With the Senate headed for a heated battle over a Supreme Court nominee, some legislative priorities, such as immigration legislation and Social Security reform, may not make it to the floor this year.
“It has the potential of crowding out a lot of other things,” said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican.
The Senate has yet to approve several must-pass spending bills, and once the inevitable Supreme Court fight begins in earnest, efforts to reform immigration, compensate asbestos victims and piece together Social Security legislation all could get pushed into next year, senators said.
“I think this takes the oxygen out of the air for a lot of other things,” said Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican.
However, senators were quick to note that several key bills have passed their chamber recently, including the Central American Free Trade Agreement, a long-awaited energy bill and a measure funding the nation’s highways.
Sen. Mel Martinez, Florida Republican, said the Senate has been “double-timing” in recent months, in anticipation of the Supreme Court battle.
“I think Frist has been assuming this could happen and has been moving accordingly,” he said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican.
But Mr. Martinez said the asbestos and spending bills could run into trouble as senators focus on the high court. Mr. Brownback said immigration reform may have to be pushed off until next year, and called Social Security reform highly doubtful. He said he already has “real doubts we could get through Social Security this Congress.” A Social Security bill would require lengthy Senate floor debate, he said, so “it becomes much more questionable” whether the Senate will get to it in light of the Supreme Court focus.
But Sen. Robert F. Bennett, Utah Republican, said the Senate already has been “enormously productive” this year and that Mr. Frist and other leaders are prepared to consider various bills and a Supreme Court nominee at the same time.
“I don’t think any of that is going to suffer,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Rick Santorum said of asbestos legislation and the final versions of energy, highway and CAFTA bills being worked on in conference with the House. The Pennsylvania Republican also seemed hopeful that House movement on Social Security reform could still trigger Senate action.
Meanwhile, House Republican leaders fully expect that Senate Democrats will grind the chamber to a halt while focusing on a Supreme Court nominee.
“I think we’ll see real quickly how they’re going to gum it up,” said Rep. Jack Kingston, Georgia Republican and vice chairman of the House Republican Conference.
Mr. Kingston is worried the Senate will not consider Social Security reform and other House priorities, such as eminent-domain legislation and the United Nations reform bill. He also is concerned that numerous House-passed federal spending bills will fall by the wayside in the Senate and be forced into one huge bill at the end of the year — an “ugly” scenario House leaders want to avoid.
While Mr. Kingston said he hopes Senate Democrats do not hold up a Supreme Court nominee and cause delays of other bills, he had a warning if they choose that path: “The case, come 2006 [elections], will once again be that the Democrats are the party of obstruction.”
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