U.S. Senate overhauls appropriations panel

WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee agreed to adopt many aspects of a House-backed restructuring of the panel, Roll Call said Thursday.

The agreement will not, however, prevent the chambers from clashing when it comes time to reconcile disparate spending bills later in the year.

The Senate eliminated its Veterans' Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and independent agencies panel while reconfiguring the jurisdiction of its remaining 12 subcommittees. The House committee had earlier dropped three panels in its reorganization and had wanted the Senate to follow suit.

"We're resigned to the reality that this is best we can do and want to do," said committee member Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., said the unanimous vote Wednesday afternoon marked the end of discussions between the chambers on the topic.

"I think the organization is coherent enough so that no further changes need to be made by the House," Cochran said, adding he would discuss that decision with House Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.

Lewis has said he would entertain further tinkering with his committee's structure to make the two chambers' spending panels more compatible.