THE HOUSE

Transmittable Diseases

By a vote of 199 to 187, the House adopted an amendment permitting employers to switch workers with transmittable diseases such as AIDS from food-handling positions to other jobs atno loss of pay. This occurred as the House debated legislation (HR 2273) to protect the estimated 43 million disabled Americans against discrimination in public accommodations, on the job and in receiving basic services. The Americans With Disabilities Act remained in debate.

Amendment supporter Charlie Rose (D-N.C.) said, “Don’t ask me to risk the health of myself and my family in order to prove how unprejudiced I am about communicable diseases.”

J. Roy Rowland (D-Ga.) said there is no medical evidence of AIDS being spread by food, adding, “We should not here in the Congress be making decisions about what are infectious and contagious diseases.”

A yes vote supported the amendment.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x

Cost to Employers

By a vote of 187 to 213, the House rejected an amendment to limit the cost to businesses of accommodating disabled workers under the Americans With Disabilities Act (above). The cost of providing for a handicapped employee was to have been capped at 10% of the pay for the job in question.

Supporter Bill McCollum (R-Fla.) said, “This is the small-business amendment in this legislation.” Opponent Bruce A. Morrison (D-Conn.) said, “Arbitrary formula limits are not what this legislation is about.”

A yes vote was to cap the bill’s cost to employers.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x