Clinton Signs Year’s Last Two Funding Bills

WASHINGTON — President Clinton on Wednesday signed the last two bills needed to fund the U.S. government in the current fiscal year, including a provision that will help illegal immigrants avoid deportation, but he complained that the bills do not offer money for an International Monetary Fund program or to pay off U.S. arrears to the United Nations.

Clinton inked the $13.1-billion Foreign Operations Act and a $31-billion measure funding the Commerce, Justice and State departments and other federal activities before leaving for a four-day Thanksgiving holiday.

The president has until Tuesday to decide whether to use his line-item veto power to cancel any funding in the bills.

The immigration provision, which has been on the books for three years, will be extended until Jan. 14. It allows illegal immigrants to pay a $1,000 fine and remain in the country while their visas are processed.

Only illegal immigrants who are eligible for green cards can take advantage of the provision, and Congress is not expected to extend the provision again.

Announcing that he had signed the bills, Clinton complained about money that Congress sliced from the legislation.

The Foreign Operations Act was stripped of funding for the IMF’s New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) lending program. The NAB would double the resources available to the IMF to respond to major emergencies threatening the world financial system. The canceled U.S. contribution would have amounted to $3.5 billion.

Clinton chided Congress for the omission, citing the IMF’s efforts to cope with the recent financial crises in Asia as a reason to fund the NAB, which would make available about $46 billion when ratified by all the contributor countries.

In signing the $31-billion bill funding various federal departments, Clinton criticized Congress’ decision not to include funding to help repay about $1.3 billion the United States owes the United Nations.