BUDGET . . . A DONE DEAL (BUT READ THE FINE PRINT)

"This is why we came to Congress," said an ebullient House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-Ohio), as his party rammedits historic plan to balance the federal budget by 2002through the House (239-194) and Senate (54-46) in votes that fell along party lines. The plan includes $245 billion in tax cuts and $894 billion in spending cuts that hit Medicare, Medicaid and social services heavily. Action now moves to the appropriations committees where,TIME's Karen Tumultyreports, "the real work is already being done." The triumphant GOP package, she adds, falls short of promises by Kasich and others to eliminate a spate of federal agencies and offer $300 billion in tax cuts. The current plan would, however, abolish the Commerce Department.