Senate committee sets spending limits

Leapfrogging the House, the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved interim subcommittee allocations that will allow the committee to begin marking up its fiscal 1999 spending bills after Memorial Day.

Overall, the so-called 302(B) allocations for discretionary spending represent an increase of $4.6 billion in budget authority, but a drop of $3.1 billion in outlays, compared with current spending.

Defense and Labor-HHS programs were the big winners in budget authority increases, with military construction losing the most.

"We must start now if we're going to complete our work by Sept. 30," Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said.

The allocations are based on last year's budget and this year's Senate budget plan. Stevens said funding will be adjusted based on later developments. He said he plans to mark up four bills the week after Memorial Day, with four more the following week.

Stevens and Senate Budget Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said the allocations represent difficult limits, and said the budget plan being circulated by House Budget Chairman Kasich is unrealistic because it cuts discretionary spending an additional $45 billion.

Following are discretionary allocations, compared with current funding:

• Agriculture: $13.7 billion in budget authority and $14.1 billion in outlays, down $255 million in BA and $196 million in outlays.
• Commerce: $32.16 billion in BA authority and $30.9 billion in outlays, up $781 million in BA and $387 million in outlays.
• Defense: $250.2 billion in BA and $245 billion in outlays, up $2.9 billion in BA and down $1.6 billion in outlays.
• District of Columbia: $482 million in BA and $468 million in outlays, down $353 million in BA and $94 million in outlays.
• Energy and Water: $21.1 billion in BA and $20.7 billion in outlays, up $420 million in BA and $65 million in outlays.
• Foreign Operations: $12.6 billion in BA and $12.4 billion in outlays, down $358 million in BA and $357 million in outlays.
• Interior: $13.3 billion in BA and $13.8 billion in outlays, up $155 million in BA and down $32 million in outlays.
• Labor-HHS: $82.3 billion in BA and $80.2 billion in outlays, up $1.1 billion in BA and down $470 million in outlays.
• Legislative Branch: $2.4 billion in BA and $2.3 billion in outlays, up $143 million in BA and $64 million in outlays.
• Military Construction: $8.5 billion in BA and $9.1 billion in outlays, down $699 million in BA and $140 million in outlays.
• Transportation: $13.1 billion in BA and $39.5 billion in outlays, up $400 million in BA and down $301 million in outlays.
• Treasury-Postal: $12.9 billion in BA and $11.9 billion in outlays, up $304 million in BA and down $320 million in outlays.
• VA-HUD: $70 billion in BA and $81 billion in outlays, down $20 billion in BA and $353 million in outlays.