Top House GOP Lawmaker Breaks With Bush, Backs Budget Deal

WASHINGTON – In a break with President Bush, the top Republican in the House endorsed $7.4 billion in new emergency spending, even as he vowed to stick with the White House's demands to hew to the president's budget limits for domestic programs.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, endorsed adding funding above Bush's budget for border security, foreign aid and State Department operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and other purposes.

"It all passes the straight-face test," Boehner said. Later, a Boehner spokesman said the top House Republican doesn't necessarily support the entire bundle of emergency spending.

The emergency funding drew a protest from White House Budget director Jim Nussle on Saturday as he issued a veto threat on a $522 billion catchall spending bill.

That measure, under negotiation for weeks, would have cut in half, to $11 billion, the spending increases sought by Democrats above President Bush's request for the agency budgets passed each year by Congress. The $7.4 billion in emergency money — most of which has its strongest support from Republicans — would have brought the total above Bush's budget to $18 billion.

"Our position has not changed — hold government spending to the president's reasonable and responsible levels and fund our troops in the field," said White House budget office spokesman Sean Kevelighan.

After the White House veto threat, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., threatened to tear up the omnibus bill to bring it to Bush's budget numbers, but by scalping GOP priorities and killing billions of dollars in lawmakers' hometown projects.

Obey's idea seemed to be losing momentum on Tuesday, receiving a cool reception in the earmark-craving Senate.

"Soft-spoken David Obey has been pushed to a breaking point and we hope he regains his composure," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Under budget rules, emergency spending comes on top of budget limits set by Congress to deal with unanticipated events such as natural disasters or unexpected shortfalls in federal programs. In practice, the emergency designation has often been used to skirt budget limits.

The emergency spending package partially endorsed by Boehner totals $7.4 billion, including:

—$3 billion for border security and a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The money has virtually unanimous support among Republicans.

—$2.4 billion in foreign aid and State Department operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nussle requested the money last month.

—$622 million for southeastern farmers requesting drought relief.

—$250 million for heating subsidies for the poor.

—$400 million to cover a shortfall in food program for women and children.

There's also $146 million for a Bush administration cybersecurity initiative, $195 million to replace the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, $100 million to provide security for next year's political conventions, and $57 million to provide health care for workers harmed at the World Trade Center.

Boehner "supports spending for true emergencies like border security, wildfires and droughts," spokesman Kevin Smith said. "But there may be items designated as emergencies in the Democrats' bill that may be unacceptable to him."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that he also supports some of the emergency spending.

Boehner is a longtime foe of congressional "earmarks," backhome projects sought by lawmakers such as road and bridge projects, economic development initiatives and grants to state and local governments and law enforcement agencies. But he called Obey's plan to kill all earmarks "an idle threat."

"I don't think it's sustainable on his part," Boehner said. "I wonder if he asked the speaker of the House or the majority leader of the House whether they thought that was an appropriate direction to go in since they happen to be the members with the most earmarks in these bills."

McConnell, meanwhile, vowed again to add $70 billion in Iraq funding to whatever omnibus spending measure reaches the Senate floor before Congress adjourns for Christmas. He also offered the idea of cutting federal programs across-the-board to bring the Senate's version of the omnibus appropriations bill down to Bush's budget level.

McConnell's critics said the move was aimed chiefly at protecting earmarks at the expense of other domestic programs. McConnell is a longtime member of the appropriations committee and has run ads in Kentucky boasting of his ability to bring federal bacon to the Bluegrass State.