Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 6, 1992                   TAG: 9203060140
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

HOUSE PASSES BUDGET

In separate votes, the House first approved "Plan A" on a 215-201 roll-call vote. The $1.5 trillion measure proposes the huge defense spending cuts only if the House agrees next week to modify the 1990 budget agreement that prevented the shifting of defense savings to social programs.

If the House refuses to change the budget agreement - or if President Bush successfully vetoes the attempt - the budget contains a "Plan B" that would earmark the proposed defense savings for deficit reduction.

That plan, considered less controversial, was approved by a vote of 224-191.

All Virginia Democrats voted for both provisions of the budget bill except Owen Pickett of Virginia Beach and Norman Sisisky of Petersburg, who voted against both. All Virginia Republicans opposed both.

While votes could be changed before next week's showdown on revising the 1990 budget deal, the vote on "Plan A" indicated the revision likely would be approved by a similar margin.

Under both plans, however, the defense budget would be reduced by $15 billion in future years and $10 billion during the fiscal year that begins in October. Both Democratic plans would authorize $287.2 billion for the Pentagon.

Bush proposed to trim military spending by about half as much, to $292.2 billion in the coming fiscal year. His budget, however, was rejected by an overwhelming 370-42 vote Wednesday, with only one of every four House Republicans supporting his proposal.