Reid: Second Supplemental Spending Bill In The Works

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) outlined his goals for a potential second emergency spending bill on Tuesday, hoping to pre-empt criticism of some domestic spending measures cut from a massive war supplemental bill set to clear the Senate later this week.

Reid ticked off a list of domestic spending programs he hoped to see in the measure, including additional funding for home heating assistance, an expansion of children’s health insurance, additional money for police forces and more relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“We are going to come back at a later time and do other things that are extremely important in another supplemental,” said Reid. “We hope to take this up in next work period, when we get back [from the Fourth of July recess].”

Reid said he was meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the makeup of the potential bill.

While the current war supplemental pending before the Senate did include a temporary extension of unemployment benefits and a massive extension of education benefits for returning war veterans, many potential add-ons like home heating assistance and Katrina relief money were stripped from the final version in the House in order to ensure support from the White House.

That bill is expected to pass on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, the Senate majority leader also discussed the agenda for the rest of the week.
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