Clinton, Lawmakers Talk Budget Again But No End To Shutdown In Sight; Benefits Checks Delayed

On-again, off-again talks on balancing the budget are back on again as the White House said President Clinton would meet today with the top four Republican and Democratic leaders from Congress.

But there appeared to be little chance that the meeting would persaude rebellious House Republicans to permit 260,000 furloughed federal workers to return to their jobs and end what is now the longest government shutdown in history.

House Republicans voted Thursday to recess for as long as 11 days over Christmas and the New Year while keeping part of the government shut down.

But Republican congressional leaders indicated they would pass bills today allowing the government to send out scheduled benefit checks to veterans and welfare families.

About 3.3 million veterans will not receive their Jan. 1 benefit checks on time because of this week’s partial shutdown. Nor will 4.7 million families, comprising 13 million people, who expect to get welfare checks Jan. 1 under Aid to Families With Dependent Children.

The House recess, which would begin Saturday and be subject to periodic renewals until Jan. 3, reflected the GOP leadership’s view that there was no point in holding the entire Congress in session while a handful of its high-ranking members bargained with the White House for a balanced-budget plan.

There was no sign Thursday that any agreement was in sight for a longterm budget accord, although White House chief of staff Leon Panetta and key members of Congress resumed discussions.

House Republicans see the shutdown as a way to keep pressure on Clinton to agree to balance the budget on their terms.

“When the president gets serious” about the negotiations, said Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, “we will come back here (from recess) to vote (on a budget resolution and reopen the agencies).”

“In a negotiation,” said Rep. Robert Walker, R-Pa., “if you give them what they want in hopes of them agreeing to simply talk about what you want, you’ll never reach an agreement satisfactory to your side.”

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said House members would be subject to a 12-hour call to come back to the Capitol during the recess if the ongoing budget negotiations between President Clinton and GOP leaders bore fruit.

Opposition Democrats bitterly complained that the recess was exactly the wrong message to send the country while 260,000 federal workers were laid off. The shutdown enters its seventh day today. Last month’s shutdown lasted six days.