Bill Combining Domestic Priorities and Veterans’ Spending Advances

[babylonsister]

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=cqmidday-000002619724

Bill Combining Domestic Priorities and Veterans’ Spending Advances

House and Senate appropriators agreed on a spending package Thursday that includes funding for health, education and veterans’ programs, but not the Pentagon. Democrats are hoping to force Republicans to support more domestic funding than President Bush requested.

The conference agreement combines the $150.7 billion Labor-HHS-Education bill and the $64.7 billion Military Construction-VA measure.

Last night, House Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey , D-Wis., decided not to include the Defense spending bill as part of the package after Republicans objected strongly to its inclusion. He said he wanted to show Democrats are “serious about compromise.”

A House vote on the two-bill combination is likely on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. The Senate would vote soon after.

President Bush is expected to veto the measure. He has repeatedly objected to the funding levels in the health, education and labor measure — although he has indicated he would sign the veterans’ bill if it was sent to him separately.

Currently the entire federal government is operating under a stopgap spending measure that expires Nov. 16.

Frustrated by Bush’s refusal to accept more domestic spending than he initially requested, the Democratic Congress has not sent the president a single one of the 12 appropriations bills for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

[pwb]

1. and the rubber stamp repukes continue to obstruct every move we make..