Congress Returns to Business with Eye on Elections

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RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Good morning. Here's one thing to bear in mind as Congress returns to work this week. Now that Labor Day is passed, lawmakers are in their traditional campaign season, which means that even more than usual the top item on the agenda for many lawmakers will be keeping their own jobs.

NPR congressional correspondent Brian Naylor joins us know. Brian, good morning.

BRIAN NAYLOR: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: You've been covering Congress for years, do you like this season?

NAYLOR: Yeah, this is fun. This is where it gets down to the real political nitty gritty. These guys are all worried about their election. The climate seems very much against the Republican majority, and so there's going to be a lot of scrambling and a lot of rhetoric, and it's going to be fun to watch.

INSKEEP: It's the season when the people who are in the majority - Republicans in this case - will set up votes to embarrass the other side. Democrats will try to embarrass Republicans, on and on, right?

NAYLOR: Exactly.

INSKEEP: At the same time, though, there are real issues to discuss. What's on the agenda?

NAYLOR: They're going to be talking about defense and national security. The 9/11 anniversary, the fifth anniversary, is coming up next week and Republicans are going to be structuring a lot of votes to try to enforce what they see as their traditional political edge over Democrats in terms of national security and defense issues.

INSKEEP: What's an example of one vote that Republicans might set up that would, from the Republican point of view, highlight a difference between the two parties?

NAYLOR: I think you'll see a vote to authorize the president's domestic surveillance program, something that Democrats have argued against because of civil liberties issues, that they say that it's never fully been authorized. Republicans say this is a way to capture terrorists; it's one reason there've been no further attacks since 9/11. And so I think Republicans see this as a chance that they can set up a vote to embarrass Democrats.

INSKEEP: Well, if you're a Democrat, how do you respond?

NAYLOR: Democrats are going to try to set up a vote of no confidence in Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over his conduct of the war in Iraq. It's not clear whether they have the power to do that being in the minority, but they're going to try to arrange some parliamentary maneuvering and that sort of thing.

INSKEEP: Oh, that's an interesting choice because I suspect if you got into a lot of different issues, Democrats might be divided themselves over where they fall. But if you just say we don't like Rumsfeld, that's something that a lot of Democrats can agree on.

NAYLOR: Right. And a lot of Republicans probably, too.

INSKEEP: Brian, we're going to hear more in a moment about immigration. Is there any chance that lawmakers might agree on some of the immigration measures that they debated over the spring and summer?

NAYLOR: I'd say slim and none. There, as you may recall, were two different approaches. The House passed this bill that was very strict. It talked about strengthening the border. It talked about enforcing the existing laws on hiring illegals. The Senate took a much more comprehensive approach, which was also favored by the Bush administration, that would put many of the 11 million or so illegal immigrants in this country on a path to citizenship. The two sides haven't even really appointed members to sit down and try to comprise, and they're certainly not going to be able to get that done before the election. And frankly, I think Republicans are so divided on this issue that they're probably just as happy to leave it hanging.

INSKEEP: Over the years, how have you come to know when a lawmaker is running scared?

NAYLOR: You see them change their position sometimes. As you ask me that I'm thinking of one Republican in particular, Congressman Chris Shays in Connecticut, who has now come out against the war in Iraq. He's supported it in the past. He says he's going to be holding hearings on it. He's facing a very tough challenge for reelection from Democrat Diane Farrell. There are a number of Republicans like Shays who are changing their views, especially on the war in Iraq, and I think you'll see a lot less lock step among Republicans in this month heading into the campaign on issues like Iraq. Everyone is going to I think be free to go their own way.

INSKEEP: And the leadership is okay with that because...

NAYLOR: The leadership is okay because they want to stay leaders, and the only way they can do that is if there's a majority of Republicans. And so, basically, it's sort of whatever it takes I think becomes the philosophy at this point.

INSKEEP: NPR congressional correspondent Brian Naylor. Brian, good to talk with you.

NAYLOR: Thank you, Steve.

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