THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 27, 1995 TAG: 9503270042
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
Welfare reform: By a vote of 234 to 199, the House passed a bill (HR 4) to dismantle federal welfare by sending six decades' worth of public assistance programs to the states along with block grants to help cover their costs. Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC), school lunches, food stamps and nutrition aid for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are among more than 40 major programs to be transferred.
The bill cuts federal spending by $66 billion over five years, largely through less bureaucracy, a cap on spending growth, state program redesigns and a denial of benefits to legal immigrants who have not become citizens.
In part, the ``Contract With America'' bill allows states to cut off welfare to adults not engaged in work, school or job training; limits any adult to five years on welfare; denies cash payments for children born to unwed mothers younger than 18; and requires adults receiving food stamps to work at least part time. It cracks down on parents who are delinquent on child-support payments.
Bateman Yes Pickett No
Scott No Sisisky No
Clayton No Jones Yes
Democratic plan: Voting 205 to 228, the House rejected a Democratic alternative to the GOP welfare bill (HR 4, above). It kept AFDC as an entitlement program, controlled by Washington but run largely by states with an emphasis on moving individuals to jobs including community service work. Adults were given two years to either find full-time work or lose public assistance. The Democratic plan spent more for education, job training and child care, put tighter controls on food stamp fraud and made welfare less available to teenage mothers. It lacked the GOP bill's massive spending cuts.
Bateman No Pickett Yes
Scott Yes Sisisky Yes
Clayton Yes Jones No
Deadbeat parents: The House adopted, 426 to 5, an amendment to HR 4 (above) requiring states to withhold drivers' or professional licenses - as well as recreational licenses such as for hunting - from parents who fall behind in paying child support.
Bateman Yes Pickett Yes
Scott Yes Sisisky Yes
Clayton Yes Jones Yes SENATE
Line-item veto: By a vote of 69 to 29, the Senate passed a bill (S 4) empowering presidents to veto individual legislative items without killing the overall bill of which they are part. Presidents could kill spending, entitlement and narrowly targeted tax measures they dislike, with their veto standing unless it were overridden by two-thirds majorities in Congress.
The bill breaks fiscal measures into hundreds or thousands of pieces before their submission to the White House, to get around the apparent constitutional requirement that presidents can veto only entire bills. It goes to conference with a House version that takes the simpler approach of sending bills in one piece to the chief executive.
Faircloth Yes Helms Yes
Robb Yes Warner Yes
Democratic plan: By a vote of 62 to 38, the Senate tabled (killed) a Democratic alternative to the GOP's line-item veto bill (S 4, above). The proposal by Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., required Congress to promptly hold a roll call vote on accepting or rejecting a president's decision to kill a spending item. It required only a majority vote to sustain the action. By contrast, the GOP measure, as later passed, enables a minority of senators (one-third plus one) to sustain a line-item veto.
Faircloth Yes Helms Yes
Robb Yes Warner Yes
Judiciary: By a vote of 85 to 15, the Senate tabled (killed) an amendment to exempt the judicial branch from the reach of the presidential line-item veto bill (S 4, above).
Faircloth Yes Helms No
Robb Yes Warner Yes
Copyright Thomas Reports Inc. ILLUSTRATION: ROLL CALL: How area members of Congress voted for the week
wnding March 17.
[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