The Battalion EWS I tiesday • July 29,1 Clinton, GOP resolve budget deal conflicts WASHINGTON (AP) —The Clinton administration and congressional leaders neared a handshake Monday on bal ancing the budget by 2002 while slicing taxes for millions of families, students and investors. Both sides began promot ing the pact to ensure they could muscle it through Con gress this week. After months of bargaining, the final shape of the package solidified. Assured were a tax credit for many children, a big effort to expand health-care coverage for many of the 10 mil lion uninsured American children, and a phased-in boost in the 24-cent-per-pack cigarette tax. Many disputes were resolved with an everyone-wins ap proach. Underlining this, the five-year, $85 billion net price tag for tax cuts set by the May balanced-budget agreement seemed likely to grow by about $10 billion. As it emerged, the accord put leaders of both parties in po sition to claim credit for the broadest tax cut since 1981 and, if achieved, the first federal surplus since 1969. “This is an historic opportunity. It can be the achieve ment of a generation,” President Clinton told the nation’s governors at a Las Vegas convention, hoping to also spur lawmakers back at the Capitol. “It can only happen with big majorities of people in both houses and both parties com ing together and I believe we’re on the verge of achieving it.” “Both sides have had to give in one category or anoth er,” Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., told re porters. “I think on balance the com bination is worth having.” House Democrats, Congress’ largest pocket of resistance, planned to meet Monday evening with administration of ficials to learn about the plan. House Re publicans were considering a separate session of their own. Even as both sides smelled victory, still they circled each other on some issues. The GOP acceded to Clinton’s de mands for a $24 billion, five-year effort to expand health-care coverage for many of the country’s 10 million uninsured children. That amount was $8 billion beyond what many Republicans preferred, but there was a catch. They were insisting that Clinton let states have lee way in deciding which services would be provided, such as mental health and dental coverage. In addition, the GOP wanted welfare recipients taking subsidized jobs in the public and nonprofit sectors to be ex- Clinton empted from minimum wage and other worker protections. They argued that such requirements would make it harder to find such slots and hurt state efforts to trim welfare rolls. Clinton was resisting. The continuing snags were clearly annoying GOP lead ers, who were within reach of two of their party’s biggest leg islative achievements in years. Lott said the administration’s bargaining tactics were “like the boa constrictor that con tinues to squeeze.” In a triumph claimed by both sides, there would be a $400-per-child tax credit in 1998, rising to $500 the next year, for children 16 and under. It would apply to many fam ilies whose earnings are so low that they owe little or no in come tax, a victory for Clinton. But it would also go to sin gle parents making as much as $75,000 and couples making $ 110,000, which Republicans wanted. The package was on track to include $35 billion or more in education tax breaks, a key Clinton demand to which lawmakers added their own ideas. Clinton said it would contain his treasured “Hope scholarship” of $1,500 tax credits for the first two years of college. Also included were special savings incentives for education and other reductions. Israeli, Palestinian negotiators say talks will resume JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis and Pales tinians, weary of months of sporadic vio lence and mutual recriminations, an nounced Monday they would return to the negotiating table within days to resume their quest for peace. “We are deciding to return to the talks ... out of a desire to restore mutual trust,” Is raeli Foreign Minister David Levy said after a meeting in Jerusalem with Palestinian Planning Minister Nabil Shaath. It was not clear why the two sides were able to come together now, after a four- month impasse, but they have stepped up contacts in recent weeks. In addition, Is raeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne tanyahu’s opposition to a new Jewish housing project in east Jerusalem appears to have reduced tensions. There was no indication the sides re solved the key issues that have kept them apart since March: the Palestinians’ de mand for a halt to Israeli building in disput ed territories, and Israel’s demand for a re newal of intelligence-sharing to prevent at tacks by militant Palestinians. Shaath said he assured Levy the Palestin ian Authority would work to prevent "all acts that would injure, harm or create violence against Israelis and against Palestinians.” Israeli sources said Israel was pleased about improved security cooperation with the Palestinians, noting the recent arrests of Palestinian officers Israel accused of plan ning attacks on Israelis and the discovery of a bomb factory in Bethlehem. Levy and Shaath said bilateral commit tees would resume work “in the next few days” on how to implement so-far unful filled promises from previous Israel-Pales- tinian peace agreements. Those issues include the opening of a Palestinian airport and sea port in the Gaza Strip, establishment of a “safe passage” for travel between the West Bank and Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. ^ ^ We are deciding to return to the talks ... out of a desire to restore mutual trust.” David Levy Israeli Foreign Minister There was no mention of a settlement freeze by Israel. Talks broke down in March when Israel started work on a Jewish housing project in Har Homa, an area of Jerusalem the Pales tinians want as a future capital, setting off weeks of rioting in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Periodic diplomatic initiatives to end the impasse have failed. Further clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops have broken out sporadi cally in recent weeks after a Jewish settler put up posters last month depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed as a pig. Even as the breakthrough in the stalled peace process was announced, Israel closed Arab-owned shops in downtown Hebron af ter three homemade bombs were hurled at soldiers there over the weekend. Israeli troops detained about 20 Pales tinians in the search for the bomb throwers. Monday’s announcement appeared un related to American efforts to restart the talks, although officials from both sides had traveled to Washington in recent days and U.S. envoy Dennis Ross is expected back in the region within two weeks. Galveston Continued from Pagel Kemp lies served as headowi.j biology department at A&Mandr " terim dean of the College of Sderf He also was executive directoill research within the Office ofthel President for Research and Grai ate Studies. A&M President Dr. Ray Boi said Kemp will serve as a sirs) leader at Galveston. "Dr. Kemp has the exactcoiti nation of skills and experiencefcpj need in the Galveston CEO,' said. “ I le’s a versatile administd an ontstandingeducatorandafij rate scientist.” The A&M-Galveston campus®'^ also receive an increase in fundi| Dr. Barry Thompson, chance 1 : of the Texas A&M System,saidi| $440 million total general revet] appropriation for the next twoyf loi A&M will pla\ a part in I A&M-Calveston improve itsntai and science program. "The Galveston cam pus and oil ei campuses will receive a panj that funding,” Thomsponsaid,' it will pay for preliminary expensj in faculty and the programs.’ fhompson said the Galvesti campus has eight marine progra.] with a budget of $858,000. The dominant majors at A&i (Jalv eston are biological sciedi and (marine] life sciences. A&M-Galveston also offerspj grams such as the Galveston Islat Adventure, which offers sessiol^PII during the summer. 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