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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 22, 1993                   TAG: 9304220074
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

SENATE VOTE KILLS CLINTON JOBS BILL

Democrats abandoned their effort to push President Clinton's jobs bill through the Senate on Wednesday, as relentless Republicans saddled the new president with his first major legislative defeat.

After hours of fruitless negotiations between White House officials and Senate Democrats and Republicans, the Senate used a voice vote to approve only the $4 billion that the bill contained for jobless benefits and strip the rest of the money from the legislation.

The move, in effect, killed one of Clinton's major economic initiatives. The Senate measure now goes to the House.

"While the other side is congratulating each other on proving they are a force to be reckoned with, they have only proved that they are the guardians of gridlock," said Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.

Hours earlier, Democrats had lost their fourth attempt to break a filibuster by minority Republicans that had frozen the measure in its tracks in the Senate since last month.

The jobs measure had contained $12.2 billion to restore forests, provide immunizations for children, create summer jobs for students and finance other programs Clinton says would stimulate the economy and put more Americans to work.

Republicans stood firm, arguing that the package would add billions to record federal deficits while doing little to help a $6 trillion economy. Democrats had wanted to finance the measure by borrowing money, which would drive up the budget shortfall.

by CNB