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

DATE: MONDAY, July 26, 1993                   TAG: 9307260119
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

MIDWEST FLOOD RELIEF AID FACES PLENTY OF POLITICKING

"I think that's wrong," Foley said about the move in the House to link passage of the $3 billion aid package to consideration of how to pay for disaster relief programs.

Foley, appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," said he was "very surprised" by the 216-205 vote last Thursday that defeated a House rule to restrict debate and amendments calling for cuts elsewhere in the federal budget to pay for the aid.

Emergency disaster aid is normally considered off-budget spending that is added to the national debt.

Foley, D-Wash., objected to changing "the rules in the middle of the game now that we have perhaps the worst flood in the history of this country."

After the flood aid money is approved, "perhaps we ought to step back and make a decision how we're going to handle disasters in the future, but it's unfair to the people of the Midwest to do it in the middle of this storm."

But Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., said the disaster relief policy was "just one more example of borrowing on our children, borrowing on our grandchildren."

Gingrich, the minority whip, appearing on the same program, said he was committed to passing flood relief, but "there was a very serious disagreement over whether or not you should pay for the relief you're going to send."

Gingrich also said members were angry that the committee in charge of making the rules allowed an amendment by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., dealing with an unrelated jobs program.

Foley said the dispute will be settled this week.