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October 11, 1999 Vol.1, No. 24 This Week in Washington…
Ban the Bomb? Debate on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty will continue when the Senate returns from its Columbus Day recess (JCPA Memorandum, October 5, 1999). It is expected that Senator Robert Byrd (WV) will offer a motion forcing the Senate to turn to other business, postponing the ratification effort's inevitable defeat. This parliamentary motion requires 51 votes for approval, a more realistic threshold than the 67 votes needed to ratify the treaty. The treaty would, however, be put back on the Senate calendar for later consideration. Treaty opponents suggest that America's nuclear arsenal will degrade over time if the testing of nuclear devices is prohibited and that our deterrent capacity will be compromised. Supporters claim the treaty is critical in order to stop dangerous nuclear proliferation worldwide. The Heat is On: Senate Leadership plans to address the McCain (AZ)/ Feingold (WI) Campaign Finance Reform Legislation this week. Confident in their ability to block the bill, Senate leaders are bringing up the measure to try to prevent its supporters from attaching it to other legislation. Although a similar measure passed in the House last month, vote counters suggest that the measure is at least 7 votes short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster. Meanwhile, Back at the House: Finishing up the Appropriations process will be the focus of House efforts this week, with all eyes on the FY 2000 Labor - HHS and Education Appropriations bill. The $89.9 billion bill is the last, largest and most difficult of all the appropriations bill to be considered. As drafted in Committee, the bill is $1.6 billion below the President's request and is considered veto bait. Missing in President Clinton's proposal to hire 100,000 new teachers and reduce class size. Before it hits the President's desk, it will need to be reconciled with the Senate bill, which spends $4-5 billion more. Look for debate on how to fund the measure without breaking budget caps or tapping into the Social Security surplus. To Markup, To Markup: Wednesday's schedule for the House Education and the Workforce Committee calls for continued work on Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization. Last week, legislators successfully fought back efforts to fund "portable entitlements" that students could take to the public or private schools of their choice. The Committee has yet to consider an amendment which would restore the Women's Education Equity Act, a program that promotes gender equity in schools. Next on the agenda: markup of the "Straight A's" bill (HR 2300) which would let states roll Title I and other programs into block grants to distribute to all types of schools including private schools if legal in a particular state. We Stand Corrected: Although we reported last week to expect a vote on the Older Americans Act, the House leadership pulled legislation reauthorizing the program off the noncontroversial suspension calendar when significant disagreement over the provision concerning senior job programs surfaced. Satellite Participation in White House Conference on Philanthropy: The White House is making participation by satellite available to those who would like to participate in its October 22, 1999 Conference on Philanthropy. The conference will bring together philanthropists to highlight the unique American tradition of charitable giving, discuss the diverse and changing face of philanthropy, and explore how to preserve and expand this tradition for future generations. For further details on participating, contact Michael Grantham at the White House Millennium Council, 202-395-7112. This Week in New York…
Last Call: Task Force, Board of Directors and New CRC Professionals Orientation: It isn't too late to make plans to attend the October JCPA meetings, scheduled for Sunday, October 17 - Monday October 18 in New York City. Hotel blocs are being held through October 15th. For more information, contact hluftig@thejcpa.org. Plenum 2000 Plans: The brochures are out, and interest is growing in Plenum 2000. Mark your calendars for February 26 - March 1 in Baltimore!
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