The Nation - News from July 23, 1985

House-Senate negotiators, who already have smoothed out their differences over fiscal 1986 spending for major weapons systems, were severely deadlocked on a measure designed to halt the so-called “revolving door” that permits Pentagon workers to accept lucrative jobs in the defense industry. Conference committee members, who have been meeting in closed sessions for more than a week, said that they were unable to find a compromise between House and Senate versions of a “revolving-door” measure. It was described by some participants as the last major stumbling block to an agreement on a $302.5-billion defense budget for next year. The House-passed version bars Pentagon officials who oversee defense contracts from accepting jobs with contractors under their purview for two years after they leave government. In contrast, the Senate-passed measure simply would require Pentagon officials to remove themselves from overseeing a contractor’s work once they begin discussing employment with that company.