                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994                  TAG: 9407170035
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Long  :  122 lines

CONGRESSIONAL ROLL CALL

Here's how area members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending July 15.

HOUSE

HUNTING: The House voted 239 for and 183 against to allow continued hunting on 1.5 million acres of the East Mojave Desert. Backed by the National Rifle Association and opposed by the Humane Society, the amendment was attached to a bill (HR 518) putting several million acres of California desert off limits to commercial and recreational use. The overall bill designated the East Mojave a national park where hunting would be forbidden. But this vote declared the acreage a national preserve where hunting would be permitted.

A yes vote supported continued hunting in the East Mojave Desert.

Herbert H. Bateman, R-Va. Yes

Owen B. Pickett, D-Va. Yes

Robert A. Scott, D-Va. No

Norman Sisisky, D-Va. Yes

Eva Clayton, D-N.C. No

H. Martin Lancaster, D-N.C. Yes

SPENDING ISSUE: By a vote of 298 for and 121 against, the House strengthened the power of a president to kill individual tax breaks or line-item spending approved by Congress. This vote adopted a measure that was opposed by the Democratic leadership. Conservatives hailed it as an anti-deficit tool comparable to the ``line-item veto'' they have sought. But detractors called it a substitute for congressional discipline that concedes too much power to the executive branch. The bill (HR 4600) containing the new weapon against the deficit was sent to the Senate.

The measure requires Capitol Hill action on presidential requests that Congress rescind certain spending items or tax benefits. Record votes would show where lawmakers stand on presidential recommendations that Congress eliminate, for example, pork barrel items or tax loopholes. Under current law, lawmakers can sink a presidential ``rescission'' package by simply ignoring it, with their stands never recorded.

A yes vote supported the measure.

Bateman Yes

Pickett Yes

Scott No

Sisisky Yes

Clayton No

Lancaster Yes

D.C. BUDGET: By a vote of 213 for and 210 against, the House sent the Senate a $3.68 billion District of Columbia budget for fiscal year 1995, about 20 percent of which is supplied by the U.S. Treasury. The bill (HR 4649) requires D.C. officials to make $150 million in spending cuts, in response to a General Accounting Office finding that the city's deficit is out of control, mainly because of excessive payroll and pension obligations.

A yes vote was to pass the D.C. appropriations bill.

Bateman Yes

Pickett No

Scott Yes

Sisisky Yes

Clayton Yes

Lancaster No

DOMESTIC PARTNERS: By a vote of 251 for and 176 against, the House removed funding for the District of Columbia's ``domestic partners'' law from the city's fiscal year 1995 budget (HR 4649; above). This blocked the D.C. law that enables unmarried partners of city employees to receive taxpayer-funded health insurance benefits just as spouses receive the coverage.

Supporter Robert Dornan, R-Calif., said: ``No jurisdictional unit in these here United States . . . recognizes same-sex couples as married. Protections favoring marriage are built into the law and our culture because of the central importance of the family unit as the building block of civilization.''

Opponent Elizabeth Norton, D-D.C., said: ``Dozens of jurisdictions have domestic partnership laws, and some of my colleagues come from districts that have them. All that I ask of members is that they show respect for my constituents and their democratically chosen choices.''

A yes vote was to block D.C.'s domestic partners law.

Bateman Yes

Pickett Yes

Scott No

Sisisky Yes

Clayton No

Lancaster Yes

SENATE

STRIKER REPLACEMENT: By a vote of 53 for and 47 against, the Senate failed to achieve the super-majority required to break a filibuster against a ``striker replacement'' bill (S 55) sought by labor. This apparently killed the legislation, which would have made it illegal for employers to permanently replace workers on strike for economic reasons.

A yes vote was to move toward passage of the bill.

John W. Warner, R-Va. No

Charles S. Robb, D-Va. Yes

Jesse A. Helms, R-N.C. No

Lauch Faircloth, R-N.C. No

AID TO CHINA: The Senate adopted, 60 for and 38 against, an amendment stripping the fiscal year 1995 foreign aid appropriations bill of $600,000 for training mainland Chinese in the basics of democracy and parliamentary procedure. The training would be provided by the National Endowment for Democracy, an arm of the U.S. government. The $13 billion foreign aid bill (HR 4426) remained in debate.

A yes vote was to remove money for promoting democracy in China from the bill.

Warner Yes

Robb Yes

Helms Yes

Faircloth No