lestrade
09-14-2001, 09:28
Deal reached on $40 billion aid bill
September 14, 2001 Posted: 2:21 AM EDT (0621 GMT)
From Major Garrett
CNN White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Early Friday morning, the White House and Congress agreed on a $40 billion emergency aid package for New York and Virginia, administration and congressional sources told CNN.
The deal was struck between White House negotiators and senior leaders from the House and Senate.
According to a senior administration official, the aid package will be distributed on the following time schedule and with these congressional requirements:
-- $10 billion released immediately to aid recovery and cleanup efforts in New York and Virginia.
-- $10 billion to be released after a 15-day waiting period where Congress requires written certification from President Bush.
-- $20 billion that can be obligated only after the president makes a specific request of Congress.
"We have a deal," the senior administration official said. "It took a while and it seemed we went around the tracks three or more times, but we got it done."
Senior members of Congress from both parties wanted to make sure Congress' constitutional control of federal monies was protected and that the Bush White House would not have unlimited power to spend the full $40 billion.
"The White House is happy, the Democrats are happy, the speaker is happy, and the American people should be happy," said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois.
The House is scheduled to vote on the measure Friday afternoon. The Senate is expected to swiftly follow suit. White House and congressional officials said the legislation should be ready for President Bush's signature Saturday.
The amount of the recovery package is twice the amount originally requested by the White House.
There were some snags as the House considered the measure late Thursday night, over who controls how the funds would be spent -- the White House or Congress.
Republican congressional aides said the White House wanted "unfettered" authority over the money, but lawmakers said that would violate their constitutional power of the purse.
According to appropriations committee aides on both sides of the aisle, there had been an agreement for $20 billion of the funds to go toward domestic humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts -- primarily for, but not specified for, New York.
The rest of the money will go toward intelligence, law enforcement agencies, improved security for transportation systems and other expenses.
The White House requested $20 billion originally, but Hastert said lawmakers agreed, in a rare bipartisan meeting, to double the amount to $40 billion.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, told CNN the extra $20 billion came after New York Gov. George Pataki, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the New York congressional delegation appealed to Bush for the funds.
Lawmakers have taken pains to work in a bipartisan way and show that Congress is unified and willing to act swiftly.
"We are working together here in the Congress in a completely nonpartisan way," said House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri.
-- Capitol Hill Producers Dana Bash and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
September 14, 2001 Posted: 2:21 AM EDT (0621 GMT)
From Major Garrett
CNN White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Early Friday morning, the White House and Congress agreed on a $40 billion emergency aid package for New York and Virginia, administration and congressional sources told CNN.
The deal was struck between White House negotiators and senior leaders from the House and Senate.
According to a senior administration official, the aid package will be distributed on the following time schedule and with these congressional requirements:
-- $10 billion released immediately to aid recovery and cleanup efforts in New York and Virginia.
-- $10 billion to be released after a 15-day waiting period where Congress requires written certification from President Bush.
-- $20 billion that can be obligated only after the president makes a specific request of Congress.
"We have a deal," the senior administration official said. "It took a while and it seemed we went around the tracks three or more times, but we got it done."
Senior members of Congress from both parties wanted to make sure Congress' constitutional control of federal monies was protected and that the Bush White House would not have unlimited power to spend the full $40 billion.
"The White House is happy, the Democrats are happy, the speaker is happy, and the American people should be happy," said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois.
The House is scheduled to vote on the measure Friday afternoon. The Senate is expected to swiftly follow suit. White House and congressional officials said the legislation should be ready for President Bush's signature Saturday.
The amount of the recovery package is twice the amount originally requested by the White House.
There were some snags as the House considered the measure late Thursday night, over who controls how the funds would be spent -- the White House or Congress.
Republican congressional aides said the White House wanted "unfettered" authority over the money, but lawmakers said that would violate their constitutional power of the purse.
According to appropriations committee aides on both sides of the aisle, there had been an agreement for $20 billion of the funds to go toward domestic humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts -- primarily for, but not specified for, New York.
The rest of the money will go toward intelligence, law enforcement agencies, improved security for transportation systems and other expenses.
The White House requested $20 billion originally, but Hastert said lawmakers agreed, in a rare bipartisan meeting, to double the amount to $40 billion.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, told CNN the extra $20 billion came after New York Gov. George Pataki, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the New York congressional delegation appealed to Bush for the funds.
Lawmakers have taken pains to work in a bipartisan way and show that Congress is unified and willing to act swiftly.
"We are working together here in the Congress in a completely nonpartisan way," said House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri.
-- Capitol Hill Producers Dana Bash and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.