Tomorrow, the House is expected to pass a temporary extension of the 1996 welfare law. The bill (HR 4589) will be considered under suspension of the rules, which bars amendments, limits debate and requires two-thirds support for passage. Democrats are expected to complain that House Republican reauthorization efforts have been excessively partisan.

The law originally was set to expire Sept. 30, 2002 but lawmakers have renewed it for short periods while they work on a full reauthorization. The House measure extends the program through Sept. 30.

The House passed a reauthorization bill in Feb. 2003 that would require participants to work 40 hours a week by 2008 and would fund new programs to promote marriage. The bill backed by the Bush administration, would provide an additional $1 billion in mandatory child care funding over the next five years.

The Senate Finance Committee amended the House bill last year with a measure that would require recipients to work 34 hours a week, with a requirement of 24 hours a week for parents with children younger than 6.

When Senate Republicans brought the measure to the floor last March, Sen. Grassley (R-Iowa) thought he would be able to get the bill passed after the Senate added an additional $6 billion in mandatory child care funding. The sum would be a significant increase for states, which currently receive $4.8 billion annually in child care funding from the government.

However, Senate Democrats demanded that they be allowed to offer an amendment by Sen. Boxer (D-California) that would increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7 an hour over the next two years.

Republicans refused to allow that vote, complaining that the minimum wage was unrelated to the welfare debate and that Democrats were more interested in tying up the Senate floor than passing legislation. Senate Republicans fell nine votes short of invoking cloture on the bill, which would have limited debate and blocked further Democratic amendments on a series of workplace and labor issues.

Governors and state welfare officials are lobbying for both sides to reach a compromise and pass a reauthorization bill this year. The fear is that additional child care money in future years could be difficult to secure because of deepening budget deficits.