Cash clash

Many

Members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees have a favorite section-the one that makes them among the most powerful folks in Washington. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 reads: "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time."

While the language may seem straightforward, that section of the Constitution has provoked a long and bitter fight between the Bush administration and key members of Congress. Appropriators claim the administration is demanding more flexibility in deciding how to spend money than the Constitution allows and is providing less information than Congress needs to make spending decisions.The administration responds that it is simply trying to streamline the spending process and better respond to emergencies. The fight has dragged on for two years, shows no signs of ending and carries huge stakes for both branches of government.