ad info

 
CNN.com Allpoliticsallpolitics.comwith TIME
   
 

 

  Search
 
 

 
POLITICS
TOP STORIES

Analysis indicates many Gore votes thrown out in Florida

Clinton's chief of staff calls White House over vandalism reports

Gephardt talks bipartisanship, outlines differences

(MORE)

TOP STORIES

India tends to quake survivors

Two Oklahoma State players among 10 killed in plane crash

Sharon calls peace talks a campaign ploy by Barak

Police arrest 100 Davos protesters

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

HEALTH

TRAVEL

FOOD

Texas cattle quarantined after violation of mad-cow feed ban
ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
*
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


House, mired in budget talks, passes bill to keep government funded

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With the end of the fiscal year just days away and deep divisions remaining over spending priorities for next year, the House passed a bill Tuesday to keep the government up and running for an extra week.

The "continuing resolution," which will keep Social Security checks in the mail and the national parks open to tourists through October 6th, passed the House with little opposition. The "CR," as it is known, is expected to pass the Senate sometime Tuesday or Wednesday.

Democrats blamed Republicans for the budget stalemate.

"This congress has spent most of the year debating tax cuts for the wealthiest that left no money for debt reduction, basic appropriations, or anything else," Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Missouri, said from the House floor.

Republicans blamed Democrats.

"This congress has tried to work in a bipartisan way," Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, a member of the Appropriations Committee, responded. "We need good faith efforts and results, not roadblocks."

Lawmakers, who would otherwise prefer to be home campaigning for re-election, will use the extra time to negotiate passage of the separate appropriations bills that fund various parts of the government. Only two of the 13 bills have been approved despite a Republican strategy to meet the president at least halfway on many of his spending demands, and to drop many of the controversial legislative riders that they had attached to the remaining 11 bills.

But some of those riders remain.

House, Senate and administration negotiators met Tuesday on the Interior spending bill, which has been held up for days over environmental riders the White House opposes -- and over an expensive Lands Legacy initiative the White House wants. That proposal calls for spending over $1 billion to buy and preserve environmentally sensitive land.

Also Tuesday, negotiators, known as conferees, met on the Energy and Water bill.

Transportation bill conferees, who are trying to resolve a dispute over making .08 the national blood-alcohol content limit for drunk driving, canceled their Tuesday session even as Capitol Hill reporters chased rumors that a deal on the controversial proposal had been struck.

Veterans Administration/Housing and Urban Development conferees are scheduled to meet "informally" Wednesday, but legislation easing the Cuba embargo is stalling appointment of conferees to the Agriculture bill. Meanwhile, new ergonomics standards and education spending have blocked movement on the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education bill.

And, a turn-of-the-century telephone tax that remains on the books -- which was originally intended to fund the Spanish American War -- is holding up movement on the Treasury/Postal Service bill.

Congressional leaders are also trying to negotiate passage of prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients; HMO reform; various tax cuts; a minimum wage hike; bankruptcy reform; a proposal to use 90 percent of next year's budget surplus to pay down the debt; and numerous other complex issues before adjournment, planned for October 6.

This is not the first time Congress has found itself with too little time to do too much. In the past 11 years, the House Appropriations Committee staff reports, it has passed 43 CRs to extend government operations for a total of 538 days.

In 1995, the Republican-controlled congress refused to pass a CR, and was squarely blamed by the general public for its political miscalculation after portions of the government were shut down.

 
EUROPE'S VIEW
Where do Bush and Gore stand on issues of importance to Europe? Launch our Interactive Guide.

POLLS
View the latest tracking poll or dig into our poll archives.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

VIDEO
Watch selected policy speeches and campaign commercials from the major presidential candidates.

WHERE THEY STAND
See where George W. Bush and Al Gore stand on the major issues.

THE STATES
Who are your elected officials? What is the past presidential vote and number of electoral votes in your state? What are the presidential primary results and exit polls? Find out with these state political and election facts.

ELECTION GUIDE
Get Election 2000 zip code searchable candidate biographies and other material for races for governor, Senate and House in our Election Guide.

FOLLOW THE MONEY
How much money have the candidates raised? Here are their quarterly reports to the Federal Election Commission.

RACES
If you need to know who's up in 2000 and what seats are open, launch this quick guide.

WEB WHITE AND BLUE
Allpolitics.com is a partner in the Web White and Blue rolling cyber-debate, a daily online exchange among the major presidential candidates. Look for twice-daily updates Sunday through Friday until election day.


MORE STORIES:

Tuesday, September 26, 2000


 Search   

Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.