White House sidesteps question on veto of continuing resolution
Administration urges lawmakers to pass fiscal 2009 appropriations bills instead of relying on a stopgap measure.
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino on Monday declined to say whether President Bush would veto a stopgap spending measure covering appropriations through early next year if it would extend an existing moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling that expires Sept. 30.
Democrats have favored a continuing resolution so they can hold off on appropriations work until a new Congress and new president are sworn in.
Instead, Perino urged Congress to finish its work on the 12 annual appropriations bills for fiscal 2009 instead of passing a CR. The White House would prefer to "ask Congress to actually get its work done and pass appropriations bills instead of having to move forward to a [continuing resolution,]" she said during a press briefing, in response to a question about the moratorium.
To date, the only spending bill approved by either chamber is the Military Construction-VA appropriations bill. Democratic leaders in June decided to not finish work on all the spending bills after Republicans sought to use the process to promote more domestic energy production.
The CR strategy avoids a showdown with Bush, who has threatened to veto any of the spending bills exceeding his fiscal 2009 budget proposal. Republicans have been calling for a repeal of the drilling ban all summer, which they claim would help reduce gas prices.
Democratic leaders, who initially resisted dropping the ban, said last month that they support the repeal, but only as part of a broader energy plan. Their proposal could be announced as soon as this week.