WASHINGTON — Efforts to pass a massive compromise federal spending bill collapsed Monday as a top House Democrat abandoned the measure, accusing the White House and congressional Republicans of failing to bargain in good faith.
House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, D-Wis., had been working with moderate Republicans to try to generate momentum for a catchall spending bill that split the differences between increases sought by Democrats and the strict budget submitted by President Bush in February.
But after a White House veto threat over the weekend, a frustrated Obey said he would rip up the compromise bill and devise a new one using the strict spending ceiling set by Bush — but would reach it by whacking GOP priorities and stripping the measure of billions of dollars in pet projects for lawmakers in both parties.
Obey’s move came on the day he had been expected to unveil the bill, with a vote planned for today. The Senate had been expected to take up the bill later in the week, add funding for Iraq and make some final trims to Democrats’ spending plans.
White House budget director Jim Nussle said Saturday that Bush would veto the omnibus spending bill sight unseen for exceeding Bush’s budget by $18 billion.
“It is extraordinary that the president would request an 11 percent increase for the Department of Defense, a 12 percent increase for foreign aid, and $195 billion of emergency funding for the war, while asserting that a 4.7 percent increase for domestic programs is fiscally irresponsible,” said Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.
“I don’t see any purpose in stringing things out for table scraps,” Obey said, threatening to cut off negotiations and produce a bill — at Bush’s strict budget number — without any GOP help.
