The House : Taxes

By a vote of 175 for and 240 against, the House refused to add a ban on higher taxes to legislation setting internal House rules for the 100th Congress. The Republican proposal stood no chance of passage in the Democratic-led House, and was seen as an attempt to make Democrats look bad on the taxation issue. It sought to block any increase in the lower corporate and individual rates set by the 1986 tax reform law.

Supporter Willis Gradison (R-Ohio) said some Democrats had suggested raising taxes to cut the deficit. “The American people . . . were promised tax reform, not higher taxes,” he said.

Opponent Martin Frost (D-Tex.) termed it “the ultimate gimmick” for Republicans to try “to write substantive tax law into the rules of the House.”

Members voting yes wanted House rules to contain a ban on higher taxes.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Beilenson (D) x Rep. Berman (D) x Rep. Gallegly (R) x Rep. Moorhead (R) x Rep. Waxman (D) x

Hunger Committee

By a 312-89 vote, the House approved a resolution (HR 26) extending for another year the life of the Select Committee on Hunger, which was created in 1984 as a “temporary” panel. Lacking legislative authority, the committee seeks to coordinate the anti-hunger efforts of regular House committees.

Critics say the panel, with a budget of more than $500,000 but no power to act on bills, only adds to the Congressional bureaucracy.

Supporter Benjamin A. Gilman (R-N.Y.) said, “This was not intended to be a legislative committee, but to raise the people’s consciousness to the crucial problems that exist.”

Opponent Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach) said there is adequate authority to deal with hunger among the House’s 140 legislative subcommittees.

Members voting yes wanted to keep the hunger panel alive.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Beilenson (D) x Rep. Berman (D) x Rep. Gallegly (R) x Rep. Moorhead (R) x Rep. Waxman (D) x

Clean Water Bill

The House passed 406-8 and sent to the Senate a bill (HR 1) authorizing grants and loans to communities for construction of sewage treatment facilities. The bill would provide $18 billion over eight years for that purpose and fund a variety of other programs, including ones to stop toxic discharges into public waterways from factories and farms.

This was a rebuff to President Reagan, who late last year vetoed virtually the same legislation.

Members voting yes supported the bill.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Beilenson (D) x Rep. Berman (D) x Rep. Gallegly (R) x Rep. Moorhead (R) x Rep. Waxman (D) x