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                         September 27, 2002

Administration will not shut down government

By Irene Brown
Editor

According to the Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels, the administration is willing to sign a resolution keep the government functioning, but only under certain conditions.

"President Bush would sign a long-term continuing resolution extending government operations into next year, but the measure must not increase spending beyond fiscal 2002 levels, and Congress must complete work on a Defense bill first," Daniels told reporters during a briefing Wednesday in Washington.

House leaders like the idea of a long-term CR. Some have said they would like to come back after the elections and pass a CR that would extend until February or March.

"I’m open to that," Majority Whip Tom DeLay, said Wednesday. But the idea is likely to run into serious opposition. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has said he opposes such a scenario and appropriators are likely to try to kill the idea, as well.

Appropriators noted that when Congress gets back to business next year, it will probably be looking at some sort of Defense supplemental, possibly to fund a war in Iraq. Tacking on the responsibility of finishing 11 or 12 other spending bills could overload appropriators, particularly as they are busy at that time of year holding hearings to prepare for the next wave of appropriations bills -- which would probably commence just as fiscal 2003 bills were being finished.

While saying it was "essential" the CR "not be a vehicle for greater spending," Daniels stressed that the level could include some emergency spending passed last year, but not "obvious one-time" expenditures.

He also said he was optimistic the fiscal 2003 defense spending bill would be passed before the fiscal year ends, noting congressional leaders were striving to finish the legislation. He did not rule out accepting a short-term CR of a week or two before a defense bill is complete.