Clinton Trims Energy, Water Bill

President Clinton Friday vetoed eight projects contained in the fiscal 1998 Energy and Water appropriations bill, reducing spending called for in the bill by $19 million.

"The cancellations include five water projects that I did not request in my budget; that are new rather than ongoing projects; that have greater costs than benefits; that are recreational for a limited number of people; or that should be funded at the local level," the president said in a statement. "I also canceled three projects that are unwarranted corporate subsidies."

The states affected by the vetoes are Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as Mississippi - home state of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

Topping the list is a $6 million water program that calls for the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge a portion of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and create a new recreation channel allowing passenger boat access to Kittanning Riverfront Park. Also deleted was a $4 million project to design a canister for storing spent nuclear fuel and a provision worth $3.5 million to reduce sediment buildup in Hobart, Ind.-owned Lake George.

Meanwhile, Office of Management and Budget Director Franklin Raines today defended the administration against charges by Senate Commerce Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., chief of sponsor of the line item veto law, that the administration is politicizing the line item veto process.

"If you look at what the president has done, it would be very difficult to find the political strand here." Raines said. "Indeed, he has found projects that close allies of his have been associated with."

Raines denied charges that the drastically fewer number of projects vetoed today as compared to the number axed from the Military Construction bill--which incurred 38 cuts--reflects a growing administration sensitivity to political considerations.

"If you're trying to find a trend line ... it will be futile activity," Raines said. "If the MilCon bill had been the last bill, you would say, 'Why did you suddenly ratchet it up at the end?'"

Referring to the line item vetoes in the Energy and Water bill, Clinton said, "In taking this action, I tried to show deference to Congress' role in the appropriations process. I accepted the vast majority of the 423 projects in this bill that I did not request in my budget."

Clinton's use of the line item veto so far has lowered spending by $2 billion, according to the White House. Clinton also said he intends to "work with Congress" to solve "the growing problem" of including in appropriations bills provisions that create future liabilities for the federal government.