Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509290089
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The bill, negotiated by the White House and GOP congressional leaders, was approved by voice vote in the House and appeared all but certain to win Senate approval by today.
The action gives Congress and the White House six more weeks to work on details of next year's budget, without interrupting paychecks for federal employees or closing down government offices or programs.
``It will give us the additional time we need to work out individual bills,'' said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Livingston, R-La.
It also averts an early showdown in what promises to be an autumn full of budget battles between the White House and congressional Republicans, who are determined to significantly reduce the power and scope of government and slash President Clinton's priority programs.
In one indication of budget fireworks to come, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., allowed action to be postponed on a spending bill for education, training and health programs after Democrats voted twice to block floor debate on the measure. The bill is one of 13 appropriations bills Congress must approve and the president sign to operate the government for next year.
The agreement calls for reduced spending throughout the federal government but does not cut Democratic priorities as sharply as congressional Republicans had wanted. The dozens of programs Republicans want to eliminate, for instance, will continue to receive funding at 90 percent of current levels.
Democrats and the White House opposed several aspects of the $62.8 billion measure, including a provision that would nullify Clinton's executive order withholding federal contracts from companies that hire permanent replacements for striking workers and funding they consider inadequate for Head Start, which helps disadvantaged preschoolers, and other education and training programs.
On the temporary funding measure, White House and congressional leaders had reached agreement Wednesday to keep money flowing to agencies and departments until Nov. 13, six weeks after the new fiscal year begins Sunday.
GOP leaders indicated that their willingness to compromise on the stopgap legislation does not signal the same flexibility on the yearlong spending bills. ``This is not the place to pick a fight with the president,'' Livingston said.
While the White House and Congress managed to maneuver through this issue, many opportunities for confrontation remain in coming weeks as the Clinton is faced with signing or vetoing the 13 spending bills and a massive deficit-reduction package, which Republicans have threatened to link to a mandatory measure to raise the national debt ceiling.
by CNB