Politics as usual.

Senate Republicans said Thursday they would invoke new ethics rules to block Democratic efforts to send to President Bush the first appropriations package of the 110th Congress.

Despite Republican grumbling, House and Senate negotiators on Thursday agreed to tack a $65 billion bill funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction onto a $151 billion bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education departments. The Veterans Affairs measure is about $4 billion more than Bush’s budget request, and the Labor-HHS-Education bill would add $10 billion to the president’s proposal.

When the conference report moves to the Senate floor - which could happen as early as next week - Republicans plan to raise a point of order to strike the language on Veterans Affairs and military construction. The move will likely intensify a partisan battle over spending priorities and allow each side to blame the other for delaying funding for veterans.

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