House Republicans narrowly sustained President Bush’s veto of a $605.5 billion spending bill to fund HHS and the Education and Labor departments. The 277-141 vote was uncomfortably close for Republicans, falling just two votes short of the two-thirds tally required to overturn Bush’s veto. But as they have on three previous occasions, GOP leaders pressed their ranks to make sure Bush would not be embarrassed.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that when Congress returns in December from a two-week Thanksgiving recess, Democrats would send Bush a catchall spending bill combining Congress’ unfinished budget work—after cutting about $11 billion from them. Democrats have written domestic spending bills adding more than $22 billion to Bush’s budget, prompting a wave of veto threats from the White House. Reid promised to cut that amount in half, saying it was a fair compromise. -- by the Associated Press
