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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (154617)	6/20/2001 11:10:29 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 769669

House Approves Extra $6.5 Billion for Defense, Energy Wednesday, June 20, 2001 WASHINGTON — The House approved an extra $6.5 billion this year for defense and other programs on Wednesday after Democrats lost efforts to block cuts in disaster funds and stop the IRS from mailing rebate check letters. The measure, loaded with popular expenditures for the military, schools, cooling and heating aid for the poor and other programs, was approved by 341-87. The Senate Appropriations Committee plans to vote on its version of the legislation on Thursday. But the House's easy passage masked tighter divisions on some of the bill's underlying issues. By a near party-line 218-209 vote, Republicans fought off a Democratic effort to send the entire bill back to a committee so it could remove a $389 million cut the measure contained in the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Democrats argued that cutting the budget of the government's chief agency for doling out disaster assistance made little sense in the wake of Tropical Storm Allison, which devasted portions of the Gulf and East coasts this month. "I come to you pleading for the people of Houston and surrounding areas," said Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, whose district includes areas hard-hit by flooding. Republicans, arguing the agency has more than $1 billion in reserve, included the reduction as part of President Bush's drive to limit spending. But it has become harder to defend following Tropical Storm Allison, which killed 50 people and caused at least $4 billion in estimated damage in Texas alone. Republicans said the disaster agency would have enough money to respond to the disaster, and noted that private insurance would cover much of the damage. "Should that not be sufficient in the future, we'll react quickly," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla. But undermining the GOP's case, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, sent letters to House members asking them to oppose the FEMA cut and to add money to pay for Allison's damage. In addition, the White House budget office issued a statement on the bill saying it "strongly opposes" the FEMA cut, arguing it "could preclude prompt assistance" to storm victims. By 362-65, the House rejected a conservative effort led by Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., that would have erased the FEMA cut in exchange for trimming 0.33 percent from non-defense, non-veterans programs in the rest of fiscal 2001, which runs through Sept. 30. "We've got to draw a line on spending," said Toomey. But even Republicans objected that with less than four months left in fiscal 2001, the reduction would have hurt states' highway construction plans and other federally financed programs. The House also voted 216-212 to reject a Democratic amendment that would have cut $30.5 million from the measure that they said would pay for a letter the IRS is preparing to notify people of forthcoming rebate checks. As time ran out on that roll call, the vote was 218-208 to pass the amendment. But GOP leaders persuaded several Republicans to switch their votes to "no" at the last minute, including Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois. Democrats said the letter is a political document because it prominently mentions Bush and promises more tax reductions "for years to come." They said needed information could simply have been enclosed with the checks, which will be up to $600 for couples and $300 for single people. "We're spending $30 million on a campaign letter," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. Republicans denied that the letters were politically motivated and said they would prevent confused taxpayers from deluging the IRS with questions. "The real frustration is this Congress passed and this president signed" a tax cut, said Chairman Bill Thomas, R-Calif., of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, in explaining Democrats' opposition. The two parties also used the bill to continue their bitter debate over energy policy, with Democrats repeating their calls for price caps and Republicans stressing production. GOP leaders used House rules to block votes on Democratic amendments on price controls and other energy issues. An effort by Democrats to force votes on the amendments failed, 222-205. Most of the bill -- $5.5 billion -- is for the military, including its health care and energy costs, money to repair the bomb-damaged USS Cole and funds to recover the nine bodies believed to still be in the Japanese fishing trawler Ehime Maru rammed and sunk by an American submarine in February. The bill also includes $389 million for flood control, ice storm damage and other disaster assistance; and $300 million to help low-income families pay air conditioning and heating bills, double Bush's request. foxnews.com