Clinton Promises A Quick Veto (6//97)
Clinton Calls On Congress To Keep Politics Out Of Disaster Relief (6/6/97)
Congress Approves Disaster Relief Bill (6/5/97)
Disaster Relief Should Get A Vote Next Week (5/29/97)
Divided Republicans Go Home Without Passing Disaster Aid (5/27/97)
Join a thread, start a thread -- it's your chance to sound off!
Clinton Vetoes Disaster Bill
Aid package makes lightning-quick Capitol-to-White House round trip
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 9) -- If President Bill Clinton had any second thoughts about his decision to veto the disaster relief bill, he swallowed them quickly.
The measure made a quick Capitol-to-White House round trip today: It arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at 1:50 p.m., was vetoed at 2:09 p.m. and was returned to sender at 2:18 p.m. -- so Congress "can get on to work writing another bill," according to White House spokesman Mike McCurry.
The president liked the $5.6 billion in aid to the flood-ravaged Midwest, but objected to several GOP provisions that would prevent another federal government shutdown when the president and the Congress deadlocked over the budget, and would forbid the Census Bureau from using sampling techniques in the 2000 census.
Clinton "urges Congress to remove these extraneous provisions" from the bill, McCurry said. "Americans in need should not have to endure further delay."
McCurry hinted earlier in the day that Clinton has no shortage of ink in his veto pen and would continue to block bills with similar provisions. "I think at the end of the day, politics will yield to disaster relief," McCurry said.