Congress Trimming Its To-Do List Campaign Finance Reform May Be Scheduled For Early 1998

Driving toward the session’s end, congressional leaders are honing their final agenda, postponing controversial issues such as a promised effort to exempt workfare recipients from workplace protections and putting off other issues for maximum political advantage in the election year in 1998.

To clear the way for the last three weeks of action, Senate Republican and Democratic leaders also were trying Tuesday to strike an agreement to bring up campaign finance legislation for consideration once again early next year.

Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., the minority leader, said that if Democrats obtain such a deal, they will drop their effort to tie up most other major legislation, including President Clinton’s bid for renewed authority to negotiate free trade deals that Congress could approve or reject but not amend.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., the majority leader, said he will begin the debate over the fast-track trade deals late next week.