Hopes for completing work on the remaining appropriations bill were dashed Wednesday as the Senate decided to adjourn unil Nov. 14, effectively assuring the third lame-duck session of Congress in the past six years.
House Republicans have decided to stay in Washington and continue their budget battle with the Clinton Administration at least through today.
Congress on Wednesday approved its 12th temporary measure to keep federal offices running. But unlike the 24-hour extension approved by the House, the Senate voted on stopgag legislation taking them to Nov. 14, seven days after the Presidential election.
The Clinton administration signed the temporary spending measure to keep the federal governement funded until it can come to a resolution with Congress over the budget bill.
One of the major disputes is the $350 million Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services bill, which includes a rider that prevents the government from issuing OSHA''s proposed ergonomic standard in Fiscal Year 2001.
Clinton accussed the GOP leadership of giving in to pressure from business groups that oppose the OSHA rule.
Republicans want assurances that the rules won''t be implemented until next year when they hope that George W. Bush, as the next president, will be able to stop them.
by Virginia Sutcliffe
About the Author
EHS Today Staff
EHS Today's editorial staff includes:
Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.
Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.
Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.