WASHINGTON -- President Clinton's decision to yield to conservatives' demands for limits on some U.S.-subsidized abortion activities overseas won him the nearly $1 billion he sought for U.N. dues.
But the tentative agreement between White House and congressional officials, brokered Sunday night, may also have angered some allies among his fellow Democrats and the abortion-rights community.Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., an abortion-rights supporter, said the deal "is not a compromise. It is a capitulation." But in a statement, she stopped short of saying she would vote against it, saying of Republicans, "They gave the president no choice. We have to pay our dues to the U.N."
The two sides struck the deal after about four hours of bargaining at the Capitol. It would remove one of the toughest hurdles in the two sides' quest to settle their budget dispute this week and adjourn for the year.
"The basic parameters are tied down," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told a reporter about the abortion and U.N. issues. Hastert flew in from Illinois late Sunday to join the talks.
Asked about settling overall budget differences, he said, "We're in a position where we can get it done. It's going to take hard work."
Hastert said he had spoken with Clinton on Saturday night, before the president left on a 10-day trip to Europe.
The two sides agreed that for fiscal 2000 -- which runs through next Sept. 30 -- the law would forbid federally supported groups from lobbying for liberalized abortion laws overseas.
The president would be able to waive the restriction, but if he did, there would be a reduction in the $385 million the United States plans to spend this year for foreign family planning programs. In exchange, $926 million would be provided to pay dues the United States owes the United Nations.
The plan was described by Hastert and administration and congressional officials.
A White House official confirmed the tentative deal but said disagreement remained on an administration effort to let the International Monetary Fund expand its role in providing debt relief to poor countries.
The official said there were other unresolved questions, such as the timing of the U.N. payments.