ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 28, 1995 TAG: 9512280070
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
The White House described the nation's worst budget crisis Wednesday as ``an urgent situation,'' but neither the Clinton administration nor congressional Republicans rushed to resolve the stalemate.
In a slow-motion return from a holiday recess, staff members from Congress and the Office of Management and Budget discussed a schedule for negotiations - expected to culminate in a meeting Friday between President Clinton and congressional leaders.
A wide gulf over Medicare cutbacks and other issues still separated the president and congressional Republicans. But while negotiations crank up, 760,000 federal employees in unfunded agencies will be receiving only partial paychecks; 280,000 of that number remain on furlough; and many national parks and museums are closed, ruining vacation plans.
Sensitive to criticism that talks are moving too slowly, White House press secretary Mike McCurry said, ``It is an urgent situation, but the differences that exist between the two sides are very deep, very fundamental. People who have not followed this ... think it's all theatrics, but it's not.''
While the president met briefly with Budget Director Alice Rivlin, Clinton's chief of staff, Leon Panetta, was not due back from vacation until today.
Neither house of Congress scheduled any business Wednesday. Rep. Constance Morella, R-Md., who represents thousands of federal employees, prepared legislation that would declare all federal workers essential and send them back to work.
A similar measure was approved by the Senate last week. There was no indication that it would even receive consideration in the House - where GOP freshman have opposed ending the partial shutdown until a long-term budget deal is negotiated.
Tony Blankley, spokesman for Speaker Newt Gingrich, said the Republican leadership has not scheduled the measure for floor action.
McCurry said the White House wants the Senate bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Robert Dole, but quipped, ``We don't want to make it any harder for the speaker to follow that path ... by endorsing it.''
Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, called on his Senate colleagues to ``stand their ground as the budget negotiations resume.''
``Senators have something to learn from the determination to stick with principles that has characterized our Republican colleagues in the House,'' said Gramm, who was campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination in the Midwest.
Forty-six House Democrats, meanwhile, wrote more than 90 corporate executives asking them what personal and company sacrifices they would make to help obtain a balanced budget.
Organized by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the letter was in response to a newspaper ad by the executives, asking that budget negotiators ``have everything on the table, including long-term entitlement programs as well as the size and shape of any tax cuts.''
The Democrats wrote, ``While it appears you are willing to offer up substantial sacrifice on the part of the nation's poor and elderly, it is not clear what you are willing to put on the table.''
There was good fortune Wednesday for art lovers, who came to see a rare exhibit of paintings by Johannes Vermeer that had been closed by the shutdown.
``I think it is ridiculous, the Republicans holding out on an agreement so they can offer tax cuts to the rich,'' said Pamela Seng of Baltimore, who had waited in a wheelchair in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
``Thank you so much,'' one person after another told Earl A. Powell III, the gallery director, who shook hands as hundreds of people walked in. ``You've made everyone's Christmas,'' said one man.
The museum found money in a private fund to cover operations through Jan. 3 to open the Vermeer exhibit only. The Smithsonian's Museum of American History also dug up enough cash to remain open the rest of the week.
Rep. William Clinger Jr., R-Pa., wasn't happy with the closure of other Smithsonian museums - many of them on the national Mall.
``The Smithsonian Institution is an independent trust instrumentality of the United States that operates under a quasi-governmental as well as private funding,'' Clinger, R-Pa., wrote Smithsonian Inspector General Thomas D. Blair.
Clinger demanded all relevant information on ``government and private funding of the Smithsonian Institution holdings to properly assess your apparent lack of funding'' to operate the facilities.
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