Drug-Funding Proposals Fail to Pass Senate

Senate party leaders united Thursday to fight off a wave of White House-opposed drug spending proposals as lawmakers debated a bill providing $3.3 billion for veterans and other domestic programs.

The measure, for the waning months of the current fiscal year, includes $1.2 billion for health care and other veterans programs that are running low on funds. It also carries $892 million for the Guaranteed Student Loan program for college students, $423 million for state foster care programs and other funds for agencies needing money for the final four months of the 1989 fiscal year.

But the most controversial aspect of the Senate bill is its omission of any additional anti-drug money--unlike a $3.7-billion version passed by the House on May 24 that contained $822 million for more prison cells, extra drug agents, improved education programs and other anti-drug efforts.

That anti-drug spending was shaved from the legislation by Senate leaders before it reached the floor, following Bush Administration threats to veto the entire bill over the anti-drug money. The White House says the extra spending would inflate this year’s already swollen federal deficit and can wait until 1990.

“This bill is for programs that are broke,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.).

The Senate voted 71 to 20 to defeat an amendment by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) that would have spent another $1.8 billion this year for prevention and treatment programs, grants to local governments, more federal agents and other anti-drug measures. The provision would have raised the money by boosting federal taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) pressed an amendment diverting $70 million from Defense Department anti-drug efforts to increasing federal prison space for drug offenders.

Specter said the money would be “a little something to show the American people that Congress does more than pontificate and talk about the problem.” His amendment was defeated 77 to 18.

A proposal by Sen. Alfonse M. D’Amato (R-N.Y.) to boost this year’s drug programs by $227 million was defeated 81 to 15.

Although the measure exceeds the $2.2-billion supplemental spending bill President Bush sent Congress in March, the Administration indicated in a statement Thursday that it would support the Senate proposal “in view of the need for prompt action on veterans funding.”