DATE: Monday, September 15, 1997            TAG: 9709150041

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   86 lines

ROLL CALL

WASHINGTON - Here's how area members of Congress were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending Sept. 12.

House

Needle exchange: By a vote of 266 for and 158 against, the House toughened an existing ban on federal funding of needle exchanges for drug users. This occurred during debate on a fiscal 1998 budget bill for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other agencies (HR 2264). The ban now can be waived if the HHS secretary concludes that a particular needle exchange program would curb the spread of AIDS without increasing illegal drug use. This amendment took away the secretary's discretion to allow exchanges on a case-by-case basis at drug treatment clinics.

A yes vote was to toughen a ban on federal funding of needle exchange programs.

Bateman Yes Pickett No

Scott No Sisisky Yes

Clayton No Jones Yes

AIDS drugs: Voting 141 for and 282 against, the House refused to spend an additional $35 million next fiscal year on a program that provides AIDS-fighting drugs to HIV-positive individuals who are poor and lack medical insurance for buying the medicine. The $35 million was to have been offset primarily by cuts in refugee assistance and overhead at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The amendment was offered to a fiscal 1998 appropriations bill (HR 2264) for HHS that already contained $299 million for AIDS drugs. The bill remained in debate.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Bateman No Pickett No

Scott No Sisisky No

Clayton No Jones Yes Senate

Tobacco tax credit: Voting 95 for and three against, senators eliminated a $50 billion tax credit that was granted to tobacco companies as a little-publicized part of the 1997 balanced budget agreement. The repeal was attached to a 1998 appropriations bill (S 1061) for the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies, a measure later passed by the Senate.

The credit is designed to offset approximately $50 billion in new cigarette taxes that the balanced budget measure would generate over 25 years. It would help the companies meet their commitment to pay $369 billion to settle class-action lawsuits brought by dozens of state attorneys general. This amendment also put a cap of $250 per hour, and $5 million per state, on fees paid to plaintiffs' attorneys in future class-action suits against tobacco companies, with excess fees going to children's health research.

A yes vote was to repeal $50 billion in tax credits for tobacco companies.

Robb Yes Warner Yes

Helms No Faircloth No

National testing: Voting 87 for and 13 against, the Senate approved an administration plan to begin standardized, nationwide testing of math and reading skills by an independent federal agency. The amendment was added to S 1061 (above). It authorizes the National Assessment Governing Board to administer annual testing of fourth-graders in reading and eighth-graders in math. The exam would be based on tests now administered by the National Assessment of Education Progress.

Participation by school districts and students would be voluntary.

A yes vote supported national reading and math exams.

Robb Yes Warner Yes

Helms No Faircloth Yes

Education: Voting 49 for and 51 against, the Senate failed to table (kill) a plan to begin block grant funding of federal programs for K-12 education. The vote included the sweeping policy change in a 1998 funding bill for the Department of Education and other agencies (S 1061, above).

The change would affect about $12 billion that the department provides to local school districts through programs carrying requirements for spending the money.

Block grant funding would give local districts wide leeway to spend the money as they see fit, undercutting the federal role in K-12 education.

A yes vote opposed switching to block grant funding of K-12 education programs.

Robb Yes Warner No

Helms No Faircloth No ILLUSTRATION: Photos KEYWORDS: U.S. CONGRESS U.S. SENATE ISSUES VOTE

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