Most agency spending bills up in air until September

Republican congressional leaders are bracing for a hectic September once the national political conventions are over, assembling narrow lists of key priorities they hope will lead to an early departure to campaign in the fall elections.

Much of the attention on and off the floor in September will focus on funding the government, as President Clinton decides which spending bills to sign and which to veto. GOP leaders are hoping to complete action on a handful of fiscal 2001 appropriations conference reports this week to speed the process.

Republicans are hoping to take individual spending bills off the table one by one, while White House vetoes will allow Republicans to begin to address trouble spots. Senate Majority Leader Lott, referring to the fiscal 2001 Labor-HHS appropriations bill last week, said, "If [Clinton] vetoes it, then at least we'll see what their actual objections are."

The Senate will need to pass two remaining spending bills in September that already will have cleared the House-the VA-HUD appropriations bill and the District of Columbia measure.