Deal on War Supplemental Near
CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
June 10, 2009 – 2:50 p.m.
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=cqmidday-000003139810
Action on a final version of a war spending bill appears imminent, as House Democrats on Wednesday appeared to have prevailed in their battle to keep language out of the measure barring public release of prisoner abuse photographs.
House leaders were preparing to appoint conferees on the bill, setting up a joint session with Senate negotiators shortly thereafter, House Democratic Caucus Chairman John B. Larson , D-Conn., said. Floor action is likely Thursday.
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter , R-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, said the conference report will definitely not contain language, found in the Senate’s version, which would bar for three years the disclosure of images of U.S. war on terror prisoners taken from Sept. 11, 2001, to Jan. 22, 2009.
Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman , I-Conn., and Lindsey Graham , R-S.C., won adoption of the photo amendment in the Senate, and Tuesday threatened to obstruct all Senate action if it was removed from the legislation. President Obama, like the two senators, has opposed release of the photos, which critics have sought under the Freedom of Information Act.
“I’m opposed to suspending the Freedom of Information Act under any circumstances,” Slaughter said, echoing the views of other liberal Democrats that House leaders need to help pass the bill.
House Republicans had already pledged to vote against the legislation due to the expected inclusion of $5 billion to support increased U.S. lending to International Monetary Fund.
Senior Senate Democrats, however, said they would not oppose the overall bill over that one provision alone. “I’m going to vote for the conference report whether that’s in it or not, because the conference report has got so many issues in addition to that,” said Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin , D-Mich.
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