Harry Reid's Prediction - Pain!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) predicted that the next two weeks before the Thanksgiving recess will be "very difficult" on lawmakers and staffers, but said there was no way to avoid the legislative crunch because of the ongoing spending showdown between President Bush and Congress. 

Reid also said he had reached out to the "presidentials," the senators running for the White House next year, to tell them that their presence would be required over the next two weeks.

Reid said on the Senate floor this morning that "it's very clear that next week is going to be a very difficult week. The following week is going to be very difficult."

The Nevada Democrat added: "But we have only weekend left until Thanksgiving, and I hope we can work everything out. I don't think we can. ... And I have a very busy, difficult schedule next weekend, but I I'm going to meet the obligations that I have already committed myself to that weekend. Everyone else is to understand they may be in the same predicament, including parades and other events on Veterans' Day."

Reid said that he wanted the Senate to finish work on the Labor-HHS spending bill, which has now been linked with the military construction bill, as well as a continuing resolution to keep the federal government open beyond Nov. 16.

Reid also said "there was some thought" about a "bridge fund" for Iraq until a new supplemental bill for the war can be passed. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) is considering marking up the $200 billion Iraq-Afghanistan supplemental before Thanksgiving, but his House counterpart, Dave Obey (D-Wis.), has suggested that his panel won't do so until January 2008.

"And so I say with all sincerity, I'm going to leave here [the Senate floor] and go call our presidentials and let them know that they better look at their schedules, because these are not votes you can miss," Reid added.