Negotiators continued to haggle over last-minute provisions of the omnibus spending bill Monday afternoon, as the House prepared to consider a final continuing resolution to give additional time for President Clinton-who will be in California-to sign the huge bill.
The next CR would last until midnight Wednesday. Clinton leaves for California Tuesday morning and will not return until late Wednesday night. Republicans were quick to note Clinton will host several fundraisers, including events on Tuesday and Wednesday for embattled Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.
In the negotiations, no serious problems emerged Monday, but House appropriators were unable to file the bill at noon-when they had hoped to file-due to last-minute bill preparation.
Negotiators continued to struggle on a variety of issues, including the tax extenders, scrap metal recycling language, provisions dealing with the Indian Health Service, a Sallie Mae-bank provision, home healthcare language and airline competition.
The bill includes a variety of legislative language provisions that had bogged down appropriators and authorizers for months. In the agriculture portion, the bill allows the president to waive sanctions on government-financed exports to India and Pakistan.
The omnibus legislation also includes riders in the Commerce-Justice-State bill, including a prohibition on the FBI from charging a user fee for its National Instant Check System. In addition, the bill cracks down on federal attorneys by making them subject to state ethics rules and calls for $475 million for United Nations arrearage payments, subject to authorization and a variety of reforms.
The bill also includes a variety of riders in the Labor-HHS section. It prohibits federal funding of needle exchanges and embryo research. In addition, healthcare systems, including Catholic hospitals, would not be required to perform or pay for abortions if they participate in the Medicare+Choice program.
The bill also calls for a one-year moratorium on national education testing and prohibits federal funding for a new Teamsters election.
The bill retains language blocking members of Congress, judges and members of the federal executive service from receiving a cost-of-living increase, and allows certain Haitian refugees to receive green cards-a provision that helped deadlock the Treasury-Postal appropriations conference. The bill also calls for expanded H-1B temporary visas for professional workers and includes the State Department reorganization bill.
White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart today said the administration is not expecting any snags to develop as staffers peruse the document. "We don't foresee anything that would derail the vote," Lockhart said.
But he noted Office of Management and Budget officials reviewing the legislation would remain "very vigilant" to "make sure that things that don't belong there don't end up in the bill over the next couple of days." The House is scheduled to vote on the omnibus spending measure Tuesday evening. It was unclear on Monday whether the Senate would hold a roll-call vote on the bill or attempt tp pass it by unanimous consent.
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