Clinton accuses Congress of stalling

He signs stopgap measure to keep government running

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, September 25) -- President Bill Clinton criticized congressional Republicans Friday for stalling key legislation until after the election and announced he has just signed an emergency "stopgap" bill that will keep the federal government running at the start of the fiscal year next week.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, Clinton said the emergency bill "is a regrettable sign that the Republican majority in Congress has failed to address the urgent priorities of the American people."

He said Congress has passed only one of 13 federal government appropriations bills and is five months past the deadline on the new budget.

"The Republican majority in Congress has its priorities wrong -- partisanship over progress, politics over people," Clinton declared.

He criticized Congress for lagging on "key national goals" -- education, affordable child care, health coverage, environment and stabilizing the international economy.

On education, he said the House was "preparing to deny funding for smaller classes, to cut after-school programs, to cut technology in the classrooms, to eliminate summer jobs."

Some lawmakers, he said, have "attached controversial and unrelated provisions guaranteed to mire these bills in unnecessary delay."

He urged fiscal discipline and repeated his call to set aside any federal budget surplus until "we have saved Social Security first."

"Congress cannot simply keep passing patchwork spending plans, putting off choices about national priorities until next year, or at least until after the election," Clinton said.

Clinton accuses Congress of stalling

He signs stopgap measure to keep government running

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Friday, September 25, 1998