PRESIDENT VETOES D.C. BUDGET BILL

Republicans in Congress Accused of Violating Home Rule to Pursue
Social Agenda

President Clinton kept a promise yesterday to veto the District's $4.7
billion budget for the fiscal year that begins Friday, because of what
he said were unfair restrictions placed on the D.C. government by
congressional Republicans.

"Congress had added a number of unacceptable riders that prevent local
residents from making their own decisions about local matters," the
president said in a statement. Among other things, he was referring to
GOP efforts to block the District from legalizing the use of marijuana
for medical purposes or implementing a needle-exchange program for
drug addicts to try to slow the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Republicans argued that such measures would promote drug use; Clinton
countered that Congress's interference was done in a way that
lawmakers "would not have done to any other local jurisdiction in the
country."

For now, the veto has little practical effect on D.C. government
operations. Congress is expected to consider a resolution keeping
money flowing to the city at this year's spending levels until a
permanent budget agreement can be reached before lawmakers adjourn
this fall.

But "it does mean that no new projects can proceed and that we can't
hire for newly funded positions," said Valerie Holt, the city's chief
financial officer.

The president's action was a symbolic victory for the city's
Democratic leadership, which turned against its own spending plan
after Republicans added riders that sought to undo several decisions
made by city residents.

Congress's move against the medical use of marijuana ran counter to
the results of a citywide referendum in which D.C. residents
overwhelmingly supported such a proposal. The GOP also blocked
approval of the District's needle-exchange program, which was
patterned after efforts in six other cities.

D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), when told of the veto while at the
White House yesterday with first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for a
news conference on the New Year's celebration on the Mall, said, "It
is unfortunate that Congress, after all the good work on our budget
and support for our local officials' priorities, adopted social riders
that intrude into the self-government of the District."

Republicans shot back that Clinton's veto amounted to presidential
support for drug use. They suggested that favorite programs of
Williams and others could be cut when the budget is reconsidered next
month. Republicans, Democrats and the Clinton administration will
negotiate a final budget; it is unlikely that there is enough support
for a congressional override of Clinton's veto.

"My fear is that the budget is so tight that you could put the money
in jeopardy the second time around," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III
(R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Oversight subcommittee on
the District. "The reality is, among Republicans and Democrats, the
constituency for spending money for the District is not that great.
They'd rather put money into other programs for their own
constituents."

Linda Ricci, spokeswoman for the White House budget office, countered:
"There's no reason Congress can't go back and make improvements to
this bill on issues of home rule while still maintaining the same
level of funding we've agreed upon."

The budget includes the largest tax cut in the city's history and a
college tuition program that would allow D.C. high school graduates to
attend universities elsewhere at lower, in-state tuition rates.
There's money to clean up the Anacostia River, wipe out open-air drug
markets and widen the 14th Street bridges.

"It's unfortunate that the president thinks that legalizing marijuana
and giving drug needles away is more important than providing college
scholarships to D.C. students," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
(R-Tex.), chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on the District.