BALTIMORE — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said Thursday his chamber will forge ahead with spending bills and other initiatives in the coming year, even though the November elections will shorten the legislative calendar and it’s unclear how often Senate Democrats will flex their power to block what they don’t like.
Mr. Scalise, Louisiana Republican, said the House won’t let the 2016 race distract from its “bold vision” for the nation. Leaders intend to open up the process, too, allowing everyday members to set the pace instead of dictating bills to the rank and file.
“This is not going to be the old way of doing things,” Mr. Scalise told reporters at the GOP’s start-of-year retreat at a Baltimore hotel.
The aggressive tone stands at odds with the Republican-led Senate, which is more focused on returning to business as normal — starting with a dozen appropriations bills that fell apart last year amid GOP infighting and Democratic opposition.
Mr. Scalise said the Founding Fathers designed Congress to work this way. The House is supposed to move quickly, he said, while the Senate was designed to slow things down by imposing a 60-vote threshold to cut off debate.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, has signaled to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan that he will not block the 12 spending bills this year, after the parties agreed last year on a budget framework.
Hoping he lives up to that promise, Mr. Scalise said the House will forge ahead with a budget and start passing the appropriations bills as early as February or March.
The timetable is a nod to the presidential race and party conventions this summer, which will give Congress less time to get things done.
“There’s going to be a lot to do in a short period of time,” he said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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