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Election-year politics put President Bush's budget agenda in peril

WASHINGTON - President Bush's budget is barely a day old, but it already faces dire prospects in Congress. It's a blueprint better suited for an odd-numbered year.

Odd-numbered years are when Congress typically takes on difficult budget issues. During even-numbered years, when lawmakers have to face the voters, they don't like to vote for things like cuts to Medicare, food stamps, farm subsidies and education.

Bush's budget is the most austere since the Reagan era as the president seeks to build upon his spending cut success of last year, when Congress advanced a budget bill squeezing $39-billion from Medicaid, Medicare and myriad other programs.

Even though Bush's five-year, $36-billion plan to reap Medicare savings has little impact on beneficiaries and comes mostly by shaving inflation increases to health care providers, it landed with a thud on Capitol Hill.

"It's going to be more difficult (to address Medicare) than last year because of the fact that it's an election year - and it was very difficult to do in a non-election year," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

WASHINGTON - Legislation to set up a $140-billion fund to pay people sickened by asbestos cleared its first hurdle Tuesday after Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid removed his objection.

At issue is legislation sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., that would pay asbestos victims from a privately supported trust fund in exchange for halting all asbestos-related court cases.

The proposal would speed relief to people sickened by exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral commonly used until the 1970s in insulation and fireproofing material. Its tiny fibers can cause cancer and other ailments when inhaled, but the diseases often take decades to develop.

WASHINGTON - Coal mine operators will have to store extra oxygen supplies and let federal officials know about accidents more quickly, the Mine Safety and Health Administration said.

The agency expects to publish a new emergency rule for mines within the next two weeks.

[Last modified February 8, 2006, 01:16:09]