Key House chair: GOP has upper hand on spending

Heading into high stakes legislative negotiations and a mid- term election, House Republican appropriators and House GOP candidates are in much better shape than they were a month ago, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston said Thursday.

While not directly referring to President Clinton's problems, Livingston said he believes that the House Appropriations cardinals go into talks on the fiscal 1999 funding bills with an advantage.

"We're in a stronger position today than we were a month ago," Livingston said. And Livingston, who has been traveling the country campaigning for House Republican candidates, said the GOP is in good shape to pick up a number of House seats, saying some Democrats are in more trouble than anticipated.

Referring to members such as Reps. David Minge, D-Minn., John LaFalce, D-N.Y., and Martin Frost and Charles Stenholm, both D-Texas, Livingston said, "All these guys are in a lot worse shape than they were a month ago."

On the upcoming appropriations battles, Livingston said he believes appropriators can finish their work in time to adjourn in early October. Aside from fights over specific funding issues, "There aren't a lot of issues out there."

He said Republicans do not want a government shutdown, but contended that Clinton's motives remain unclear. "We don't have any intention of shutting down the government and, if he does, I question the reason," Livingston said. He later added, "Basically, we're on track to finish our business and go home."

Livingston said a large number of "intangibles" exist on the political showdown, such as the Democratic leaders' response to the president's problems. "If I were calling their shots ... I'd want to get out of town as quickly as possible to shore up my base," he said.

Livingston said he has not taken a position on what Clinton should do as a result of his personal and political problems. "I have not seen fit to give the president any advice," he said. "I didn't vote for him." He said he is going to wait to see Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr's report before taking a position.