Cut in Funding Ties Up Plans for Courthouse : Congress: The tentative loss of $25 million for the federal project in Santa Ana may force it to be scaled back or delayed.

Unless Congress restores the remaining $25 million for construction of Orange County’s first federal courthouse, plans for the long-awaited facility will have to be dramatically scaled back or placed on hold, the General Services Administration said Friday.

“We cannot legally let a contract without having the money,” GSA spokeswoman Mary Phillipini said. Courthouse funding troubles surfaced suddenly Thursday night when a congressional conference committee slashed the massive Treasury-Postal appropriations bill, including the money needed to complete funding for the $128-million court project in Santa Ana.

Congress approved $103 million for the project last year.

If the $25 million is not restored when the federal budget goes to the House and Senate for a final vote next week, Phillipini said it is likely that the GSA will be forced to change its proposed schedule for building the 601,000-square foot courthouse in the Civic Center.

Excavation for the project was to begin within the next few months and construction to begin by April. Under that schedule, the 10-story building would have been ready for occupancy by late summer, 1997.

Without the remaining money, Phillipini said the GSA would consider reducing the size of the building or waiting for additional funds to become available.

“Needless to say, it is shocking and catching us all by surprise,” said Santa Ana City Councilman Miguel A. Pulido Jr. “Last night, I was at a neighborhood meeting talking about the courthouse--how important it is to the city. Little did I know it was dying in the conference committee.”

Meanwhile, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) are in dispute about what, if any, last-ditch strategy could salvage the courthouse funding.

Cox contends that Feinstein could save the building by wielding her influence with the Democratic majority in the conference committee. Feinstein, however, contends it is the responsibility of Cox and other Orange County representatives to persuade the House to send the appropriations bill back to committee with specific instructions to reinstate the courthouse project.

Feinstein has blamed Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), in whose district the courthouse would be located, and Rep. Mike Huffington (R-Santa Barbara), who is running for her Senate seat, for placing the Orange County project in jeopardy. The senator claimed that both congressmen supported a House decision to send the funding bill to a conference committee with the directive to cut $200 million.

Huffington has said that he wasn’t aware that the Orange County courthouse project was part of the bill, while Dornan has said he did not believe the project would be among the cuts the conference committee would consider.

Brian Keeter, Dornan’s press secretary, said Friday that Dornan believes the Democratic majority in the conference committee decided to punish those Republicans who voted to cut expenditures by scuttling projects in their home districts.

Keeter said Dornan on Friday appealed to Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland), who co-chaired the conference committee, “to put partisan politics aside and restore the funding for this Ronald Reagan Courthouse.”

“Dornan believes there is an outside chance that the courthouse could be slipped back in the bill,” Keeter said. “Congressman Dornan is going to work to get the money next year if we can’t get it this year,” he added.

Bob Maynes, press secretary for Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), the Senate leader of the conference committee, said he believes neither Feinstein nor anyone else can persuade the committee to add the courthouse project. He said Orange County Republicans’ “shot themselves in the foot” when they lobbied for budget cuts and now are trying to save face.

“They have egg on their face and they are trying desperately to wash it off,” he said.