Talks settling on $30 billion supplemental measure

Buoyed by productive discussions with the Office of Management and Budget Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee is hopeful it can have an fiscal 2002 supplemental of roughly $30 billion that enjoys bipartisan support ready to circulate among committee members as early as Friday.

Negotiations with OMB and committee Democrats were ongoing at presstime.

Depending on when the package is released, the committee could mark it up either next Tuesday or Wednesday. Although there is still an outside chance of floor action before the end of next week, it is more likely the supplemental will be on the House floor the week after next.

Roughly half of the total is expected to be devoted to additional defense spending, about $5 billion for aid to New York, and the rest to homeland security, for priorities that run the gamut from airport and port security and beefed up border patrol to food safety inspections.

House appropriators have been coordinating with their Senate counterparts, who are expected to hold their markup shortly after the House passes its bill.