WASHINGTON IN BRIEF

Miers Reiterates Refusal to Testify

A legal standoff between the White House and Congress escalated further yesterday as President Bush's former counsel repeated her refusal to testify about last year's firing of nine U.S. attorneys.

An attorney for Harriet E. Miers told the House Judiciary Committee that she is heeding Bush's request not to cooperate with investigators, saying that executive privilege protects internal White House deliberations.

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich), the panel's chairman, said Miers's "failure to comply with our subpoena is a serious affront to this committee and our constitutional system of checks and balances. We are carefully planning our next steps."

Conyers also announced that the panel is giving the Republican National Committee more time to respond to a subpoena for e-mails related to the firings of the federal prosecutors.

House Passes Bill To Fund Energy Dept.

The House passed a $32 billion measure funding the Energy Department budget and hundreds of Army Corps of Engineers water projects.

The bill, which passed 312 to 111, increases the budget for programs aimed at making cars and buildings more energy-efficient, and for research on and development of alternative energy sources.

President Bush, who requested about 4 percent less for the programs covered by the measure, has promised a veto.

U.S. Bars Terrorists From Business Ties

President Bush has given the Treasury Department the authority to block terrorists and groups that threaten the security of Iraq from doing business with U.S. residents, citizens and companies.

Bush issued an executive order that targets organizations designated as having committed or promoted violence or instability in Iraq, such as Shiite militia groups linked to Iran or Sunni groups taking refuge in Syria.

The Treasury had previously identified people or entities that promoted violence in Iraq but was unable to impose sanctions because it could not find a specific link to al-Qaeda or Saddam Hussein, Undersecretary Stuart A. Levey said.

Bush Picks Nominees For 4 Appeals Courts

President Bush announced four picks for the federal appeals bench, including one to fill a vacancy created when Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. joined the Supreme Court.

Bush nominated Shalom D. Stone for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, a post formerly held by Alito.

He also named Robert J. Conrad Jr. to the 4th Circuit, Catharina Haynes to the 5th Circuit, and John Daniel Tinder to the 7th Circuit.

The nominations have to be approved by the Senate.

Administration Objects To Cigarette Tax Boost

As a Senate committee prepared to approve an additional $35 billion for children's health insurance, the Bush administration said that it objects to the 61-cent increase on the excise tax for a pack of cigarettes that would pay for the new coverage.

The Children's Health Insurance Program subsidizes the cost of insurance for children and some adults with incomes too high for Medicaid but not enough to let them afford private insurance.

-- From Staff Reports and News Services