April 16, 1999 Web posted at: 12:38 p.m. EDT (1638 GMT) by Orlando De Bruce

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ALSO:    Help desks left out of Y2K loop    For more computing stories

(IDG) -- The chairman of a Senate technology committee today told the Clinton administration that he will "do what he can'' to avoid budget cuts from the Year 2000 emergency fund appropriated by Congress last year.

Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah), chairman of the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, said he does not know the details, but he is aware that the Senate wants to withhold $973 million from the emergency fund.

John Koskinen, chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, and Deidre Lee, acting deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, encouraged Bennett to help stop the Senate's move in conference negotiations over the fiscal 1999 emergency supplemental appropriations.

"I urge the conferees to strike this reduction, which is unwise at this time," Lee said. "Not only would it eliminate the remaining balance in the emergency fund, but it would also force agencies to stop planned and ongoing procurements for Y2K-related activities."

"I assure you that I will pursue this," Bennett said. "I can't think of anything more disturbing than to have the federal government with failures because we ran out of money."

Orlando De Bruce can be reached at orlando_debruce@fcw.com.