
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994                    TAG: 9406120036 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A15    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: WASHINGTON 
DATELINE: 940612                                 LENGTH: Long

CONGRESSIONAL ROLL CALL

{LEAD} Here's how area House members were recorded on major roll call votes in the week ending June 10.

Post office probe: In a 399-2 vote, the House approved a measure (H Res 450) to publicly release the files of an internal investigation into alleged criminality at the House Post Office. U.S. Attorney Eric Holder no longer objects to the release now that he has secured an indictment of Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., a figure in the post office scandal that erupted two years ago.

{REST} The material, which includes the testimony of dozens of witnesses, was gathered by a House task force as a preliminary step toward a possible Ethics Committee investigation into reports of misconduct such as drug sales and embezzlement at the post office.

Supporter Scott Klug, R-Wis., said: ``Today we are finally going to open up our files and let the American public know what an absolute open sewer the House Post Office operation really was. Its shoddy, embarrassing operation . . . has already led to the indictment of nine employees of the House of Representatives and guilty pleas'' plus the Rostenkowski indictment.

Opponent Al Swift, D-Wash., said that because witnesses had been promised anonymity, ``we will break our word to some of those in this institution least able to object and protect themselves. We will do it for high-sounding reasons, or ruthless political advantage, or craven political cowardice, take your pick. But when we do it, make no mistake, we will dishonor ourselves and this grand institution.''

A yes vote was to release post office investigation files.

Herbert H. Bateman, R-Va. Yes

Owen B. Pickett, D-Va. Yes

Robert A. Scott, D-Va. Yes

Norman Sisisky, D-Va. Yes

Eva Clayton, D-N.C. Yes

H. Martin Lancaster, D-N.C. Yes

Defense budget: By a vote of 260 for and 158 against, the House passed a fiscal year '95 defense budget of $262.7 billion, up slightly over military spending in the current fiscal year. The bill (HR 4301) was sent to the Senate.

The legislation provides $3.7 billion for building the Navy a CVN-76 nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and $2.7 billion for strengthening theater-based defenses against incoming missiles, among other major weapons purchases. It funds a 2.6 percent military pay raise for active duty and reserve personnel, reduces active-duty strength by 86,000 slots to 1.5 million and reduces reserve ceilings slightly to 987,000 positions.

It authorizes a $300 million U.S. contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations, $11.1 billion for environmental cleanup at military bases and $3.6 billion to help defense-dependent industries and communities convert to a civilian economy, among thousands of other provisions.

Supporter Earl Hutto, D-Fla., called the bill adequate ``to meet more frequent and diverse challenges in the protection of freedom around the globe . . . (and) ensure that our forces have what they need to meet any adversary safely and effectively.''

Opponent Floyd Spence, R-S.C., said: ``Despite the violence, turmoil and instability that characterize the post-Cold War world, President Clinton continues to call for the deepest defense spending reductions since (after) World War II.''

A yes vote was to pass the FY `95 defense authorization bill.

Bateman Yes

Pickett Yes

Scott Yes

Sisisky Yes

Clayton Did not vote

Lancaster Yes

Bosnia: By a vote of 244 for and 178 against, the House adopted an amendment to HR 4301 (above) authorizing President Clinton to send up to $200 million in arms to Bosnian Muslims. To do so, he would have to disobey the United Nations ban on arming the former Yugoslavia, an embargo the administration has supported. The Senate has called upon the administration to begin arming the outgunned Muslim militia in its war against Serbs and Croats.

Supporter Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said: ``Let us say that America is going to at least allow Bosnia to defend itself. Let us take that small step, not the deploying of American troops . . . but at least this small, moral step.''

Opponent Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., said: ``If we arm the Muslims, the Bosnian government, the Serbs will move quickly to crush the Muslims before they can receive the weapons. No one disagrees with that point.''

A yes vote was to send U.S. arms immediately to Bosnian Muslims.

Bateman No

Pickett Yes

Scott No

Sisisky No

Clayton Yes

Lancaster Yes

U.N. Command: By a vote of 185 for and 237 against, the House rejected a motion to limit United Nations command of U.S. forces, as was the case in Somalia, for example. The motion to HR 4301 (above) sought to require the president and Congress to agree case-by-case that it is in the national interest to relinquish sovereign control of U.S. troops.

Minority leader Bob Michel, R-Ill., said Americans die in the service of the United States, not some other authority. ``This is not just a semantic difference. It is the difference between clear principles of American interest and values and vague rhetoric about multilateralism.''

Opponent Ron Dellums, D-Calif., said the issue needs further study by the Armed Services Committee. ``We are in a post-Cold War environment . . . there are no post-Cold War experts. We are all bumping our heads against a new reality.''

A yes vote was to limit a president's power to put GIs under U.N. command.

Bateman Yes

Pickett No

Scott No

Sisisky No

Clayton No

Lancaster No

AIDS: The House adopted, 227 for and 192 against, an amendment giving the military, not Congress, authority to determine whether to discharge those in uniform who test positive for AIDS or have some other serious but not yet debilitating illness. The amendment continues the autonomy of each service to retain individuals who are still judged fit for duty despite their ailment. The vote headed off Armed Services Committee language in HR 4301 (above) to virtually require the discharge of AIDS-infected service personnel.

Supporter Martin Meehan, D-Mass., said: ``I never thought anyone would go so far as to penalize victims of diabetes, cancer and other illnesses in order to evict HIV-positive personnel from the military.''

Opponent Randy Cunningham, R-Calif., said: ``We do not need HIV-positive in our military.''

A yes vote supported a more discretionary policy toward military personnel who have the AIDS virus.

Bateman No

Pickett No

Scott Did not vote

Sisisky No

Clayton Yes

Lancaster No

by CNB