House Passes $385-Billion Budget Package
with Nonspecified Cuts
With unusual bipartisan agreement, the House approved a budget bill November 18 that provides more spending for education and health. As part of the deal, however, Republicans persuaded President Clinton to accept a 0.38% reduction in federal spending programs, which in a worse-case scenario could threaten money for libraries.
The White House and congressional negotiators came to an agreement November 17 that allows the president to decide where the reductions will be made. Mary Costabile of the American Library Association’s Washington Office said the total amount for library programs has increased to $166.8 million. However, the administration could decide to make the 0.38% reductions in areas the president did not fund in his initial budget; that would threaten the $380 million appropriated for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title 6, Innovative Education.
Senate action on the budget was expected to follow swiftly. The Senate joined the House in passing an interim resolution to keep the government operating through December 2 while work is completed on the budget.
Posted November 22, 1999.
|
