GOP Senators Agree to Offer a New Drug Plan
WASHINGTON — Republican senators, following six hours of negotiations with Democrats, agreed late Thursday to take a new plan for financing the war on drugs to the White House for consideration.
Sources said the plan contained some of the selected cuts in spending the Bush Administration had wanted as a way to offset increases in the drug program as well as an across-the-board reduction in federal programs to raise the bulk of the money.
Republicans said they would not consider the plan a tentative agreement without White House approval and they indicated that there was no rush on the part of the Administration to provide that.
“We’ve been on the phone to (White House chief of staff John H.) Sununu all night,” Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) said as he emerged from the negotiations along with other tired senators.
Republicans said they would take the plan to the White House today and then reconvene their negotiations with the Democrats. Senators declined to comment on specifics of the plan.
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