INSIDE WASHINGTON/Swan song a bit off-key
Local governments will be shouldering an even bigger financial burden thanks to new legislation aimed at reducing spending on domestic programs for the next nine months. The $388 billion omnibus legislation included nine appropriations bills that cut funding for programs ranging from education to water and sewer improvements. At press time, lobbyists for cities, counties and states were still analyzing the 1,000-plus page final bill that was approved by Congress six days before Thanksgiving.
Costs for the Iraq war and the ballooning deficit forced Congressional lawmakers to abide by the White House’s wishes to keep spending in check, even though local and state officials continue to beg federal lawmakers for relief. “This is a lean and clean package that adheres to the budgetary limits agreed to by the Congress and the president,” says Florida Congressman C.W. Bill Young, who also is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “We have resisted many requests for additions to the package that would have busted the budget by billions of dollars.”
Some local officials are complaining that President Bush and Congress diverted too much money and too many resources on Iraq this year to the detriment of the nation’s educational and health care programs and aging infrastructure. “We are investing more money overseas in the war than we are on the domestic agenda and the economic priorities of this nation,” says Lake County, Ill., Board Member Angelo Kyle, who also is president of the Washington-based National Association of Counties. “The Congress and president need to direct their attention more towards America.”
Congress also had little time to complete other unfinished business, such as passing the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, both of which will be held over until next year. However, in the closing days, the House and Senate agreed to extend the Internet tax moratorium, which prevents local governments from collecting taxes on Internet access until November 2007.
As Capitol Hill lawmakers were mopping up unfinished business from the 108th Congress and Bush waited to sign the bills into law, local officials already were creating strategies on how to work with the new Congress. “The president says he is reaching out, and we are looking forward to working with him to meet some of these pressing domestic needs,” says Arlington, Mass., Selectman Charlie Lyons, president of the Washington-based National League of Cities.
Local officials will be working with some new congressional leaders next year, including Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the new minority leader, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the new minority whip and Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the new Democratic Conference secretary. The Republican leadership in the Senate and House as well as the House Democratic leadership remains unchanged.
With the national elections over, Lyons says he hopes the administration and Congress finally will ask local officials to join them in constructing a reasonable spending plan for the future. “We know how to do it better than our federal partners,” Lyons says. “We balance our budgets.”