NATION : Debate Cap Put on Rights Bill
Civil rights forces scored a victory today when the Senate voted to impose a 30-hour limit on debate on a bill designed to combat discrimination in the workplace.
Senators voted 62 to 38 to limit debate and avert a filibuster by critics, who say the bill would result in the widespread use of hiring quotas by American companies.
“We can talk and talk indefinitely or we can act,” said Sen. James M. Jeffords (R-Vt.), urging prompt action on the measure.
Senators critical of the measure, however, took to the floor before the vote and scorned the effort to speed up action.
They said additional time to debate was needed to purge the legislation of provisions that they said would not only lead to quotas but also impose an array of other hardships on employers.
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