ROGERS, Ark. — President Bush admonished Congress on Monday for failing to send him a single spending bill yet, and warned lawmakers to trim their plans or face rejection.
“You’re fixin’ to see what they call a fiscal showdown in Washington,” Bush told a friendly audience during a swing through Arkansas.
“The Congress gets to propose, and if it doesn’t meet needs as far as I’m concerned, I get to veto,” Bush said. “That’s precisely what I intend to do.”
The budget year began Oct. 1, and federal agencies are operating on a stopgap bill for now. Congress has not yet agreed on the 12 spending bills that keep the government running.
Bush never vetoed a spending bill when his party ran Congress, but he’s dug in for a challenge now. He said the Democrats’ plans would raise taxes and prevent the nation from balancing the budget.
Conservative House Republicans appear to have the votes to sustain his promised vetoes.
In the budget stalemate, Democrats are pressing to spend about $22 billion more on domestic programs than Bush wants. Education, health research and low-income housing grants are among the issues on which Bush and Democratic leaders disagree.
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