Accusing Congress of evading its responsibilities, President Clinton signed a stopgap spending bill Friday averting yet another partial government shutdown in an election year.
The measure keeps federal employees on the job and programs running at least until March 22 but does not resolve a months-long impasse between Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress over a broad range of spending priorities.In signing the legislation postponing by one week the deadline for agreement on the broader budget issues, Clinton said it was "regrettable that I must sign yet another" temporary spending bill.
"However, Congress still has not passed five of this year's 13 appropriations bills in acceptable form, so this measure is necessary to prevent a third government shutdown," Clinton said.
Although the White House and Congress remain far apart on how much money the government will spend for the rest of this fiscal year, neither Democrats nor Republicans wanted to bear the political fallout from another shutdown of dozens of government departments and agencies.
"We are now nearly halfway through the fiscal year," the president said in a statement. "Continuing uncertainty over funding levels and authorities has impaired the ability of our federal agencies and state and local governments to provide critical services to the government."
The temporary spending measure is the 10th in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. It provides for the extension of ap-propriations for activities in four of five bills that have not been passed by Congress.
"I urge Congress to meet its responsibilities by sending me legislation for the remaining fiscal 1996 appropriations bills in an acceptable form," Clinton said. "I have made it clear to the Congress what changes need to be made to make them acceptable."
The changes he wants, Clinton said, would protect vital programs in education, the environment, law enforcement and technology.
Democrats offered Republicans little help in pushing the stopgap bill through the House by a 238-179 vote Thursday. But the Senate adopted it without opposition Thursday night after Republicans agreed to add $727 million in environmental funds to the $160 billion measure.
Clinton said it was unfortunate that while the Senate made improvements, the overall spending bill still fails to protect the priorities he set. Moreover, said the president, they contain harmful and unacceptable legislative provisions affecting the environment and other issues.
Votes on the environmental money, other amendments and final passage were scheduled Tuesday - the same day Clinton plans to release his budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Democrats groused about the disruption and uncertainty caused by operating the government with short-term spending bills. Republicans say they are determined to hold Clinton to his recent commitment to balance the budget in seven years.