The Nation : House Panel Approves 1990 Budget Plan

The House Budget Committee approved a fiscal 1990 spending plan designed to carry out a deficit-reduction agreement with President Bush but still reflect congressional plans for domestic programs. The $1.17-trillion plan, adopted by a bipartisan vote of 18 to 6, calls for new user fees, sales of government assets and $5.3 billion in unspecified new revenue, while restraining spending growth in defense and in some domestic areas. The budget is designed to reduce the federal deficit next year by roughly $27 billion to below $100 billion, as required by the Gramm-Rudman deficit law. However, even its sponsors described it as only a modest accomplishment. “There’s not a lot of deficit reduction in this package,” said Rep. Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.), senior Republican on the committee.