Senate tackles $516 billion budget bill

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - Republicans were increasingly confident Tuesday that they would win a vote to provide $70 billion for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as the Senate pressed to wrap up a year-end budget deal between the Democratic-controlled Congress and President Bush.

The Senate brought up an underlying $516 billion omnibus appropriations measure — funding 14 Cabinet agencies and troops in Afghanistan — and Bush was set to sign the bill, assuming the additional war funding passes the Senate and clears the House on Wednesday.

Senate debate was expected to wrap up Tuesday night. GOP conservatives remained unhappy with spending levels that exceed Bush's budget and a secretive process that produced a 1,482-page bill with about 9,000 pet projects sought by lawmakers.

"Congress refuses to rein in its wasteful spending or curb its corruption," said Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz. Conservatives estimated the measure contained at least $28 billion in domestic spending above Bush's budget, funded by a combination of "emergency" spending, transfers from the defense budget, budget gimmicks and phantom savings.

With Senate Democrats signaling they'll agree to Bush's demand for at least a $70 billion infusion of funding for Iraq and Afghanistan, other Republicans muted their criticism.

"I do think the president has a victory here," said House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo. But the win was hardly clear-cut for Republicans hoping the president would emerge from the monthslong battle with Democrats over the budget with a result that would more clearly demonstrate to core GOP voters the party's commitment to fiscal discipline.

For their part, Democrats succeeded in smoothing the rough edges of Bush's February budget plan, which sought below-inflation increases for most domestic programs and contained numerous cutbacks and program eliminations.

Democrats were able to fill in most of the cuts by using the very budgetary legerdemain lambasted by conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and Citizens Against Government Waste.

The White House, which maintained a hard line for months, has been far more forgiving in recent days, accepting $11 billion in "emergency" spending for veterans, drought relief, border security and firefighting accounts, among others. Other budget moves added billions more.

"Congress did come down to the president's overall top line," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "And in regards of the emergency spending, most of that spending would have passed on an emergency basis anyway. It's not added into the baseline of the budget."

The bill passed the House late Monday. Under an unusual legislative two-step, the Iraq portion of the bill would be returned to the House on Wednesday, with Republicans supplying the winning margin. That vote, if successful, would send the entire omnibus bill to Bush for his signature.

Democratic war opponents lost yet again, 71-24, in an attempt by Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin to force withdrawal of most U.S. troops within nine months.

"Even those of us who have disagreed on this war have always agreed on one thing: Troops in the field will not be left without the resources they need," said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Democrats succeeded in reversing cuts sought by Bush to heating subsidies, local law enforcement, Amtrak and housing as well as Bush's plan to eliminate the $654 million budget for grants to community action agencies that help the poor.

Democrats also reversed Bush-sought cuts to state and local law enforcement grants, aid to community action groups and airport modernization grants.

Democrats also added funding for food programs, subsidies to community development banks and Homeland Security Department grants to first responders.

Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington-based watchdog group that opposes so-called pork barrel projects, counted 8,983 such "earmarks" worth $7.4 billion. These hometown pet projects include economic development grants, aid to local transit and police departments, and clean water projects, among many others.

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On the Net:

House Appropriations Committee: http://appropriations.house.gov

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_on_go_co/budget_battle [link]