Reid punches Yucca in the gut, but his legacy is still in the making

By Lisa Mascaro

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 | 7:06 a.m.

WASHINGTON - The big year-end spending bill engineered by Congress on Monday shows that perhaps no one has a greater chance to shine, or stumble, in efforts to secure legislation for Nevada than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Stricken from the omnibus bill was $104.5 million in Yucca Mountain money, a devastating budget cut Reid had been working behind the scenes to maneuver. The blow could seriously jeopardize the project.

Less dramatic was Reid's effort to block two new coal plants in White Pine County by imposing air quality restrictions at nearby Great Basin National Park. That action failed, but Congress has called for study of the issue, ensuring the debate over coal will continue.

As Congress finishes up its work this final week of the year, the power that comes from having Reid in the majority leader's position becomes increasingly clear.

As majority leader, he gives a final nod of approval before any year-end deal goes through. His office scours every piece of legislation that crosses the Senate floor. As leader, he can shoehorn more projects into bills than ordinary lawmakers.

Political science professor Steven S. Smith at Washington University in St. Louis said, "The question is, when there's something important to his home state, can he get it tucked into a bill? The answer is yes.

"The majority leader has access to every backroom. That's his advantage."

Now more than ever the deals are being made. This is the time of year when legislation is moving swiftly through the chambers. On Friday alone the Senate passed three bills - more than typically move in an entire week.

On Monday, Congress unveiled the year-end omnibus spending bill that contains money for every federal agency except the Pentagon. Such massive packages become magnets for pet projects because the final details are negotiated among leaders, and the bill is virtually guaranteed to pass.

Case in point: The omnibus bill included the massive new budget cut Reid had sought for the Yucca Mountain project, a proposed nuclear waste repository 90 miles north of Las Vegas.

Most Nevadans oppose the planned nuclear dump, and the reductions engineered by Reid could jeopardize work on Yucca Mountain at a critical juncture. The Energy Department, which is developing the site, issued a statement saying full funding is "critical to advancing the opening."

Cutting more than $100 million from the $494.5 million budget, which is what happened, could cause the project to miss its June 2008 deadline to apply for a license, its director said last week. Such a setback, as happened in 2004, could cause Congress to seriously lose patience with the project.

"This is where Sen. Reid and the efforts of the delegation have paid off," said David Cherry, a spokesman for Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley. "Congresswoman Berkley would certainly give him credit."

Reid's effort to stop the coal plants was less of a victory, though it still showed the powerful reach of his position.

Reid was trying to insert a provision in the bill to tighten air quality requirements in the park near the proposed plants, but he faced opposition from the state's Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., who largely support coal. What Reid ended up with in the omnibus bill is a request for a study of the park's air - something he could have asked for on his own, but now will come with the backing of the full Congress.

Republican Sen. John Ensign supports the coal plants but said the call for a report was reasonable.

Reid's move against the coal plants was seen as his first shot across the bow and a sign of his commitment to killing the power plants. Observers expect many other maneuvers by Reid as the coal debate continues.

Using such clout, though, is not without risk. Last year, when Reid was minority leader, he was criticized for inserting the controversial White Pine County land bill into a massive tax bill passed on the last day of the session. Opponents complained the dead-of-night approval was made when no one was looking.

Even more, special spending requests Reid will likely secure in the final weeks of the session are increasingly getting a bad rap in Washington. Anti-pork czars bemoan such requests as excessive spending. Earmarks increased dramatically during Republican control of Congress, but are still in healthy supply now that Democrats are in charge.

Nevada will likely enjoy its share of earmarks - from big-ticket items for water and transportation infrastructure to smaller projects for wildfire prevention, law enforcement, education and community services.

Reid has always stood by his earmarks, saying he knows better than federal government bureaucrats how best to spend money in Nevada. He has secured substantial sums for Nevada this year.

As the final days of the session pass, Reid's ability - or not - to secure legislation for Nevada will become part of his legacy.

This week's omnibus bill "is the perfect vehicle for a party leader," said Eric Herzik, political science professor at UNR.

"This is where not only the majority leader, but a skilled politician like Harry Reid - this is where they're at their best," he said. "An omnibus bill at the end of the year. C'mon, bring it on."