1996 budget signed into law

Partisan squabble goes on despite compromise

April 26, 1996
Web posted at: 1:47 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Clinton on Friday signed the final 1996 federal spending bill into law. On Thursday, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill to fund the government for the remainder of the current fiscal year, with both the Clinton administration and Republican leaders declaring victory in the partisan fight that led to two government shutdowns.

The House vote was 399-25; the Senate vote 88-11.

There was no such agreement on a separate measure, one to raise the minimum wage, as the Republican-controlled House blocked an attempt by Democrats to force a vote.

'Not everything we'd like'

While acknowledging neither side won the budget fight, Rep. Bob Livingston, R-Louisiana, called the compromise agreement announced Wednesday night a major step toward cutting government spending (153K AIFF sound or 153K WAV sound). "It's not everything we'd like," added House Speaker Newt Gingrich, but he pointed to budget savings he said amounted to "$43 billion, or nearly $700 for every working family in America."

The White House and senior House and Senate lawmakers said they had resolved environmental and other disputes that had held up passage of the $160 billion measure for the first seven months of the fiscal year.

From the administration's view, the plan protects Clinton's priorities. Democrats concentrated on their success in blunting provisions they said would have harmed the environment and in restoring nearly $5 billion in House cuts to education, job training and other domestic priorities. The extra money is to come from savings elsewhere, including funds to cope with natural disasters. "Public opinion was on our side," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee (196K AIFF sound or 196K WAV sound).

Conceding compromise was necessary, Republicans still succeeded in forcing Democrats "to begin to get the cost of government under control," said Livingston, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee (136K AIFF sound or 136K WAV sound). "This is the most significant change in Washington spending since World War II," echoed Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Budget Committee. He said only Clinton's "addiction to government spending" prevented Republicans from doing "even better" (136K AIFF sound or 136K WAV sound).

Clinton offered congressional Republicans a pat on the back for coming up with a plan he could live with. "We have shown that we can work together, and that when we do we can get results that are good for the American people," he said. "But when the leadership of Congress insists on going it alone, one party alone, we get gridlock, stalemate, vetoes, government shutdowns."

"Today was a real victory for progress over partisanship. Both the Republicans and Democrats in Congress deserve credit. Let's keep it going."

Bitter words over minimum wage

The vote to block the minimum wage from coming to the floor was 220-200, largely along party lines. Supporters want to raise the minimum 90 cents an hour, to $5.15, over two years.

"Why won't (House Speaker) Newt Gingrich come to this floor and tell the American people why he is standing in the way of a bill that would give a 90-cent increase" to the lowest-paid workers, demanded Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California.

But Rep. John Linder, R-Georgia, said the issue "is crass politics. It is mean politics." He said Democrats had never even suggested a minimum wage hike in 1993 and 1994, when they last held control of Congress.

Republican leaders say raising the minimum wage would backfire on low-income workers because employers would lay off people to compensate. They argue instead for tax cuts and other measures designed to help low-income workers.

Senior White House Correspondent Wolf Blitzer and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Budget compromise bill at a glance - April 26, 1996
• Budget deadlock broken at last - April 25, 1996
• At last, a '96 budget - April 24, 1996
• AllPolitics: Clinton moves to avert budget cuts - April 12, 1996
• Budget talks cordial but not decisive - March 20, 1996
• 1997 U.S. budget arrives as debate lingers on this year's - March 19, 1996

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