WASHINGTON -- Culminating a year of intense political battles, the House is wrapping up its work for the year with a vote on a $390 billion budget bill that both congressional Republicans and the White House claim as a triumph in advancing their priorities country's future.
"Both sides can be proud of this accord," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said at the close of 10 days of negotiations on a bill covering everything from education and crime-fighting programs to foreign aid.Without further hitches -- always a possibility with a massive package laden with controversial provisions -- the House was expected to vote on the measure Thursday and the Senate by this weekend, bringing to an end this year's session of Congress. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said that Senate action could spill over until after Thanksgiving because of objections of Midwestern senators to dairy provisions.
"This is a huge victory and a major accomplishment," Daschle said Thursday, noting that one of the benefits would be bringing down the $5 trillion national debt by $147 billion.
President Clinton said the agreement meets his goals to clean the environment, reduce class sizes by hiring more teachers and fight crime by hiring more community police.
"This budget is a victory -- and a hard-won victory -- for the American people," he told reporters in Istanbul, where he was attending a summit of European leaders.
It wasn't until near midnight Wednesday that the two sides agreed that they had settled differences on the last remaining holdup -- White House insistence that federal agencies get some flexibility in carrying out the GOP proposal of an across-the-board cut.
Passage would give both Republicans and Democrats the fodder they need to return home claiming accomplishments.
Republicans say they achieved their goal of balancing the budget while assuring that the Social Security trust fund goes untouched. They also won their 0.38 percent across-the-board cut for federal programs, small but symbolic in showing their commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Democrats also claimed major victories in securing funds for 50,000 more police officers on the street; additional teachers to reduce class sizes; guaranteeing money to pay U.S. back dues to the United Nations and finance the Wye River Mideast peace accords.
"The president got his priorities, we got our priorities," said House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri.