Appropriators plan to adhere to Bush's spending limits

After a Republican Conference meeting Wednesday, House Appropriations Chairman C.W. Young, R-Fla., said he plans to offer a supplemental amendment to the Defense appropriations bill at a markup next Tuesday that sticks to the $20 billion spending limits set by President Bush and GOP leaders. At the meeting, most members, including Young and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., emphasized their commitment to the spending limits. Young also said he would and will urge Republican committee members to vote down any amendment that would push the supplemental price tag higher. Young said his supplemental title will closely track the administration's request for how those funds should be allocated. But it will be open to amendment, and Young conceded he may not have the votes among committee Republicans to beat back attempts to add more money, particularly for the recovery efforts in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. His comments came a day after Bush threatened to veto anti-terrorism spending in excess of $40 billion. Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., said he plans to offer amendments based on his package of $18 billion to $20 billion in additional spending for a variety of homeland security needs, including defense, security agencies, border patrol and public health. "We know there are defense needs and we know there are home-based security needs that are not being covered," Obey said. Although he had hoped to offer a bipartisan amendment with Young, Obey said that Democrats, and any interested Republicans, will "produce a product that I think will appeal to the conscience of all the Republicans on the committee," and that it will be up to Republicans to decide how to vote. In fact, conservatives have floated the idea to GOP leaders that if leadership cannot ensure the Appropriations Committee will report out a $20 billion supplemental, that they take the bill directly to the floor and not waive any budget points of order that lie against spending above the committee's allocation, according to an aide to a conservative member. Young, who has said more money will be needed eventually, said he is comfortable staying at $20 billion because he is convinced, based on the assurances of Bush and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., that the administration will request another supplemental as soon as it determines one is necessary and that Congress will respond quickly. Indeed, Hastert on Wednesday committed himself to freeing up more money if homeland or national security requires it. But House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., on Wednesday said the growing dispute over the fiscal 2002 budget was a "division over priorities" rather than over spending. He criticized the House-passed economic stimulus plan, singling out what he called a $25 billion price tag for retroactive alternative minimum tax repeal, as soaking up funds that could go toward providing smallpox vaccines, inspecting ships entering U.S. waters and upgrading security at nuclear and other facilities.