Disaster Bill Faces Clinton Veto Congress Finally Oks Relief Funds, But Gop Add-Ons Doom Legislation

Despite a veto promise by President Clinton, the Republican-controlled Congress passed an $8.6 billion emergency disaster relief bill Thursday which provides money for flood victims in California and the Middle West.

Final passage came in quick succession, first in the Senate, 67-31, and then in the House, 220-201. The House majority is far short of that needed to override a Clinton veto.

A presidential spokesman, Barry Toiv, said Clinton would reject the measure “as quickly as possibly” because it contains unacceptable Republican add-ons prohibiting the use of sampling techniques in the 2000 national census and guaranteeing that the government will keep operating this fall if Congress becomes deadlocked on the budget again.

Because of the promise of a veto, Thursday’s votes likely are only an opening to intensified negotiations between Clinton and GOP leaders.

The two parties have been squabbling about the disaster assistance bill for weeks, with each side accusing the other of using tragedy as leverage for political gain.

Democrats not only welcomed the veto but also see it as a political bonus. “This bill is going to go down to the White House today,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. “And my hope is that Republicans will keep the car running” to return the vetoed bill to the Capitol immediately.

But Republicans said Clinton is the obstacle to getting help to flood victims. “Vetoing this bill is playing politics with disaster,” said Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican conference chairman.

The supplemental bill contains $5.6 billion for victims of disasters in 35 states, including the flood-ravaged Dakotas and Minnesota.

It also includes more than $1 billion for California flooding - $305 million for the Army Corps of Engineers, $214 million for national parks (including $173 million for Yosemite), $220 million for roads and several hundred million dollars for disaster aid distribution by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Rep. Vic Fazio, D-Calif., reminded the House that in Northern California, nine people were killed and property damage totaled $2 billion during flooding in January. “By holding back the money, Republicans are engaging in another government shutdown,” said Fazio.

The bill also would waive certain environmental regulations for repair of levees. In addition, it would provide an extra $76 million for the Women, Infants and Children assistance program and $1.9 billion for peacekeeping efforts, mainly in Bosnia.