BOND SAYS GOP WILLING TO WORK OUT BUDGET PLAN

President Clinton has threatened to veto the GOP budget bill so often that he probably will reject the bill "just for the heck of it," U.S. Sen. Christopher "KIt" Bond said Monday.

If the president vetoes the bill, Bond predicted Republicans will be willing to work with him to reach a compromise budget plan.

"He said in 1993 that we needed to balance the budget," Bond said. "If he stays with that, we'll find room for compromise."

The Missouri Republican spoke at a press conference at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to discuss the Senate's approval early Saturday of its version of a budget bill. The House approved its version Thursday. Both houses will meet in conference committee this week to work out differences for a final bill.

Bond said Clinton has the Democrats "marching in lock step, right off the cliff," in opposing the budget.

Democrats supporting the president's veto threat "will find themselves once again left out in the cold," Bond said. "One of the things you'll find with President Clinton is he will change his mind, probably several times." said Bond.

The GOP budget plan is aimed at achieving a balanced budget by 2002 through cuts in a number of federal programs, including Medicare, housing and agriculture. Bond said there would be no cuts in Medicare; instead, those eligible for Medicare would be given the option of using it or private insurance carriers.

He called the option "a significant change that will enable seniors to make a choice that the rest of us make every day."

Per-person spending would increase from the current $4,800 annually to $6,700 by 2002, he said. "That includes the fact that more people will be eligible and will be on Medicare," said Bond.

Changes in the program are attempts to slow the growth of massive federal programs, Bond said.

Medicaid also would be revamped, Bond said, as states would be awarded block grants and allowed to draw up their own guidelines on who is eligible and what services are covered.

"We're not only going to take the federal strings off the program, we're going to see that Medicaid dollars for Missouri continue to go up," he said.

The Senate proposal originally had allotted Missouri $12.8 billion, approximately $250 million per year less than present funding, but that was increased to fall more in line with the House's proposal of $15.1 million.

State lawmakers "will be on the leading edge of saying how this program will change," Bond said.

Similar changes are coming for welfare in an effort to make assistance "a short-term" boost for adults until they are able to return to work, said Bond.

Agriculture and housing programs would see "significant cuts," Bond said, but proposed changes in the farm subsidy program would allow farmers to compete more effectively in the global market, making up for losses in federal farm subsidies.

Economic growth spurred by a balanced budget would result nationally in 6 million new jobs, a 2 percent reduction in interest rates and a 16 percent increase in personal income, Bond said.

"I believe this is what the people of Missouri and indeed the people of the United States have told us they want," he said.