Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210090
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Democrats and Republicans alike seemed relieved that the longest-ever partial federal shutdown was ending, a six-day ordeal that had both parties fearing retribution by disgusted voters. But there was doggedness, too, and White House spokesman Mike McCurry warned, ``We'll be right back where we were'' unless the two sides strike a budget deal by mid-December.
A day after bipartisan leaders shook hands on a pact reopening government through Dec. 15, the House approved the measure, 421-4, and sent it to President Clinton, who signed it Monday night.
The legislation commits both sides to seeking a balanced budget in seven years using congressional economic calculations, which Republicans had demanded for months, and to protect social programs, as the White House insisted. It was approved Sunday by the Senate.
Before recessing for Thanksgiving, the House also gave final congressional blessing to the GOP plan for balancing the budget by 2002 on a mostly party-line 235-192 vote. It would overhaul Medicare, slice scores of programs and trim taxes for millions.
Clinton's long-promised veto of that measure will serve as the starter's flag for bargaining that Republican leaders said they hoped would begin next Monday. With those sessions in mind, the GOP prepared to send a letter to Clinton asking that he provide them with a detailed, seven-year budget-balancing plan of his own next week.
The president had long said that the GOP's seven-year, budget-balancing timetable would force overly harsh spending cuts. Democrats said Monday that to meet that schedule, the key in upcoming negotiations would be to force Republicans to shrink their planned $245 billion tax break for families and businesses.
``Well, I think that has to be on the table,'' responded House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., on NBC's ``Today'' program. Trimming the tax cut would make things easier for politicians and bureaucrats, but ``harder for parents,'' he added.
Clinton met with House Democrats in a Capitol basement meeting room to send them home for Thanksgiving on an upbeat note, promising to hang tough for Democratic priorities, participants said.
But he also warned them that ``everybody can't have their way,'' said Rep. Barbara Kennelly, D-Conn., a reference to compromises he said would be inevitable.
Both sides said they were mulling plans for the structure of their negotiations. But for now, each stressed that going in, they had achieved what they wanted.
``If we do what we should do between now and Dec. 15, it won't make any difference who won and who lost,'' said Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. But he couldn't resist adding: ``I think we won. We didn't blink.''
``The president got what we wanted,'' boasted White House staff chief Leon Panetta on ABC's ``Good Morning America,'' saying the administration got Republicans to promise to protect Medicare, Medicaid, education, the environment and aid to working families from severe reductions.
Sunday's agreement sent about 700,000 federal workers back to their jobs Monday, following another 100,000 who returned earlier as bills financing several agencies were signed.The bill would pay all furloughed federal employees for the work they missed.
by CNB