Bush Threatens Veto Of New Spending Bill

The White House yesterday threatened to veto a spending measure being assembled by congressional Democrats, declaring the $500 billion plan a "budget-busting bill," even though it would provide President Bush as much as $70 billion in Iraq war funds without mandates for a troop withdrawal.

The plan would cost about $11 billion more than what Bush requested, and Jim Nussle, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that is too much for the president.

"If Congress insists on sending the President a budget-busting bill they know he will veto and that will not become law, they should also pass a continuing resolution that keeps the government running and provides the troops in the field the funds they need," Nussle said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the veto threat "reckless," considering that the legislation would fund critically needed programs such as border security and putting more police officers on the street.

"America expects this President to lead -- that means working in a bipartisan way with Congress to responsibly address our country's priorities rather than issuing veto threats without even knowing what he is threatening to veto," Reid and Pelosi said in a joint statement.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who was the first to suggest the outlines of the spending deal, also objected yesterday to its price tag, saying that the $11 billion in extra funds being sought by Democrats is "too much to ask of the American taxpayer."

The White House and Congress have been trying to reach a year-end accord for funding the federal government in fiscal 2008. Just one of the 12 annual spending bills, the one for the Pentagon, has been signed into law, and a continuing resolution keeping the rest of the federal government running will expire on Friday.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) told The Washington Post editorial board on Friday about the Democrats' plan for Congress to approve Iraq war funds with no prescribed timelines for a withdrawal of U.S. troops. In return, Hoyer said, Republicans in Congress would sign off on the remaining appropriations bills, which would include additional domestic spending for Democratic priorities. Hoyer said the bill, which is being assembled by staff members, could be introduced as early as tomorrow evening.

Any final deal will probably require the support of 10 or more Republicans in the Senate to avoid a bill-killing filibuster.

Several GOP aides have suggested that Senate GOP leaders would be open to supporting a less costly spending package.