Republicans dropped two controversial federal employee benefits provisions that were holding up passage of the fiscal 1999 Treasury-Postal appropriations bill, which the House cleared Wednesday night.
A rider to the bill would have required insurance carriers in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to provide contraceptive coverage for federal employees. A second rider would have imposed accreditation and standardization requirements on day-care facilities for federal workers' children.
Republicans opposed both measures, which were removed at their behest.
"We wanted a clean spending measure," House Appropriations Committee spokeswoman Elizabeth Morra said.
The House passed the Treasury-Postal bill by a 290-137 vote. While most Republicans approved the bill, Democrats split, with 81 voting for and 121 voting against the spending measure. Many democrats decried the removal of the benefits provisions.
The child-care provision would have codified an executive order President Clinton issued earlier this year.
Negotiators also dropped a provision that would have forced the Federal Election Commission to vote on whether to fire the agency's executive director and general counsel, who have faced criticism from Republicans. Democrats decried the measure as a partisan poke at the commission's staff. A measure easing restrictions on Haitian immigration also got the axe.
Remaining in the bill is a provision, included for several years, that prevents FEHBP insurance carriers from covering abortions, except in the case of rape, incest or a threat to the life of the mother.
The bill also includes congressional approval of a 3.6 percent raise for federal employees in 1999.
NEXT STORY: House to vote Thursday on impeachment inquiry