Congress eyes fixes for bonuses, pay raise

[unhappycamper]

Congress eyes fixes for bonuses, pay raise
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 31, 2007 16:44:04 EST

Saturday’s pocket veto of the 2008 defense authorization bill leaves the Defense Department and Congress uncertain about the next steps.

While the White House issued a statement saying it was ready to work with Congress to “quickly pass a technical fix” that would change or eliminate the one disputed provision dealing with lawsuits against foreign governments, Congress is not scheduled to return to legislative business until Jan. 15 and may try to override the Bush veto before agreeing to any compromise.

The House and Senate passed the final compromise version of the bill by more than the two-thirds’ majority required to override a veto. The House passed the bill Dec. 12 by a 370-49 vote; the Senate passed it two days later by a 90-3 vote.

But a veto override is no sure thing. Many Republicans who voted for the bill could end up siding with the Republican White House, denying enough votes for the override. It is also unclear whether a veto override is legally allowed because of a constitutional law dispute over whether Congress was or was not in session when the so-called “pocket veto,” under which a president simply refuses to sign a bill into law, occurred.

The Senate has been in session every four days since the legislative session formally ended Dec. 19 in an effort to prevent Bush from using special constitutional powers to make presidential appointments during a congressional recess.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/12/military_veto_071231w/