House approves Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill

The House Thursday approved a $53.6 billion measure boosting law enforcement, scientific research, coastal protection and space exploration funds by 6.4 percent over the current year, as it passed the 10th of 12 spending bills for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

But with the Senate far behind that pace and the August recess looming, Republicans ratcheted up rhetoric that Democrats were failing in one of the most fundamental duties of government.

"Part of that responsibility is to get the 12 basic spending bills that are needed to keep the federal government running to my desk in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, they've been dragging their feet on these bills," President Bush said Thursday during a speech in Philadelphia. "Now, I believe these bills need to be passed one at a time because the alternative is to pass a massive spending bill that no one can read, and into which anyone can hide wasteful spending."

Bush is threatening to veto bills that exceed his $933 billion discretionary spending request. The Commerce-Justice-Science measure, approved Thursday on a 281-142 vote -- not enough to overcome a potential veto -- is $2.3 billion above his request for those programs.

Republican leaders charged Democrats were headed straight for either an omnibus package or continuing resolution.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said while "we're a long way from an omnibus," Bush should veto such a measure if it reached his desk with "a bunch of additional spending and a bunch of extraneous policies."

McConnell added Democrats appeared to be seeking a "high-stakes shootout" with the president over spending reminiscent of the 1995-96 government shutdown.

Democrats said the minority has little moral authority on the matter, noting that in 2003-04 the GOP Congress passed omnibus bills, and failed to pass nine of 11 spending bills last year leading to the current continuing resolution the government is operating under.

"The Republican leadership has filibustered every single time we've tried to make it in order to get to appropriations," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

"What did they pass last year? They passed nothing. They didn't pass them individually; they didn't pass an omnibus, all they passed was a short-term CR to dump it on us," said House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis. "So if you get an omnibus in the end, or you get a series of mini-buses, it will be because they have dragged their feet, kicking and screaming, in the House and Senate."

The bicameral congressional leadership is headed to the White House next week to discuss the matter of the outstanding fiscal 2008 spending bills, among other issues.

Obey said it was healthy to have the discussion but that he didn't really think the president was serious about accommodation.

"The president wants to hang on to his base. It's all he's got left, and he's hanging on to that by some very frayed fingernails," he said.

The $23 billion difference between the parties represents less than 1 percent of the overall $2.9 trillion fiscal 2008 federal budget. But with defense and entitlement programs largely sacrosanct, that small portion has come to symbolize very real differences between the parties on spending.

Reminiscent of early 1990s GOP rhetoric, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, accused Democrats of supporting "socialistic government" in opposing Republican efforts to trim the size of the Commerce-Justice-Science measure.

"The appetite of the Democrats for increased spending is absolutely insatiable," added Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.

Obey and other Democrats said Republicans were proposing to cut police programs, such as those aimed at combating methamphetamines, and curtail critical scientific research. "They know the cost of everything and the value of nothing," Obey said.

The bill approved by the House restores a $1.4 billion cut to local law enforcement programs proposed by Bush. It provides a 10 percent boost over the current year, for a total of $3.2 billion for grants to local police forces, domestic violence prevention, prison drug treatment and other programs.

The measure specifically sets aside funds to crack down on methamphetamine trafficking and treat abusers of the drug, which lawmakers on both sides of the aisle complained was a scourge in their districts.

Economic development and manufacturing aid programs at the Commerce Department, slated for cuts or elimination in the Bush budget, would see increases, as would legal services for the poor.

Climate change programs, a major Democratic theme this year, are funded at $1.9 billion, or 8.6 percent more than Bush requested.

NASA, a favorite on both sides of the aisle, is funded at $17.6 billion, with $313 million more than Bush requested be directed to programs such as the Hubble Space Telescope, aeronautical research, and education grants.

Ben Schneider contributed to this report.