THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 25, 1995 TAG: 9512250046
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 149 lines
Veto: By a vote of 319 for and 100 against, the House overrode President Clinton's veto of a GOP ``Contract With America'' bill (HR 1058) making it more difficult for investors to file and win suits alleging securities fraud by companies. Sponsors said the bill would deter frivolous lawsuits that especially hurt technology companies, while opponents said it stripped away basic legal protections against fraud.
In a later vote, the Senate also overrode the veto, enabling the bill to become law.
A yes vote was to defeat the veto and enact the legislation.
Bateman Yes Pickett Yes
Scott No Sisisky Yes
Clayton No Jones Yes
Veterans spending: By a vote of 178 for and 234 against, the House refused to increase the number of veterans services to be provided under a pending stopgap funding measure (HJ Res 134) for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The proposal was offered by Democrats to Republican legislation to fund certain veterans programs, such as pensions and disability payments, during the ongoing closure of much of the government. In part, the Democratic language defeated by this vote sought to open still more offices that serve veterans, such as those that process new disability claims and applications for educational and home-buying assistance.
David Obey, D-Wis., said ``most fundamentally, we (Democrats) think we ought to open all of the services of government'' to veterans.
Bob Livingston, R-La., said the stopgap measure for veterans ``would not have been necessary'' had President Clinton not vetoed the regular appropriations bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A yes vote backed a Democratic bid for broader veterans services during the current government shutdown.
Bateman No Pickett Yes
Scott Yes Sisisky Yes
Clayton Yes Jones No
Welfare: Voting 245 for and 178 against, the House approved the conference report on a GOP ``Contract With America'' bill (HR 4) to dismantle the federal welfare system by sending most public assistance programs to the states along with block grants to help cover their costs (see Senate issue below).
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Bateman Yes Pickett No
Scott No Sisisky No
Clayton No Jones Yes
Book royalties: By a vote of 219 for and 174 against, the House adopted new ethics rules that prohibit its members from accepting advances from publishers but allowing members unlimited book royalties if their contract has been cleared in advance by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (the ethics committee). This was softer language than recommended by the committee (next issue). The underlying measure (H Res 299) stemmed from the bipartisan committee's review of a book deal negotiated by House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
A yes vote supported the new ethics rules for House members' book contracts.
Bateman Yes Pickett No
Scott No Sisisky No
Clayton No Jones Yes
Ethics rules: By a vote of 259 for and 128 against, the House softened a recommendation from its ethics committee on the treatment of members' income from writing books. The vote occurred during debate on H Res 299 (above).
It killed the committee's proposal that book royalties be covered by the $20,040 annual limit on members' outside ``earned'' income. It set no limit on the rationale that royalties are a form of investment income and thus exempted from House restraints on outside income. Supporters noted this interpretation is consistent with ethics rules governing the executive branch.
Dan Burton, R-Ind., said ``every single outside group like Common Cause and Ralph Nader, they raise their eyebrows a little bit and we all start genuflecting. . . . If a person writes a book . . . no big bonus at the front end, but if it's a royalty they get they've earned, they ought to be able to get that. What's corrupt about that? Intellectual property rights ought to be protected by this body.''
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., noted that the ethics committee voted 10-0 to recommend a limit on royalties. She said ``should this body reject the recommendation of the ethics committee, it would be the first time that the House would have done that. The American people . . . expect us to come here and not as 435 free-enterprise, profit-making zones but to do the work for the people.''
A yes vote was to soften the ethics committee's recommended treatment of members' income from book contracts.
Bateman Yes Pickett Yes
Scott No Sisisky Yes
Clayton No Jones Yes
SENATE
Defense budget: By a vote of 51 for and 43 against, the Senate sent to the White House the conference report on a bill (HR 1530) authorizing defense spending of $264.7 billion in fiscal 1996, about $7 billion more than President Clinton requested.
Clinton vowed to veto the bill because, in part, it funds expanded missile defenses in the United States that he said could undercut the 1972 anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty with the former Soviet Union.
A yes vote was to approve the 1996 Pentagon budget.
Robb Yes Warner Yes
Helms Yes Faircloth Yes
Whitewater: Voting 51 for and 45 against, the Senate approved a measure (S Res 199) to seek court enforcement of a subpoena it served on the White House in quest of information relating to the Whitewater affair. The subpoena seeks notes of a November 1993 White House meeting at which Whitewater probes were discussed. President Clinton said the handwritten notes are protected by attorney-client privilege, but after this vote the White House agreed to comply with the subpoena.
Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said ``no one has called for breaching the attorney-client privilege for the president or anybody else. . . . The concern here has to do with whether or not the privilege extends to government lawyers'' advising the president on a non-presidential matter.
Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., said: ``I think it is clear that an attorney-client privilege does apply here. It is one of the oldest privileges for confidential communications known to the law.''
A yes vote was to seek court enforcement of the subpoena.
Robb No Warner Yes
Helms Yes Faircloth Yes
Welfare overhaul: By a vote of 52 for and 47 against, the Senate approved the conference report on legislation (HR 4) ending the entitlement status of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and most other federal welfare programs. The bill would curb projected spending by $58 billion over seven years. It sends the programs to the states along with block grant funding including a stipulation that states require a large portion of their welfare recipients to eventually find work. Critics called the bill too harsh on children, among other objections.
John Kerry, D-Mass., said the bill ``takes away fundamental guarantees on standards in this country with respect to health and safety for child care. In addition to that, it reduces the most important lifeline . . . that those who are required to go work who have children are able to find the proper care for their children. That has been reduced in this bill.''
Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., said, ``We've heard the president many times say, `We're going to end welfare as we know it.' This is an opportunity the president has (to do that). Everybody ought to ask the question, `Does this conference report have the core principles of the needed reforms?' . . . The answer, in my view, is yes . . . we ought to vote for it.''
A yes vote was to approve the welfare overhaul conference report.
Robb No Warner Yes
Helms Yes Faircloth Yes ILLUSTRATION: ROLL CALL: How area members of Congress voted for the week
ending Dec. 22.
[Photos, telephone numbers and addresses of senators and
representatives from Virginia and North Carolina.]
To reach any representative or senator on any issues that concern
you, call (202) 224-3121.
by CNB