House approves foreign ops bill; veto threat looms

The House Tuesday approved, 385-35, its $12.6 billion fiscal 2000 Foreign Operations appropriations bill, moving one step closer to its goal of passing 12 of the 13 appropriations bills before the August recess.

But the cuts it makes in many international programs have prompted a veto threat from the Clinton administration.

Overall, the bill would cut President Clinton's request by $1.9 billion for FY2000 and reduce spending by $715 million from FY99.

Administration officials warn that the cuts, as well as language restricting funding to any group that lobbies for liberalized abortion laws, could lead to a veto.

The House has now passed 10 appropriations bills, with the VA-HUD and Commerce-Justice-State spending measures expected to be passed this week.