Senate fails to clear massive spending bill
By Steve Turnham
CNN Washington Bureau
 |
Story Tools
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With most members home for the holidays, the Senate failed Tuesday to clear a sweeping $820 billion government spending bill.
Complaints about pork-barrel projects and out-of-control spending delayed a final vote until January 20.
"The consequences of delay on this bill are real and the dangers are great," said Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
He noted that the bill provides more money for housing for the poor, beefs up health care aid and income assistance for veterans, and provides billions to fight global AIDS. "If they have to wait another month or two, will it make a difference? Unfortunately, the answer is yes."
Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, asked the Senate to sign off on the bill without a full debate and a roll call vote, but senators on both sides objected.
"We will not allow this bill to be ... sneaked through a back door when no one is looking," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota. "This is a Frankenstein monster of a bill. It's time to take it back to the laboratory."
Daschle complained that Democrats were shut out of the appropriations process so that Republicans and special interests could "ram through divisive provisions and pork spending that could never win the support of Congress on their own."
Daschle pointed to $2 million to encourage young people to play golf and $500,000 for halibut data collection. He said the money is coming from spending programs for poor children, veterans and education.
As Democrats complained about misplaced priorities, some Republicans have complained about out-of-control spending.
"Somehow we've lost our way and we are laying a terrible burden on the next generation of Americans in the form of these deficits," said Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, in a recent television interview.
The bulk of the measure comes from what is called mandatory spending -- funds for entitlement programs, such as Social Security -- and it also includes $328 billion in discretionary spending.
The government will spend nearly 3 percent more in discretionary spending in 2003 and 2004, most of the increase coming in non-defense programs, according to figures provided by the Senate Budget Committee.
The House passed the bill Monday.
A stopgap government spending measure paying for the operation of the government until the Senate debate and vote in January.
