Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: GOP lawmakers will cooperate unless it means big spending Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 15:30:30 EST Message-ID: \SE A \HD GOP lawmakers will cooperate unless it means big spending \BY Major Garrett \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Republican congressional leaders spoke yesterday of cooperation with President-elect Bill Clinton but are preparing to oppose him vigorously if his economic program threatens to increase the budget deficit. Several GOP participants in yesterday's luncheon meeting with the president-elect on Capitol Hill praised Mr. Clinton's ability to listen and respond to their concerns. "The guy is very capable of zeroing in on each member," said Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska. "You connect with one another." The Republican congressional leaders, Robert Michel of Illinois in the House and Bob Dole of Kansas in the Senate, promised cooperation on matters of mutual interest, as did House Minority Whip Newt Gingrich of Georgia, who was on vacation but sent a conciliatory letter. Their generally deferential remarks belied a sense among many Republicans that Mr. Clinton faces an immediate and agonizing dilemma as he tries to draft a 1994 budget and round up support to increase the federal debt limit. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas advised Mr. Clinton not to break the remaining spending caps imposed by the 1990 budget law, which sets a limit on all military and discretionary spending. Those limits can only be broken if the president and Congress agree that additional spending is needed to address a domestic "emergency." Mr. Gramm advised against any emergency declarations to finance a stimulus package of new public works spending or other domestic programs favored by Democratic interest groups. The senator said it would be "impossible for the GOP to tag along" with a president who removed "what little bit of budget discipline" remains in Washington. While Mr. Clinton did not directly respond to the senator's advice, Mr. Gramm said, "clearly, it registered." President Bush will submit a bare-bones budget, and the new president will be allowed to write many of the specific spending recommendations. Based on previous experience, Mr. Clinton will be expected to submit his budget by mid-February. "It will be the defining moment of his administration," Mr. Gramm said of Mr. Clinton's first budget. Shortly thereafter, Congress will have to vote to increase the debt limit above its legal ceiling of $4.1 trillion. The new president will need plenty of Republican support, lest his party be saddled with lone responsibility of voting to raise the debt limit and face the wrath of voters eager to see it reduced. "That's a major tripwire," said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the newly elected GOP conference secretary. "I think there's a 50-50 chance [of winning Republican support] because he's not going to get the left-wing loonies." The GOP finds itself in the rare position of being able to score political points on the basis of the deficit and debt, which exploded during three consecutive Republican administrations. And for all of the party's tough talk about cutting the deficit, it has yet to put forth a serious proposal to trim the costly entitlement programs that drive the deficit higher. To make Mr. Clinton's life difficult, several Republicans are preparing to attach a balanced-budget amendment to the debt-limit vote, again raising the issue of defict spending. This debate would likely occur as Mr. Clinton tries to win support for his economic stimulus program, which may increase the deficit unless it is teamed with tax increases. Mr. Lott and Mr. Gramm are also pushing the conference to develop a strong legislative agenda of its own before Mr. Clinton takes office. Several Republican senators said the conference will try to use Mr. Clinton's own centrist campaign rhetoric to pull him toward their agenda. Privately, the senators said a lot of animosity remains from the Democrats' opposition of the previous two years. The Republicans say they're waiting to see which Mr. Clinton emerges in the next two months - a centrist "New Democrat" or a repackaged captive to party special interests. "If they try to roll through an agenda that totally ignores us, then you'd probably see a more partisan agenda," said Oklahoma Sen. Don Nickles, chairman of the GOP policy committee. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM