The Nation : Senators Reach Anti-Drug Plan Accord

Democratic and Republican senators tentatively agreed to expand President Bush’s $7.9-billion anti-drug plan by $900 million and pay for it by a combination of across-the-board cuts in most federal programs and bigger reductions in defense spending than Bush wanted. The compromise, worked out after a week of intensive negotiations, was announced by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Mark O. Hatfield (R-Ore.), the committee’s ranking Republican. The tentative pact would require an across-the-board reduction of 0.30% in discretionary domestic and international programs, and make special allowances for selective cuts of an additional 0.13% in the Pentagon budget. Hatfield said the deal still required approval by the Senate GOP leadership and White House.