WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON - President Bush has nixed $18 million in emergency funding for the fight against chronic wasting disease as part of a larger rift with Congress over "spending restraint."

Saying uncontrolled spending would increase deficits and hurt the economy, Bush announced Tuesday that he will not spend $5.1 billion that Congress tacked on to his supplemental spending request for the war on terrorism.

Congress included the money within the $28.9 billion appropriations bill but added a provision requiring Bush to spend all or none of the additional funds.

Bush said some of the additions were for "truly pressing needs," like AIDS prevention and money for the Middle East.

"However, we're not going to spend $4 billion we don't need in order to unlock $1 billion we do," Bush said.

Caught in the dispute is about $18 million meant to help curb the spread of chronic wasting disease, which has ravaged deer and elk populations in Colorado, and now has spread as far as Wisconsin.

The decision eliminates $15 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to monitor and manage the spread of the disease, $2 million for the Agricultural Research Service's study of new tests to detect the disease in deer and elk and $1 million for the Centers for Disease Control to study diseases like CWD and their potential effects on humans.

"The chronic wasting disease situation in Colorado is a perfect candidate for this kind of emergency spending," said Lawrence Pacheco, spokesman for Rep. Mark Udall, D-Boulder. "All one has to do is look at how CWD has devastated the deer and elk populations in Colorado to understand why we need this funding."

Republican Sen. Wayne Allard of Loveland said he was disappointed but would push for increased funding in the budget for fiscal year 2003, which begins Oct. 1.

"I'm just upset it got caught up in this battle of wasteful spending, with what I thought was a very important program," Allard said. "I'm sure (Bush) did what he thought was best."

Bush singled out spending for a new facility to store the government's collection of bugs and worms, but his action is far-reaching. The $5.1 billion also included $480 million for airport security, $235 for million nuclear security and $151 million for local and state law enforcement.

New York lawmakers blasted the elimination of $90 million for health monitoring at the World Trade Center site.

Pacheco said some of the cuts could affect Colorado. Bush eliminated $50 million for restoring damage from floods or damage to watersheds caused by wildfires, $33 million for a cyber-security initiative led by Boulder-based National Institute for Standards and Technology and $400 million for states to upgrade their voting equipment.

sprengelmeyerm@shns.com or (202) 408-2729.