Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 14:26:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Larry <[l j k] at [access.digex.net]> Subject: Congressional Report 9/1/93 Congressional Report 9/1/93 Issue 6 PRO-NAFTA CAMPAIGN BEGINS, BUT SUPPORTERS FACE UPHILL FIGHT IN HOUSE. President Clinton and NAFTA supporters in the House and Senate have begun to fight back against the anti-NAFTA campaign launched by Ross Perot, organized labor, and some environmental groups. However, they face a daunting task in the House of Represent atives where key members of the Democratic leadership are opposing the deal. House Majority Whip David Bonior, the #3 man in the House, has announced his outright opposition to NAFTA and has stated that he will use the full power of his office to kill it. House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, the #2 man, has also stated he is opposed to the treaty (although the White House believes they may be able to work out a compromise with him to gain his support). Only House Speaker Tom Foley appears to support the trade agreement, but his support has only been lukewarm. Columnist David Broder draws a parallel between this deep rift in the Democratic party and the bitter divisions among Democrats in 1968. "To the best of my recollection, there has never been such a high level rebellion in the House Democratic Leadership against a major policy of a Democratic president since Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill Jr. of Massachussetts, who was climbing the rungs towards the Speaker's chair, broke publicly with Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War." (Washington Post, 8/31). The Clinton Administration has acknowledged that they are currently short on votes. They claim that they have 140 GOP votes and 60 Democratic votes, leaving NAFTA 18 votes short. Other analysts put the vote deficit between 20 and 30. Majority Whip David Bonior, considered one of the best vote-counters in the House said "The fact of the matter is that up to two-thirds to maybe 75 percent of the Democratic Caucus in the House is opposed to this treaty." [Currently, there are 258 Democrats and 175 Republicans in the House. If Bonior's prediction is correct, betwenn 65 to 88 Democrats may vote for NAFTA.] Chances of passage look better in the Senate, where Minority Leader Bob Dole has stated that 34 or 35 of the 44 Republicans will probably support the trade pact. That means only 15 or 16 of the 56 Democrats will be needed. Dole, on CNN's "Newsmaker Sunday" suggested that the President push for the pact to be taken up by the Senate first in order to build momentum for the more difficult House vote. Look for hearings on NAFTA to begin in Congress the week of September 13th. Under "fast-track" rules, Congress has 90 days after the resolution of approval is introduced to vote on it. HOUSE-SENATE ANIMOSITY STILL HIGH AFTER BUDGET DEAL Although there has been a historic rivalry between the House and Senate, relations between the two chambers are especially low in the wake of the contentious passage of President Clinton's budget. "The House hates the Senate right now, that's pretty obvious," declared Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). According to the Washington Times (8/30), House Democrats were "furious that they had to walk the plank on a BTU energy tax, only to have their Senate counterparts step in like white knights and remove the unpopular levy from the bill." Both chambers are accusing each other of political cowardice: House members claim that many Senators are not up for re-election in 1994 and therefore can take more risky political stands; Senators claim that House members know their constituents better and do not run the risk of being "defined" by one vote. NEA HIT BY CONSERVATIVES Continuing their ongoing battle with the National Endowment for the Arts, conservatives are launching a new offensive against the NEA for awarding a grant for homosexual film festivals in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and New York. Citing such film entries a s "How to Have a Sex Party" and "Age 12: Love with a Little L", the coalition of conservative activists is hoping to have an impact on the appropriation bill which funds the NEA (currently pending before Congress) and on the Senate's confirmation hearings for Jane Alexander, nominated to be the NEA's new chairman. The reaction from the NEA and the arts community was muted. "The conservatives don't frighten me, because there has been such a constant din. It is something we accept having to go up against in order to do something close to our hearts," said Daniel Schott, president of the organization sponsoring the Pittsburgh film festival. DOLE MAY SUPPORT SIN TAXES TO FINANCE HEALTH CARE REFORM Bob Dole announced his willingness to consider raising sin taxes to finance President Clinton's upcoming health care reform proposals, but said he prefers to finance it with cuts to existing programs. On CNN's "Newsmaker Sunday" (8/30), Dole said "Well, I'm not interested in taxes, but it seems to me we can't say, 'Well, never are you going to touch the so-called sin taxes.'" Dole went on to say that the government could save upwards of $20 billion by eliminating Medicare Plan B subsidies to "billionaires and millionaires." NEW MINORITY PAC SET UP, PATTERNED AFTER EMILY'S LIST America's Fund, a fund-raising network for minority candidates, was recently set up in Washington D.C. and has patterned itself after EMILY's list. Like EMILY's list (a highly successful political action committee (PAC) for Democratic women who support abortion rights), America's Fund asks members to contribute $100 to the PAC and agree to send $100 to two endorsed candidates every two year election cycle. According to Michael Brown, the political director of America's Fund, the new PAC will endorse black, Hispanic and Asian candidates who support infrastructure issues, gun control, universal health care, and urban aid. *************************************************************** ** ** ** Remember, Congress is out of session until 9/7, thus no ** ** voting records until then. ** ** ** *************************************************************** *************************************************************** ** There is no charge for this publication. 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