While they said they are withholding final judgment, a group of House conservative Republicans today said the omnibus spending bill agreed to by their leaders and President Clinton is "terrible" legislation.
"This is a bad bill for the American people," Rep. David McIntosh, R-Ind., chairman of the Conservative Action Team, told reporters. He said the bill does not include the tax cut being pushed by Republicans, "busts" the budget caps by designating billions of dollars as emergency spending and spends part of the Social Security trust fund.
"From what I've seen, this is a terrible bill," he said, later referring to it as a "Great Society" bill. Nonetheless, he said House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., has asked him not to decide he will oppose the bill until GOP leaders explain what else is in the legislation.
Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., a CATs member, said he is holding Clinton-not his own party leaders-responsible for the spending levels in the bill. Istook said: "Have you ever tried to negotiate with someone who's dishonest? I have great sympathy with anyone who is put in that position."
McIntosh said he is not sure how many conservatives ultimately will oppose the bill, but said it is Clinton's responsibility to lobby members of his own party to vote for such a large spending package. "We respect our leadership," he said. "They've had a tough job."
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