Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1993 21:58:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Larry <[l j k] at [access.digex.net]> Subject: Congressional Report ************************************************************************ ** ** ** Thanks to everyone who responded to my post regarding this report. ** ** This is the first publication of what I hope will be a bi-weekly ** ** production (finances and time permitting). There is no charge for ** ** subscription to this mailing list at the present time. However, I ** ** may need charge a few dollars a month in the future if the costs ** ** exceed my ability to subsidize this publication. (The cost of sub- ** ** scribing to the neccesary information sources is well over $10,000 ** ** per year) Let me know what you think of this first issue -- what ** ** information you find most useful and what kinds of information you ** ** could use in future issues. I'll do my best to incorporate your ** ** suggestions. ** ** ** ************************************************************************ CLINTON'S BUDGET PASSES HOUSE & SENATE President Clinton's budget squeaked through the House and Senate last week by the slimmest of margins. On August 5, the House passed the Budget Reconciliation conference report by a vote of 218-216 (sharp-eyed readers, the missing vote is that of Rep. Paul Henry, Republican from Michigan, who died on July 31. See following story). Tension ran high on the House floor as Democratic leaders sought to persuade wavering Democrats to vote in favor of passage. In the end, Democrats Pat Williams of Montana and Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky of Pennsylvania cast the deciding votes for the Clinton budget. Mezvinsky's vote was particularly suprising because she had voted against the original budget package which passed the House earlier this year. Additionally, newspapers in her heavily Republican district had quoted her as saying she would definitely oppose the package. Passage of the conference report was equally difficult in the Senate where Vice President Gore was forced to cast the tie-breaking vote after 50 Senators voted in favor of the package and 50 Senators voted against it. Earlier in the week, it appeared that passage in the Senate was assured when Senator DeConcini (D-AZ) promised to vote in favor of the package although he had voted against it previously. But on Thursday, Senator Kerrey (D-NE), who had challenged Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992 told the White House he would vote against the plan. Just hours before the vote, Kerrey agreed to support the package because "I could not and should not cast the vote that brings down your presidency", and "I do not trust what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle (the Republican Senators) will do if I say no". President Clinton celebrated the narrow victory, saying "What we heard tonight...was the sound of gridlock breaking" and jokingly thanked V.P. Gore for "his unwavering contribution to the landslide." HOUSE BUDGET VOTE Voting Yes -- 217 Democrats 0 Republicans 1 Independent Voting No -- 41 Democrats 175 Republicans Democrats who voted NO AL - Browder AZ - Coppersmith AK - Thornton CA - Condit, Dooley, Lehman FL - Hutto GA - Deal, Rowland IL - Lipinski IN - Long, Roemer KY - Baesler LA - Hayes, Tauzin MN - Minge, Peterson MI - Montgomery, Parker, Taylor MO - Danner NH - Swett NJ - Andrews, Klein, Pallone OH - Mann, Traficant OK - Brewster, English, McCurdy TN - Clement, Lloyd TX - Chapman, Edwards, Geren, Hall, Laughlin, Stenholm UT - Orton VA - Pickett WA - Inslee SENATE BUDGET VOTE Voting Yes -- 50 Democrats 0 Republicans Voting No -- 6 Democrats 44 Republicans Democrats voting NO AL - Shelby GA - Nunn LA - Johnston NV - Bryan NJ - Lautenberg OK - Boren BUDGET VOTE FALLOUT Rep. Tim Penny (D-MN) suprised many the day after the House budget vote by announcing he would not run for re-election in 1994. Penny, known as a deficit "hawk" made his announcement on the floor of the House, commenting that "the deficit-reduction program just adopted by the House, though certainly controversial, is far short of the plan I envisioned and well short of what is needed to balance the budget and restore economic growth." Congressional Quarterly reports that Penny will work in the private sector after his retirement and stay active with the Concord Coalition, an anti-deficit group. Some House Democrats are talking about removing committee chairmen who voted against the president's budget. Sonny Montgomery, head of the House Veteran's Affairs Committee, is the only full committee chair who bucked the party, along with thirteen subcommittee chairs. Roll Call reports that Montgomery is considered an extremely vulnerable chairman after fighting off a stiff challene from Rep. Lane Evans last December. Montgomery, a conservative Democrat from Mississippi, has frequently been at odds with more liberal Democrats who dominate the House Democratic Caucus. The Washington Post reports that female and freshman Democrats are complaining heavily about "being leaned on too heavily and having to bear a disproportionate burden for the victory". Rep. Nita Lowey observed that "Even women from the most marginal districts stood up to the plate and supported the president." Case in point, Rep. Ray Thornton, a Democrat from Clinton's home state of Arkansas who was elected with over 70% of the vote in 1992 refused to vote for the package. Rep Margolies-Mezvinsky, a freshman who was elected by only 1,373 votes in a largely Republican district was heavily pressured to vote in favor of the package. OTHER CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS Highlights of House actions for the week of August 1-7: HR 2535, (Persian Gulf Health Care) was passed by a vote of 411-0. The bill provides priority health care to Gulf War Veterans exposed to toxic substances. HR 2330 (Intelligence Authorization Act) was passed 400-28. The bill authorizes a classified amount of money for intellegence agencies and operations. HR 2010 (National Service) conference report was approved by a vote of 275-152. The bill provides educational grants to people 17 and up in return for community service. Highlights of Senate actions for the week of August 1-7: HR 2010 (National Service Act) was passed by a vote of 58-41. The bill provides educational grants to people 17 and up in return for community service. HR 2403 (Treasury & Postal Service Appropriations) was passed 73-27. The bill appropriates $22 billion for the Treasury Departent, Postal Service, Office of the President, and specified independent agencies. EXECUTIVE BRANCH NOMINATIONS: The Senate confirmed Thomas Payzant for Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education by a vote of 72-27. Payzant was opposed by conservative Senators for his actions as the former school superintendent in San Diego. In that capacity, Payzant had denied Boy Scouts from conducting a special program during school hours because the organization discriminates against homosexuals. The Senate also confirmed Sheldon Hackney to head the National Endowment for the Humanities by a vote of 76-23. Hackney overcame accusations that he supported "political correctness" based on actions he took as President of the University of Pennsylvania. The Senate postponed the vote on Joycelyn Elders for the position of Surgeon General until after the August recess. Although it appears likely that Elders will eventually be approved, her liberal views on social issues stirred deep animosity among conservative Senators who forced the delay on the vote. Congressional Quarterly reports that "seven Republicans had spoken in favor of her, and most, if not all, of the Senate's 56 Democrats were expected to back her". OTHER NEWS On July 31, Rep. Paul Henry, Republican from Michigan, died of brain cancer. Henry was first elected to the House in 1984 and was considered somewhat of a maverick. A special election will probably be called to fill his seat soon and it is highly likely that a Republican will win in this conservative district. An Arkansas Circuit Court Judge, Chris Piazza, ruled that Arkansas recently approved term limits measure was unconstitutional. Congressional Quarterly reports that this is the first time that a court has ruled against a term-limit initiative. The article states that Judge Piazza ruled against the measure because it "added a fourth qualification for congressional membership beyond those specified in the Constitution." Term-limit supporters will appeal. Bob Dole's 1988 presidential campaign was fined $100,000 for violations of Federal Elections Commission rules. The fines were primarily for overspending in Iowa and New Hampshire, and for accepting money from individuals and corporations who were ineligible to give. Both the House and Senate will be in recess until after Labor Day.