GOP Unity Headed Off at the Impasse

Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) introduced and withdrew a proposal on revising lobbying rules after meeting opposition from GOP colleagues. (By Ron Edmonds -- Associated Press)

It was an ominous sign: While splintered House Republicans huddled in a Longworth Building hearing room yesterday, trying to patch up their differences, a large group of men and women in white coats approached.

Fortunately for Republican leaders, it wasn't a mental-health intervention but a group of osteopaths -- and they were ill-equipped to break the GOP impasse. "Very difficult," was the prognosis of Charles La Goy, an osteopathic student. The only possible way to reduce intransigent behavior, he said, was "if you use a cranial technique to manipulate the bones of the cranium. You can increase the blood flow."

Another few days like yesterday, and Republicans may want to start a Congressional Office of Osteopathy. In the House, it took Republicans eight hours of private meetings and public bickering and name-calling just to agree to the terms of debate for legislation on lobbying (the bill itself was put off until next week). In the Senate, a single Democratic senator hijacked proceedings for nearly five hours as Republicans struggled to pass a war spending bill.

The trouble began early in the day when Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Rules Committee, tried to kick off the debate on a package aimed at curbing lobbying abuses. "Today members of the House can show that our desire for meaningful reform and for upholding the integrity of Congress are stronger than partisan divisions and political calculations," he declared on the House floor.

But his colleagues had other ideas. Just 22 minutes later, Dreier took the floor again. "Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the pending resolution," he announced. The House went into an hours-long recess.

At about the same time over in the Senate, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked to be recognized -- and refused to yield the floor for four hours and 40 minutes. His goal: to shame senators into killing billions of dollars in subsidies to oil companies. After hours without food or a trip to the bathroom, Wyden's forehead was growing shiny and his speech repetitive. Even Harry Reid (Nev.), the Democratic leader, pleaded for mercy.

"I think the senator from Oregon has clearly established that you will not get a vote on this most important amendment; I'm disappointed," Reid said. "I would say, though, to the distinguished senator from Oregon that there are a number of senators here who wish to try to offer amendments."

"I would just say that I would stay here all night," Wyden replied. "I would stay here until they literally had to take me off the floor because I couldn't stay here any longer. . . ."

This was not the answer Reid was looking for. "I reiterate through the distinguished chair to the senator from Oregon that the point's been made," he said.

Wyden finally relented. Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) tut-tutted. "I hope we won't abuse the rules of the Senate to make arguments that prolong the debate," he said.

That freed the Senate to begin considering 18 more amendments offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla).

In both chambers, GOP unity has all but dissolved in the face of low poll ratings. And in both cases, the dynamic is much the same: The lawmakers on the spending committees -- "appropriators" in legislative parlance -- are fighting any effort to diminish their power to dole out whatever cash they want. In the House, they oppose reining in their ability to put in anonymous "earmarks" in spending bills for pet projects. In the Senate, they object to stripping out special-interest goodies from the war spending bill.