
DATE: Friday, June 6, 1997                  TAG: 9706060672

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

DATELINE: WASHINGTON                        LENGTH:   58 lines

CONGRESS OKS DISASTER AID; CLINTON THREATENS VETO

Courting a veto, the Republican-controlled Congress on Thursday passed an $8.6 billion bill that blends aid for disaster victims with politically charged items that are unacceptable to President Clinton.

Senate passage came on a vote of 67-31. The House followed suit a few moments later on a 220-201 roll call, well shy of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

Even before the measure cleared both houses, White House spokesman Barry Toiv said Clinton would reject it ``as quickly as possible'' and urged lawmakers to pass a replacement measure promptly.

``This bill is going to go down to the White House today,'' taunted Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota. ``And my hope is that the Republicans will keep the car running'' to return it immediately to the Capitol after the veto.

But House Speaker Newt Gingrich, equally acerbic, said Clinton promised on a visit to flood-stricken North Dakota earlier this year he wouldn't play politics with disaster aid and ``he should keep his word'' and sign the measure.

While the disaster relief commands bipartisan support, Republicans attached two provisions opposed by the White House.

One would prevent a government shutdown in fall regardless of whether the White House and Congress reach agreement on regular spending bills. While the measure would continue funding at current levels for another year, Democrats said it would set levels below what is envisioned in the balanced-budget accord the White House and congressional Republicans reached last month.

The second provision would ban the Census Bureau from using sampling techniques to provide a more nearly accurate count of Americans in the 2000 census. Republicans say that approach is of questionable constitutionality, and want to provide census officials with enough money to physically count everyone.

Beyond that, however, Republicans fear that if sampling is used, their majority in the House could be in jeopardy when legislative district lines are redrawn in several states before the 2002 elections. ILLUSTRATION: SENATE VOTE

A ``yes'' vote is a vote to pass the bill.

John W. Warner, R-Va.Yes

Charles S. Robb, D-Va.Yes

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

Lauch Faircloth, R-N.C.No

HOUSE VOTE

A ``yes'' vote is a vote to pass the bill.

Herbert H. Bateman, R-Va.Yes

Owen B. Pickett, D-Va. No

Robert C. Scott, D-Va. No

Norman Sisisky, D-Va. No

Eva Clayton, D-N.C. No