2 VA. LAWMAKERS RANKED TIGHTEST WITH TAX DOLLARS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 3, 1993                   TAG: 9301030150
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO   
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
2 VA. LAWMAKERS RANKED TIGHTEST WITH TAX DOLLARS
Two Virginia lawmakers have been ranked among the most fiscally conservative members of the 102nd Congress by the National Taxpayers' Union Foundation.
A compilation by the anti-tax group showed Rep. Herbert Bateman, R-Newport News, proposing net spending cuts during 1991 and 1992 of $38.37 billion. His recommendations placed him fourth among 439 members of the House of Representatives.
George Allen, R-Charlottesville, who leaves Congress today after serving one year, is ranked fifth with proposed spending cuts of $37.82 billion.
Allen, lumped into a congressional district with Rep. Thomas Bliley, R-Richmond, after redistricting, decided not to seek re-election. He is one of three Republicans seeking the nomination for governor in 1994.
The biggest spender among the Virginia members of Congress was Rep. Jim Olin, D-Roanoke, who is retiring. He proposed a net spending increase of $47.5 billion.
In 1991, the first year of the 102nd Congress, Bateman was the only Virginia congressman to propose net spending cuts.
Bateman's spending cut credentials were enhanced by his co-sponsorship of a federal deficit control act, which was designed to eliminate the federal deficit. This proposed cuts of $40 billion.
Another bill, cutting unemployment benefits for illegal aliens, was designed to save $5.4 billion. Neither of his bills passed.
Allen was co-sponsor in August of a bill to reduce overhead expenses in each domestic agency of the federal government. That bill also did not pass.
During his year in the House, Allen proposed spending increases of $7 billion and spending decreases of $44.8 billion.
All other Virginia representatives proposed net spending increases, as did its senators, Republican John Warner and Democrat Charles Robb.
The conservative taxpayers' union computes spending totals for members of Congress by adding and subtracting the costs of bills lawmakers propose or vote for.
The other proposed spending increases were:

Bliley, $8.2 billion.

James Moran, D-Alexandria, $4.3 billion.

L.F. Payne, D-Nelson County, $9.6 billion.

Owen Pickett, D-Virginia Beach, $12.9 billion.

Frank Wolf, R-Fairfax County, $13.6 billion.

Norman Sisisky, D-Petersburg, $20.5 billion.

Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, $39.8 billion.

Robb, $12.2 billion.

Warner, $29.6 billion.
According to the study, the delegation from Hawaii had the highest totals of proposed new spending in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The lowest totals in the House came from the Colorado delegation and in the Senate from the Idaho delegation.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB