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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 16, 1995                   TAG: 9503160077
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

STRIKER POLICY SURVIVES CHALLENGE

Faced with an unbeatable Democratic filibuster, Senate Republicans late Wednesday abandoned an effort to block President Clinton's order barring federal contractors from permanently replacing striking workers.

After a weeklong struggle, Majority Leader Bob Dole withdrew the measure without comment. But Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., who sponsored the amendment, said she would bring it back in another form.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who led the Democrats' efforts to keep the filibuster alive and prevent the certain defeat of the Clinton policy by majority Republicans, said they would do so again if necessary.

``President Clinton has a right to issue his executive order, and we intend to defend it in the Senate as often as we have to,'' Kennedy said in a statement.

In a 58-39 vote Wednesday, Republicans fell two short of the 60 needed to force a vote on Kassebaum's amendment. The amendment would have denied money to carry out Clinton's order.

by CNB