The House

Long-Term Care

By a vote of 169 to 243, the House refused to consider a bill providing federal reimbursement of much of the home-based medical expense faced by disabled persons and the chronically ill aged.

The bill (HR 3436) sought to make the cost of long-term treatment at home largely reimbursable under Medicare, at an estimated cost of $35 billion over five years.

The program was to have been financed by lifting the $45,000 cap on wages subject to the 1.45% Medicare portion of the federal payroll tax. Upper-income taxpayers would have been levied an additional $14.50 for every $1,000 in wages over $45,000.

Sponsor Claude Pepper (D-Fla.) said: “By a tax that will not hurt anybody, 1.45%, we can help millions of people meet crises in their homes that are heart-rending.”

Opponent Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) complained that the sweeping legislation with its major tax increase had not gone through House committee hearings.

Members voting yes wanted to clear long-term care legislation for floor debate.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Bates (D) x Rep. Hunter (R) x Rep. Lowery (R) x Rep. Packard (R) x

Children’s Advertising

By a vote of 328 to 78, the House passed and sent to the Senate a bill requiring the Federal Communications Commission to limit advertising during children’s programming to 10.5minutes per hour on weekends and 12 minutes per hour on weekdays, effective Jan. 1, 1990.

The bill (HR 3966) also encourages FCC license renewal procedures to take into account a station’s commitment to educational and informational programming for children.

Sponsor Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said children’s television “should be nutrition for the mind, not just a junk-food diet to satisfy commercial appetites.”

Opponent Tom Tauke (R-Iowa) said to limit expression by advertisers is “inappropriate, ill advised, inimical to the spirit of the First Amendment.”

Members voting yes wanted to limit TV advertising during children’s programming.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Bates (D) x Rep. Hunter (R) x Rep. Lowery (R) x Rep. Packard (R) x