House leaders want to focus on spending, not policy

House Republican leaders Wednesday said they want to stop their fellow lawmakers from stalling the appropriations process over policy issues.

To keep Congress focused on spending levels for federal programs, the GOP leadership endorsed a resolution that seeks to block "efforts to attach new divisive legislative provisions to appropriations bills that divide the Republican Conference," GOP leaders said.

But the leadership's resolution does not prevent House members from attaching funding limitations to spending bills, which are often just as problematic as policy provisions attached to appropriations bills, also known as "riders."

Coincidentally, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Wednesday marked up a $14.6 billion measure that includes language opposed by the White House that would prohibit the Interior Department from using appropriated funds to manage lands designated as national monuments since 1999, to establish a national wildlife refuge in the Yolo Bypass of California, or to move forward on the Columbia River basin ecosystem management project.

GOP leaders have argued they cannot say no to social conservatives and other members who want to offer controversial policy riders if they allow more moderate policy language to remain in spending bills-including a provision on trade sanctions in the Agriculture spending bill.

A House vote on the $14.4 billion fiscal 2001 Agriculture appropriations bill still is up in the air in spite of Wednesday's action, as several frustrated farm state Republicans said they want a separate vote on a sanctions bill if the provision in the Agriculture bill is nixed in light of the Republicans' decision.

Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, emphasized Wednesday that the leadership wants its spending fights with the Clinton administration to be solely "over spending, not over issues."