Congressional Quarterly
Published: 04-24-08
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said Wednesday he was “sure” the House will move a war funding bill that exceeds the administration’s request a move that could set up another veto showdown with President Bush over spending.
The White House has said the president will veto any bill that exceeds the remaining $108.1 billion he has requested in fiscal 2008 for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Democrats have pushed back saying the emergency spending package — which is exempt from budget caps — should also fund urgent domestic needs to help the struggling economy.
“I’m sure it will contrary to the administration sending its tablets down from the mount” Hoyer D-Md. said in response to a question on whether the cost of the measure would exceed the president’s total request.
Hoyer said the House expects to consider the bill on the floor next week or the week of May 5.
House and Senate leaders continue to discuss what and how much should be included in the supplemental and have emphasized that no final decisions have been made.
“We’re going to pass a supplemental that we believe is necessary and required by the facts as we see them in this country and abroad” he said.
Hoyer said the bill will meet the needs of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and “the second part of it will be addressing issues here at home.”
Last week White House Budget Director Jim Nussle told Senate appropriators that a “clean” supplemental is needed by Memorial Day and that Democrats should save their domestic priorities for the regular appropriations process rather than provoke a veto fight that would delay its enactment.
The senators brushed aside that suggestion and said they are eyeing the supplemental as a vehicle for spending on domestic priorities such as law enforcement grants and infrastructure spending.
