The Nation - News from April 20, 1989

The Senate Budget Committee, on a 16-7 vote, approved the bipartisan budget package announced last Friday by President Bush and congressional leaders. The compromise plan, which has been criticized as inadequate to achieve the goal of a $100-billion deficit next year, was accepted after lawmakers narrowly defeated an alternative by Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) that would have frozen spending at current levels. The compromise budget resolution, which calls for about $27 billion in deficit reductions, sets the boundaries for congressional spending and revenue bills. Only about $16 billion, however, represents real budgetary savings, with the rest coming from accounting gimmicks and one-time actions. The plan is expected to move to the Senate floor in early May. The House Budget Committee is expected to take similar action next week.