Israel, King foresee more budget warfare

Two veteran members of Long Island's congressional delegation said yesterday that the region's business community can expect little from federal lawmakers over the next few months as Democrats and Republicans wrangle over keeping the government funded through what are called continuing resolutions.

The latest such resolution -- they are passed when Congress fails to agree on an annual budget -- expires in two weeks.

Unless another is approved, the government might have to shut down.

Reps. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills) and Peter King (R-Seaford) told a packed breakfast meeting of the Long Island Real Estate Group that federal legislators remain embroiled in budget disputes.

"You're going to see a lot of trench warfare over the next few months," King told the gathering at the Old Westbury Golf and Country Club. "What you will see is more continuing resolutions. Right now I don't see any agenda coming forward that is going to impact the Long Island business community."

Israel noted Congress passed a plethora of bills last fall, including extending tax cuts, but so far this year "it's been gridlock and finger pointing on both sides."

"We need to form a cooler-heads caucus," Israel said.

Such a move does not appear likely soon.

Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided on the size of spending cuts, funding for entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and energy policy.

One member of the audience asked when Congress might take up the entitlement programs issue.

"We have to do it," Israel said. "But we have to get past this immediate budget crisis." If that can happen, Israel said, entitlements might come up this summer.