Uncertainty Awaits Congress

Sunday, December 3rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” Amid faint hints both sides might finally be willing to settle on a budget, a lame-duck Congress and president try again this week to settle a stubborn fight over schools, workplace safety, immigration, taxes and Medicare.

Two weeks ago, lawmakers left town hoping to return knowing whether Republican George W. Bush or Democrat Al Gore was the president-elect.

But that did not happen. And it is unclear how that will affect legislators' moods or their ability to finish their work, including four spending bills that were supposed to be complete by Oct. 1, when fiscal 2001 began.

The House planned to return to work Monday, followed a day later by the Senate.

``If the presidential thing is not wrapped up, I don't think we'll get very far,'' House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said last week.

The biggest fights are over a $350 billion measure for education, health, and labor programs containing a record $18 billion increase over last year; a GOP effort to block administration rules, already issued, that are aimed at preventing workplace injuries; and a White House plan to help more than 1 million immigrants stay in this country.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said he expects President Clinton will meet with the congressional leadership this week to discuss issues for the lame-duck session, but that nothing has been scheduled.

Hastert, in an interview Saturday after meeting with Bush in Texas, indicated a willingness to make minor changes in a tax cut bill the president has threatened to veto, saying any modifications could be inserted into an unrelated spending bill.

The tax cut bill for health care costs and some businesses also contains a $1 increase in the $5.15 hourly minimum wage. Clinton says it is too generous to small businesses.

Some say that with the distraction of the presidential election and time running out on both the 106th Congress and Clinton's presidency, there is little chance of resolving the final budget battle between the two longtime adversaries. Under the Constitution, the 107th Congress convenes on Jan. 3 and Clinton's term ends on Jan. 20.

Armey and some others say the likeliest scenario is for an agreement to postpone final budget decisions until there is a new president, who Republicans hope will be a more sympathetic Bush. With Clinton losing leverage as his presidency nears its end, even some Democrats say privately that he would have little taste to spend his final White House days fighting such an effort by Republicans.

But others say that returning lawmakers of both parties will be weary of the budget battle and eager to finish it so they can focus on next year.

Bipartisan bargainers agreed last month to a record $7.9 billion increase in education spending â€” 20 percent above last year â€” that was later rejected by House GOP leaders.

Clinton used his radio address Saturday to demand that Congress make passing the education budget its top priority in the lame-duck session. Hastert's spokesman renewed GOP objections over control of the money. ``Republicans want more education dollars to go to the classrooms, not to Washington bureaucrats,'' John Feehery said.

Still, there were signs of possible progress.

White House spokesman Jake Siewert said administration officials ``recognize we may have to set aside some of the more difficult disputes we were having'' before Congress recessed.

Many officials saw that as a hint the White House might drop its demand for liberalizing immigration laws in exchange for Republicans ending their drive to block the workplace safety rules.

In addition, some Republicans talked about offering a 1 percent across-the-board cut in the $114 billion portion of the education-labor bill that covers programs Congress must approve every year. The rest of the $350 billion measure covers automatically paid benefits like Medicaid.

Democrats were certain to consider that 1 percent reduction too high. Still, its mention by Republicans underscored that they were willing to trim the measure by a relatively small amount that would still allow record spending increases for hiring teachers, Pell grants for low-income college students, after-school centers and other programs.

Among the other matters awaiting Congress:

â€”$30 billion in higher Medicare reimbursements for health care providers that Clinton wants changed because he says it is too generous to health-maintenance organizations.

â€”Presidential transition. A House subcommittee scheduled a hearing Monday on the government's refusal to release transition funds to Bush.