President Vetoes Foreign Operations Bill

Guide Extra: 10/18/99

Calling it "the next big chapter in the new American isolationism" President Clinton today vetoed S. 1234 - the Foreign Operations FY2000 Appropriations bill. The bill is one of 13 annual spending bills that must be approved by Congress and signed by the President in order for the Fiscal Year 2000 Federal Budget to be approved.

In a Reuters news story release earlier today, President Clinton is quoted as saying, "I vetoed the foreign operations bill this morning because it seems to me to be the next big chapter in the new American isolationism, right after the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty." The Senate failed to ratify the Test Ban Treaty last week, an action that drew sharp criticism from the White House.

"There's no money to fund the Wye peace accord for peace in the Middle East, no money to fund our continuing work with the Russians to reduce their nuclear threat, no money to help us with debt relief for the poorest countries in Latin America and Asia and several other problems," Clinton was quoted as saying. "We can't not fulfill our responsibilities to the rest of the world," he said.

The President will now meet with Republican Congressional leaders to resolve their differences on the Foreign Appropriations bill.

Also see...
The Federal Budget Process from your About.com Guide.