GOP leaders rethink spending strategy

With time running out before the August recess and next week's Republican National Convention, GOP leaders Tuesday were huddling to figure out their best legislative strategy to kick off the campaign season.

Progress has stalled on the leadership's stated goal of sending President Clinton signable conference reports on the contentious fiscal 2001 Labor-HHS and Foreign Operations spending bills. Although House and Senate conferees have wrapped up work on the fiscal 2001 legislative branch appropriations bill, which one source said will end up spending $50 million to $80 million more than either chamber's version, GOP leaders directed appropriators not to file the completed conference report.

In a bicameral strategy session, GOP sources reported that top leaders discussed using the legislative branch spending conference report as a vehicle to move other legislation, including other appropriations bills or tax bills- perhaps to provoke a veto that could be used over the August recess to showcase the differences between the parties.

Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said among the options were attaching the Treasury- Postal spending bill and perhaps minimum wage legislation.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have brought the GOP leadership's ambitious pre-recess appropriations agenda to a halt over confirmation of Clinton's judicial and executive branch nominees.

In response, Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., Monday filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the Treasury-Postal spending bill. In addition, Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has put a hold on the Energy and Water appropriations bill over language to block the Army Corps of Engineers from updating the Missouri River management plan.

Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said he is "very, very disturbed and worried about the Energy and Water bill," and expressed frustration that Daschle is blocking action on it over a provision that has been signed into law the last two years.

Asked the prospects for completion of his fiscal 2001 bill, Domenici said, "It's going to go after the recess."