The Wall Street Journal reports that while the White House compromised on the spending cap, the level agreed to may not be realistic. Among both Republicans and Democrats, the appetite for new spending is strong, especially in the evenly divided Senate. And as action unfolds this summer on the 13 appropriations bills needed to implement the budget's spending priorities, pressure will almost certainly mount to breach the cap. The Washington Post reports that the compromise does not spell out precisely how the president's high-profile initiatives on defense and retirement programs will be funded after the tax cut takes effect. It also doesn't include substantial increases in defense spending being contemplated by top Pentagon officials.
Democrats claim missile defense risks second Cold War.
The New York Times reports Senate Democrats put forward some of their most influential voices on national security policy today and made clear that President Bush's plans for an expansive missile defense system could well become a defining point of contention between the two parties. Just a day after Mr. Bush outlined a sweeping new security strategy, the Democrats raised sharp questions about his plan, bringing up issues of arms control, diplomacy, military strategy and the budgetary implications of an interwoven antimissile shield based on land, at sea, in the air and in space. The Washington Post reports, however, that Russia welcomed President Bush's call for consultations on a planned U.S. missile defense system and signaled today that it might be ready to make a deal in exchange for deeper cuts in strategic arms. Its response was notably conciliatory after months of confrontation with Washington over missile defense. Daschle vows to block judicial nominations that lack Democratic support.