THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 24, 1995 TAG: 9507240036
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 161 lines
Tobacco: The House refused, 199 for and 223 against, to reduce federal backing of tobacco growers. The vote occurred during debate on a fiscal 1996 appropriations bill (HR 1976) for the Department of Agriculture that awaited final passage. This amendment sought to eliminate taxpayer subsidies of tobacco crop insurance and to prevent USDA county agents from advising tobacco growers.
Sponsor Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said he wanted the government ``out of the tobacco business'' because ``tobacco is the only subsidized crop by the federal government which, when used according to manufacturers' directions, will kill us.''
Opponent Bill Hefner, D-N.C., said the amendment is ``not going to ``stop one individual . . . from smoking'' but would harm the ``small farmer that is up to his ears in debt . . . has obligated his farm and . . . is trying to make it from year to year.''
A yes vote was to reduce federal support of tobacco.
Bateman No Pickett No
Scott No Sisisky No
Clayton No Jones No
Mexico: The House adopted, 245 for and 183 against, an amendment to stop the Treasury Department's use of an emergency currency fund to bolster the Mexican economy. Since February, the administration has tapped the Exchange Stabilization Fund for $12.5 billion in loans to help Mexico meet short-term obligations. It plans to release an additional $7.5 billion from the fund. This was Congress's first vote on using taxpayers' money to rescue Mexico from its recent economic collapse.
Sponsor Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., said the amendment was ``not about the wisdom or folly'' of the bailout but about the role of Congress. He called it ``absurd that we have dozens and dozens of votes for small appropriations but no vote for a $20 billion appropriation which puts at risk so much of our taxpayers' money.''
Opponent Jim Leach, R-Iowa, likened the measure to ``a vote of no confidence'' against President Clinton, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. He said the bailout ``looks, at this point, as if it was well-merited and as if it is going to produce a profit'' for America.
A yes vote was to cut off U.S. taxpayer-backed credit to Mexico after Sept. 30.
Bateman No Pickett No
Scott No Sisisky No
Clayton No Jones Yes
Abortion: The House refused, 188 for and 235 against, to include abortion coverage in the health insurance program that covers more than 1 million female civil service workers and their dependents. The effect of this vote was to repeal existing law that allows private policies that constitute the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to pay for abortions. Federal health insurance premiums are heavily subsidized by taxpayers as an employee benefit. This vote occurred as the House sent the Senate an appropriations bill (HR 2020) for the Treasury Department and other agencies.
Supporter Lynn Rivers, D-Mich., said ``the question here today is whether or not we will take away a perfectly legal and constitutionally protected choice for 1 million women simply because they work for the federal government.''
Opponent Linda Smith, R-Wash., said the issue was not ``the woman's right to choose,'' because ``these folks can still use their adequate public salaries to buy this procedure from any doctor who will perform it.''
A yes vote was to continue abortion coverage in federal health insurance.
Bateman No Pickett Yes
Scott Yes Sisisky Yes
Clayton Yes Jones No Senate
Set-asides: Voting 36 for and 61 against, the Senate rejected an amendment to prohibit the awarding of federal contracts on the basis of race, gender, color or national origin. The amendment to ban set-asides was offered by Phil Gramm, R-Texas, to a legislative branch appropriations bill (HR 1854) that was later passed on a non-record vote. It affected only that bill.
Gramm said that under his amendment, ``if any contractor in America wants to bid for a government job, they have as a good a chance to get that contract as anybody else. They have a chance to be judged on their merit. . . . To do it any other way is totally and absolutely unfair.''
Opponent William Cohen, R-Maine, said: ``Why have we had set-asides? It is because blacks and other minorities have been frozen out and women have been locked out of opportunities. We have had 200 years-plus of this discrimination, but only 30 years of trying to overcome that.''
A yes was to ban set-asides from the fiscal 1996 legislative branch budget.
Warner Yes Robb No
Helms Yes Faircloth No vote
Journalists: Voting 60 for and 39 against, the Senate called upon Capitol Hill journalists to disclose the sources and amounts of their income, including any fees from speeches to organizations that deal with Congress. Network correspondents and other high-profile reporters have drawn fire for accepting large speaking fees from interest groups while airing stories about lawmakers' ethics. This non-binding vote occurred during debate on HR 1854 (above). It was seen as a step toward hearings on whether lawmakers should require those who report on them to make financial disclosures as a condition of receiving access to cover Congress.
Sponsor Robert Byrd, D-W.Va, said: ``There are members of both (journalism and politics) who have behaved unethically in the past and thus have tainted all of us. . . . Many members of the press (say) that as private citizens they should not be subjected to this type of scrutiny. Though they are not elected officials, in reality they do retain a great deal of influence, massive influence, within the political process. . . . There is as much need for the press to be made accountable to the public as there is for public officials to be made accountable to the public.''
No senator spoke against the measure.
A yes vote supported financial disclosures by Capitol Hill journalists.
Warner Yes Robb Yes
Helms No vote Faircloth Yes
Regulations: Voting 48 for and 52 against, the Senate rejected the more moderate of two regulatory reform measures. The measure was a mainly Democratic substitute for a sweeping Republican bill (S 343, below). It differed from the GOP measure mainly by providing fewer avenues for judicial review of regulations and subjecting only major rules to new cost-benefit and risk-analysis tests. Also, it made it easier for agencies to retain existing health, safety and environmental rules and was less open to petitions that could ensnarl agency rule-making.
Supporter Carl Levin, D-Mich., said: ``We need regulatory reform. We must have cost-benefit analysis. We need risk assessment. But we also need to (protect) in a sensible way the environment and the health and the safety'' of citizens.
Opponent William Roth, R-Del., said: ``Regulation in itself is not bad. The problem is that the huge regulatory enterprise . . . is posing a real and dangerous threat to our future. What we are looking for is balance.''
A yes vote supported less-extensive regulatory reform.
Warner No Robb Yes
Helms No Faircloth No
To shelve bill: The Senate failed to end a Democrat-led filibuster against a Republican bill (S 343) to curb federal regulations. This prompted Majority Leader Robert Dole, R-Kan., to shelve the bill. The tally of 58 for and 42 against fell short of the three-fifths majority needed to move the bill to final passage. In part, the measure requires that new health, safety and environmental rules costing the economy at least $100 million be subjected to scientific cost-benefit and risk-assessment analyses.
Supporter Bennett Johnston, D-La., said: ``I hope my colleagues will bring this debate to an end . . . so we can pass a bill.''
Opponent John Glenn, D-Ohio, said the Republican bill was ``not in the best interests of the American people.''
A yes vote was to advance the GOP regulations bill.
Warner Yes Robb No
Helms Yes Faircloth Yes ILLUSTRATION: ROLL CALL: How area members of Congress voted for the week
ending July 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