GOP appropriators warn Dems on spending

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee sent a letter Tuesday to Appropriations Chairman Committee David Obey, D-Wis., urging Democrats to not include extraneous spending in must-pass legislation funding the government beyond Sept. 30.

"Based upon media reports and ongoing dialogue with government agencies, we have serious and growing concerns about the process and composition" of the planned continuing resolution to extend funding past the end of the fiscal year, the letter said.

"At a time of extreme spending and political fatigue, it is simply unacceptable to use a must-pass CR as a legislative vehicle for more wasteful federal spending or completing an array of unfinished political business before the election," the letter said.

Republicans, who estimate that Democrats want to add roughly $25 billion to the CR, highlighted some of the spending they would find objectionable. The most prominent target is using unspent stimulus funds for anything other than deficit-reduction.

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks, D-Wash., said Tuesday that Democrats plan to pass a CR and finish work on the 12 annual appropriations bills in an omnibus package after the November election.

As for funding programs in the CR, Dicks said, "there are some anomalies that have to be dealt with that I think both sides can agree to, hopefully."