Clinton Takes a Funding Hit by House Panel

A quarrelsome House committee voted Friday to slash Clinton Administration initiatives in an effort to find money to help the Pentagon pay its bills.

Over objections by outnumbered Democrats, the House Appropriations Committee agreed to chop aid to Russia, job training for youths, funds used to remove toxics from military bases and other programs. It voted to use the money to provide the military with $3.2 billion for operations in the Persian Gulf and Haiti, for a pay raise approved last year and for training.

The committee’s action was the first step in what the GOP has promised will be a long march this year toward slicing hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending. And it demonstrated that even at a time of budget cutting, Republicans will look sympathetically at the Pentagon’s needs.

“This is trial run when we’re faced with the enormous task of downsizing this government,” said panel Chairman Bob Livingston (R-La.).

The panel approved the spending changes in two steps. It approved one bill containing $3.2 billion for the military and $1.8 billion in savings by a voice vote, with many Democrats objecting. It passed a second measure containing $1.4 billion in domestic cuts, 33 to 18, with all “no” votes coming from Democrats. Both measures should be on the House floor later this month.

Partisan sparks flew during committee debate as Democrats complained that the Pentagon’s costs should have been completely paid for with cuts from other military programs. Of the $3.2 billion in reductions, $1.5 billion would come from defense, $1.4 billion from domestic programs and $360 million from payments the Persian Gulf states have made for U.S. protection from Iraq.

Democrats also argued that the domestic cuts would never be enacted, thus boosting the very deficit Republicans have pledged to reduce.

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“This bill is designed to be deep-sixed,” ranking Democratic Rep. David R. Obey of Wisconsin said of the measure containing the domestic reductions. “When it gets over to the Senate, it will never see the light of day.”

Democrats also complained about the cuts the legislation would make, including $100 million for school construction; $200 million for clean-coal technology; $150 million for environmental cleanups at military installations; $200 million for job training; and $40 million for redevelopment of New York’s Pennsylvania Station.

Republicans countered that they had looked everywhere for reductions and chose programs they felt were least effective and would least harm military operations. And they chided Democrats for so stubbornly resisting spending cuts.