Saturday, November 14, 2009
Michael Bennet
Neither Bennet nor Sen. Mark Udall included the funding ban in the Senate bill, however.
By PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Congress will extend the annual funding ban on the expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site through 2010, Sen. Michael Bennet predicted Friday.
Neither Bennet nor Sen. Mark Udall, both Colorado Democrats, are attempting to add that language to the Senate version of the 2010 military construction appropriations bill, but Bennet said he's been assured by Senate leadership that the funding ban will be in the final bill that will be put together by both House and Senate lawmakers.
Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., put the funding prohibition in the House spending bill earlier this year, marking the third year it has been approved by the House.
But neither Bennet nor Udall has followed suit in the Senate.
That means when Senate and House lawmakers meet in conference to work out a final military construction spending bill, the Pinon Canyon ban only will be in the House version and not guaranteed to be accepted by Senate conferees.
Bennet said that's not a concern.
"The reason we didn't bring the funding ban to the Senate is a floor battle over amendments could have unintended consequences," he said following a talk to the Latino Chamber of Commerce luncheon Friday. "We have been assured - and I am confident - the funding ban will be in the final conference report."
Salazar and then-Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., first authored the funding prohibition in 2007, which barred the Army from spending any money from its military construction funds on expanding the 238,000-acre training range northeast of Trinidad. In September of that year, then-Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., pushed the amendment through the Senate on a hard-fought, narrow vote.
Last year, John Salazar and Musgrave repeated the amendment and it was adopted in the 2009 military construction bill.
Earlier this year, John Salazar, now a member of the House Appropriations Committee, added the ban to the House version of the 2010 spending bill.
As for the Senate taking up its comprehensive health care bill as early as next week, Bennet said he believed the Senate will draft a better bill than the House version in terms of controlling costs. "What I want to see is a range of options, including a (government-created) public option," he said.
There are several senators, however, who have declared they will filibuster and block any legislation that includes a government-backed health insurance program, often called a public option.
"The Senate will complete a health care bill, but when is the question no one can answer right now," Bennet said.
proper@chieftain.com
Neither Bennet nor Sen. Mark Udall, both Colorado Democrats, are attempting to add that language to the Senate version of the 2010 military construction appropriations bill, but Bennet said he's been assured by Senate leadership that the funding ban will be in the final bill that will be put together by both House and Senate lawmakers.
Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., put the funding prohibition in the House spending bill earlier this year, marking the third year it has been approved by the House.
But neither Bennet nor Udall has followed suit in the Senate.
That means when Senate and House lawmakers meet in conference to work out a final military construction spending bill, the Pinon Canyon ban only will be in the House version and not guaranteed to be accepted by Senate conferees.
Bennet said that's not a concern.
"The reason we didn't bring the funding ban to the Senate is a floor battle over amendments could have unintended consequences," he said following a talk to the Latino Chamber of Commerce luncheon Friday. "We have been assured - and I am confident - the funding ban will be in the final conference report."
Salazar and then-Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., first authored the funding prohibition in 2007, which barred the Army from spending any money from its military construction funds on expanding the 238,000-acre training range northeast of Trinidad. In September of that year, then-Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., pushed the amendment through the Senate on a hard-fought, narrow vote.
Last year, John Salazar and Musgrave repeated the amendment and it was adopted in the 2009 military construction bill.
Earlier this year, John Salazar, now a member of the House Appropriations Committee, added the ban to the House version of the 2010 spending bill.
As for the Senate taking up its comprehensive health care bill as early as next week, Bennet said he believed the Senate will draft a better bill than the House version in terms of controlling costs. "What I want to see is a range of options, including a (government-created) public option," he said.
There are several senators, however, who have declared they will filibuster and block any legislation that includes a government-backed health insurance program, often called a public option.
"The Senate will complete a health care bill, but when is the question no one can answer right now," Bennet said.
proper@chieftain.com
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