asses to work and get this backlog cleaned up before you leave town!!

The Military Construction Appropriations bill is on its way to Bush's desk and Defense Appropriations conference report awaiting only a Senate OK before going to Bush. The bill funding the Legislative Branch is currently in conference. And the House has reported out all other (8) appropriations bills except for Labor, HHS, Education and Commerce-Justice-State. Labor-HHS-Education is the perennial beast that is holding all the others up from going over to the Senate--conservatives do not want more spending on these programs so in July they vowed to hold all the other bills until that one is resolved and they have stuck to that.

Given that they've already waited this long, I wonder if the results will be worse if they rush to get it done now or if they wait and take (still more) time with it later. Probably badness either way, just different badness.

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