The House : Gramm-Rudman-Hollings

By a vote of 146 for and 255 against, the House refused to force its committees to recommend the specific program cuts necessary to achieve the $11.7 billion in savings that the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings budget-reduction law requires by March 1.

The vote occurred during debate on a measure (H Res 368) funding House committees during calendar 1986 that later was approved.

Under Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, if Congress and the President fail to agree on cuts needed to meet the law’s series of austerity deadlines, the cuts are imposed automatically on an across-the-board percentage basis through a process called “sequestering.”

Congress apparently will let the first round of Gramm-Rudman-Hollings cuts on March 1 be incurred automatically. Had this motion succeeded, House committees, at least, would have had to take responsibility for the $11.7 billion in fiscal 1986 cuts.

A major criticism of Gramm-Rudman-Hollings is that its automatic trigger frees lawmakers from having to answer to the public for their budget decisions.

Sponsor Robert Walker (R-Pa.) said House members were sent to Washington to legislate, not “to sit on our duffs and wait for ‘sequester’ orders to go into effect.”

Opponent Leon Panetta (R-Monterey) said the committees already have their hands full preparing for the second round of Gramm-Rudman-Hollings cuts, which will take effect soon after fiscal 1987 begins next Oct. 1.

Members voting yes wanted to force committee recommendations on the first round of cuts under the new deficit-reduction law.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Badham (R) x Rep. Dannemeyer (R) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Lungren (R) x Rep. Packard (R) x

Regulating Amusement Rides

An amendment to sidetrack tougher federal regulation of amusement park rides was rejected by the House on a vote of 179 for and 198 against. This occurred during debate on a bill (HR3456) extending the life of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which was later passed and sent to the Senate. The vote left intact a proposal empowering the commission to inspect rides at fixed sites such as Disneyland, in cases where state regulation is inadequate or a malfunctioning ride has caused injury or death. At present the commission can regulate only rides in traveling carnivals.

The defeated amendment called for creating a commission to study the issue.

Members voting no supported federal inspections of fixed-site amusement park rides.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Badham (R) x Rep. Dannemeyer (R) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Lungren (R) x Rep. Packard (R) x

10-Day Recess

By a vote of 208 for and 179 against, the House adopted a resolution (S Con Res 107) in favor of the House and Senate taking a Presidents’ Day recess between last Sunday and next Tuesday.The Senate also approved the measure and the recess, which lawmakers like to call a “district work period,” took effect. Members voting yes favored the 10-day recess.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Badham (R) x Rep. Dannemeyer (R) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Lungren (R) x Rep. Packard (R) x