THE HOUSE : Civil Rights Bill

L.A. Times Archives

Oct. 28, 1990 12 AM PT

By a vote of 273 to 154, the House approved the conference report on a bill (S 2104) making it easier for minorities, women and others to seek redress in the courts against job discrimination. President Bush, who was opposed to the bill because it could lead employers to adopt personnel quotas, vetoed it Monday. Reversing Supreme Court decisions of recent years, the bill shifts to employers the burden of showing challenged personnel decisions were made out of business necessity rather than bias. Another key provision enables plaintiffs to collect punitive as well as compensatory damages if they win their suit.

Supporter Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Los Angeles) called it “public relations, the big lie technique” to claim the bill would lead to personnel quotas.

Opponent Harris W. Fawell (R-Ill.) said: “Simply stating that this bill is not a quotas bill does not mean that it is not a quotas bill.”

A yes vote was to approve the bill. How They Voted

Rep. Anderson (D): Yea

Rep. Dornan (R): Nay

Rep. Dreier (R): Nay

Rep. Dymally (D): Yea

Rep. Hawkins (D): Yea

Rep. Martinez (D): Yea

Rep. Roybal (D): Yea

Rep. Torres (D): Yea

Bill to Cut Interior Department By a vote of 167 to 234, the House rejected a proposed 4.6% cut in the fiscal 1991 appropriations bill (HR 5769) for the Interior Department and related agencies. As later approved by the House, the bill costs about $11.9 billion, up 6% over the comparable 1990 bill.

Sponsor Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.) said: “A modest 4.6% cut . . . is certainly warranted in these times of fiscal despair.” Opponent Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) said, “We have worked hard to keep the totals down” in the Appropriations Committee’s crafting of the bill.

A yes vote was to cut the Interior appropriations bill by 4.6%. How They Voted

Rep. Anderson (D): Nay

Rep. Dornan (R): No vote

Rep. Dreier (R): Yea

Rep. Dymally (D): Nay

Rep. Hawkins (D): No vote

Rep. Martinez (D): Nay

Rep. Roybal (D): Nay

Rep. Torres (D): Nay

Covert Aid to Angola By a vote of 175 to 246, the House rejected an amendment to end covert aid, reportedly $60 million this year, to the UNITA forces fighting the Soviet-backed Marxist government of Angola. The amendment stipulated that any continuation of the aid be openly requested by President Bush and publicly approved by Congress. The vote occurred as the House sent to the Senate a bill (HR 5422) funding the CIA and other government intelligence activities in fiscal 1991.

A yes vote was to end covert aid to anti-Marxist rebels. How They Voted