The Wall Street Journal-20080206-Politics - Economics- Senate Republicans Pressured- Lawmakers With Seats On the Line Take Heat On Stimulus-Plan Vote
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Politics & Economics: Senate Republicans Pressured; Lawmakers With Seats On the Line Take Heat On Stimulus-Plan Vote
Full Text (838 words)WASHINGTON -- Last week, New Hampshire Republican Sen. John Sununu voted against a version of an economic-stimulus plan up for debate in the Senate. Immediately, Democrats in his state, as part of their "Stop Sununu" campaign, charged that the senator had voted "against New Hampshire families and disabled veterans." Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, the former New Hampshire governor who is running for Mr. Sununu's seat this year, penned a newspaper editorial calling for many of the changes Mr. Sununu had rejected.
Such is the pressure on some Senate Republicans up for election this year as they prepare to vote today on an economic-stimulus package designed to attract their support.
The Senate bill, unlike the House-passed version that is backed by President Bush, provides rebate checks to millions of older people on Social Security and veterans getting disability payments. It also extends unemployment benefits, increases funding for low-income heating assistance and provides a tax break for businesses, such as home builders, that are facing operating losses.
Mr. Sununu, and many other Republicans, said the fastest way to get legislation finished would be to pass the House bill, which cleared that chamber with overwhelming, and unusual, bipartisan support. From the beginning, the White House has said speed is vital if the bill is to have any impact on the economy.
"If every senator is allowed to add something to the stimulus package, we'll never get this package done," Mr. Sununu said in a brief interview. He said he supports the low-income heating-assistance program, a hot-button issue in his cold-weather state, but he hadn't seen the details of a provision in the Senate bill to boost its funding. It was added after he voted against the Senate stimulus plan at the committee level last week. Mr. Sununu didn't say how he would vote when the matter comes to the Senate floor.
In recent days, supporters of the Senate bill ramped up efforts to garner more Republican votes in order to reach the total of 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. At least a handful of Republicans, including several up for re-election, are expected to vote for the Senate bill. Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota said with the inclusion of heating assistance, "I'm inclined to support it." The AARP, the lobby group for seniors, has been running print ads in Capitol Hill publications warning that members "will be watching how you vote."
The group's chief executive, Bill Novelli, appeared yesterday at a news conference with the bill's lead author, Sen. Max Baucus (D., Mont.). AARP released a survey showing that, while Americans are divided about whether rebates will stimulate the economy, 85% said older Americans who rely mostly on Social Security should be included in any rebate program.
Sen. Baucus also appeared at a news conference with officials from home builders Centex Corp., KB Home and Lennar Corp. That industry has been the most vocal in calling for the tax break for operating losses, which is in the Senate bill, but not the House version.
Democrats face an uphill battle to get the 60 votes necessary to advance the more expansive Senate package in a procedural vote expected today. Sen. Baucus said there is a "very decent chance" of winning the needed support. Added Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.): "I think Republicans are struggling to figure out some way not to vote on this package." If the Senate package doesn't pass, the chamber is likely to take up the House bill.
One strike against the Senate bill is that Republicans believe they will have a chance to vote separately on adding Social Security recipients and veterans to the rebate program. Many Republicans support that change. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated during Senate testimony yesterday that the administration is open to accepting those additions.
Sen. Reid, trying to push members to vote for the overall Senate package, said this week he wouldn't hold such votes. Asked whether he was bluffing, he responded: "I'm not much of a bluffer."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R., Alaska) are working on an amendment, if the main Senate package fails, to add veterans and seniors to the House package while keeping the cost of the overall legislation in the range of $150 billion. They also want to tighten language to prevent illegal immigrants from getting rebates, another element of the broader Senate bill.
"The AARP folks have done a good job of getting their people around the country involved in the debate," said Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.). Voting against low-income heating assistance "is a hard vote for a lot of Republicans" in Northern states, he acknowledged. He said Republicans "feel confident" they have the 41 votes necessary to defeat the Senate bill.
Republicans haven't seen the last of the issue at home. In New Hampshire, Democrats promise to keep watching how Mr. Sununu votes on heating assistance and other matters. Ms. Shaheen plans today to meet with unemployed workers and benefits experts, to highlight the unemployment-insurance extension she backs.
