Democrats Warn Of Veto Over Environment

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, April 17) -- Vice President Al Gore and leading congressional Democrats said today President Bill Clinton would veto the next temporary government spending bill unless funds were restored for Democratic environmental priorities.

Joined by Senate minority leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and House minority leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) outside the Capitol, Gore said 17 GOP-backed provisions -- so-called "riders" -- that reduce environmental protection would prompt a veto. Government funding expires April 24, and the new legislation funds the government through September 30.

"Republicans understand they made a mistake politically...(but they have) not been able to convince more radical members to drop these riders," the vice president said from the Capitol grounds.

His remarks drew outrage from Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.). "This news conference is a figment of their imaginings of what they would like to run against," Bond said. "We do not seek to make the environment a political issue," Bond said.

In fact, all but one of the 17 riders has been eliminated, House Appropriations Committee chairman Bob Livingston (R-La.) said in a statement. In part defensive over polls showing the public disapproved of GOP efforts to curtail environmental protection, the Senate restored $727 million in environmental spending cut by the House, which has so far been accepted by House negotiators.

Unable to agree on a comprehensive budget deal, the federal government has been funded this year by a series of temporary measures. After extensive negotiations, talks between Clinton, Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.), House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and other congressional leaders were abandoned in January.

Clinton Rips GOP On Environment -- March 11, 1996

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Democrats Warn Of Veto Over Environment

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