The House - Los Angeles Times

Debt Ceiling Raised By a vote of 269 to 99, the House gave final congressional approval of legislation (HJR 280) raising the public debt limit from $2.8 trillion to $3.12 trillion. The new

ceiling is expected to holduntil October, 1990, when the government likely will need additional borrowing authority to avoid default. The bill also repealed the disputed “Section 89” tax

provision that has kept employers from deducting fringe benefits that are provided only to selected employees. Supporter Bill Archer (R-Tex.) said: “As unpalatable as raising the debt limit

might be, the financial security of the nation must override our reluctance” to do so. No member spoke against the resolution during a brief floor debate. Members voting yes wanted to raise

the public debt ceiling. How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Rohrabacher (R) x Defense Budget Approved By a vote of 236 to 172, the

House approved the conference report on the fiscal 1990 defense budget of $305 billion. The bill (HR 2461) makes 1990 the fifth straight year in which the Pentagon budget, adjusted for

inflation, has declined. The Senate was expected to send the legislation to President Bush. The bill drew an ideological mixture of opponents. Conservatives disliked it because it cut too

deeply into the “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative and ignored many of President Bush’s weapons priorities, while liberals said it kept defense spending too high at a time of improving

relations with the Soviet Union and insoluble budget problems at home. In part, the bill funds construction of two B-2 Stealth bombers at a cost of at least $500 million each, includes

money for both the rail-based Minuteman and truck-borne Midgetman missile systems, requires the Pentagon to purchase against its wishes a number of V-22 Osprey and F-14D aircraft at a cost

of several hundred million dollars, and cuts SDI spending to $3.8 billion or $300 million under the previous year’s level. Members voting yes supported the bill. How They Voted Yea Nay No

vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Rohrabacher (R) x Oil Spill Liability By a vote of 279 to 143, the House adopted an amendment enabling states to set oil

spill liability standards that exceed federal standards. The amendment was attached to a bill (HR 1465) establishing a uniform federal system of liability and compensation for spills in

navigable waters. The bill is a response to last March’s Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska. It was sent to conference with the House. The vote kept HR 1465 from preempting the ability of

states to go beyond federal ceilings set in the bill and impose unlimited liability on oil companies and shippers responsible for spills. Sponsor George Miller (D-Calif.) said his amendment

affirms “a fundamental right of the states” to protect their environments. Opponent John Paul Hammerschmidt (R-Ark.) said federal preemption solves the problem of “a patchwork of overlapping

and conflicting (state) laws which may actually impede prompt payment of justifiable claims.” Members voting yes wanted to preserve state authority to set unlimited oil spill liability

standards. How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Rohrabacher (R) x MORE TO READ