Gop Unveils Budget Plans For ‘97 Dole Calls Blueprints ‘Very Reasonable’

Congressional Republicans unveiled their newest plans Wednesday for balancing the budget, moving toward some of President Clinton’s views on taxes and spending. But differences remained, and the two sides kept up their attacks on each other’s priorities.

Following the thrust of what they did a year ago, House and Senate GOP leaders presented election-year plans for fiscal 1997 that promise to eliminate federal deficits by 2002. In a pair of similar measures, the two chambers would cut taxes and carve savings out of Medicare, Medicaid, welfare and other domestic programs - but in each case less than Republicans sought in their 1995 budget war with Clinton.

Though many details were sketchy, GOP budget writers said their plans would trim spending by about $700 billion over the next six years. That, they said, would gradually eliminate an annual federal shortfall that is expected to be $144 billion this year.

“We’re back again with a balanced budget,” proclaimed Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., Clinton’s likely chief election rival in November. Hoping to pre-empt Clinton’s oft-repeated claims that the GOP was championing excessive slashes in crucial programs, Dole added, “It’s a very reasonable, very responsible budget.”

With the caveat that he had not yet reviewed the details of the GOP package, White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta said it “seems like just more of the same.”

“While there are some signs of movement away from the extreme positions they took last year, they are once again calling for unacceptable cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, education and the environment as well as increased taxes on working families,” Panetta said.

The House and Senate budget committees planned to approve the blueprints today. GOP leaders spent Wednesday nailing down details.

Republicans readily acknowledged that the proposals will stand as Dole’s campaign vision of what federal tax and spending policies should be.

“We will be proceeding with what we will call Senator Dole’s plan for strengthening America,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M.