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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 5, 1993                   TAG: 9302050221
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

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FAMILY-LEAVE BILL PASSES

Congress approved a bill Thursday guaranteeing workers up to 12 weeks unpaid leave for family emergencies after shoving aside a Republican effort to link the measure to the military's ban on homosexuals.

The White House scheduled a ceremony for this morning for President Clinton to sign into law his first major bill since taking office.

After three days of debate, the Senate approved the family-leave bill 71-27 after defeating a GOP attempt to bog down the measure with an amendment aimed at codifying the military's gay ban.

Voting in favor were 55 Democrats, including Virginia's Charles Robb; and 16 Republicans. Two Democrats joined 25 Republicans, including Virginia's John Warner, in opposition.

The House, staying late to rush the bill to Clinton, then approved that version by a 247-152 vote.

Among Virginians voting for the bill was Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon. Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and L.F. Payne, D-Nelson County, opposed it.

"It's a down payment for working families," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. "They have an administration and a Congress on their side."

Republicans who opposed the bill, saying it would hurt business, complained that Democrats rammed the bill through.

Clinton had asked Congress to hurry on the measure, which former President Bush vetoed twice.

In addition to granting workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of a child, adoption or family health emergencies, the measures ensures they have the same job, or an equivalent post, when they return.

Companies with fewer than 50 workers are exempt.

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