THE DOMESTIC AGENDA: THE BIG ISSUES

With the fighting in the Persian Gulf over, the White House and Congress are turning their attention back to domestic problems--with serious differences between the two on a variety of major issues. Here are the top six issues facing the President and the lawmakers this year, with an update on where the two sides stand and what outlook is for the remainder of the session:

Crime

The situation: Bush is trying to use the momentum from his victory in the Persian Gulf to push through “tough” anti-crime legislation. Democrats want to turn it into a gun-control bill.

The issues: The White House bill would seek an expanded death penalty and to limit the number of appeals that can be mounted by prisoners on Death Row. Democrats want to use the bill to ban assault weapons. A companion measure, designed to discourage violence against women, would increase the federal penalties for such acts and would finance counseling for victims.

The outlook: The broader crime bill probably will not reach the floor until just before the 1992 election, but House Speaker Thomas S. Foley has promised a quick vote on any gun-control legislation that is reported out of committee. Enactment of such a bill by the Senate, however, is far from certain.

Highways and Mass Transit

The situation: Bush has unveiled a five-year $105-billion plan to expand and maintain the nation’s roads and mass-transit systems, but the proposal has run into trouble among state officials, who have criticized it for saddling them with too large a share of the cost.

The issues: The measure calls for spending $87.7 billion on highway programs between now and fiscal 1996--including money for a new 150,000-mile National Highway System that would utilize the existing interstate highway system. It also would provide for a second tier comprising 700,000 miles of roads, in which the states would bear a larger share of the burden, in return for increased flexibility in using highway funds for mass transit.

The outlook: Uncertain. Congress probably will alter Bush’s plan to ease the burden on the states, but will not increase the amount of money that Bush has proposed, as the governors would like.

Energy

The situation: Although the end of the war in the Persian Gulf has taken some of the urgency out of this debate, Bush has unveiled a comprehensive energy program of his own and is determined to push it through Congress, despite Democratic opposition.

The issues: The two sides are poles apart on the basic approach to resolving the energy problem. Bush wants to provide incentives that would increase the production of oil, nuclear power and electricity. Democrats favor measures that would spur greater conservation--such as mandating tougher fuel-efficiency standards for cars.

The outlook: Some elements in Bush’s plan probably will go through intact, although Democrats may succeed in diluting some portions and in tacking on some conservation measures and limiting increased production in the Arctic. Overall, however, any energy package that the lawmakers approve is apt to be mild.

Civil Rights

The situation: The debate over civil rights is likely to be one of the most controversial of the 102nd Congress. Democratic leaders have revived a bill that President Bush vetoed last year that would widen the legal avenues for victims of job discrimination. Bush and congressional Republicans strongly oppose it.

The issues: The two key points--how far an employee should have to go to prove allegations in cases where the discrimination has been unintentional, and whether to extend to women and religious minorities the same legal remedies in cases of intentional discrimination that are provided for racial minorities. Democrats say the measure would merely require fairness in hiring, pay, promotions and working conditions. The President argues that the bill effectively would impose job quotas.

The outlook: Democrats are expected to use the majority to push their legislation through again, and Bush is expected to veto it one more time.

Banking

The situation: With the nation’s banking system in crisis, how to overhaul the country’s banking laws will be a major issue.

The issues: Bush has proposed legislation designed to bolster the bank insurance fund maintained by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. so the agency can bail out financially troubled institutions, but he wants to force the industry to foot the bill. He also is seeking to restructure the banking system to allow banks to meet competition from non-banks that provide financial services--such as insurance companies. Democrats have no plan of their own, but Senate Banking Committee chairman Donald W. Riegle Jr. (D-Mich) is pushing a bill that would force regulators to allow more banks to fail, rather than use tax dollars to bail them out. The House turned down the FDIC fund replenishment last week.

The outlook: Lawmakers eventually will bolster the insurance fund but will avoid any major restructuring of the banking system.

Parental Leave

The situation: Democrats are planning to confront President Bush with still another controversial social proposal that he vetoed last year--a 5-year-old plan that would mandate that businesses grant leave to new parents.

The issues: The bill, sent to the House floor on a special fast-track procedure, would require companies to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to employees--either upon the birth or adoption of a child or when they, their children, spouses or parents are seriously ill. The measure would only apply to those firms that employ 50 or more workers--about 5% of all U.S. businesses. Democrats argue that the measure is humanitarian and is sorely needed. Republicans content it would only add to business costs and would discourage firms from hiring.

The outlook: Prospects are uncertain. Democrats believe they have the votes to pass the legislation, but it is unclear whether they will be able to win the majority they would need to override another Bush veto.

Death Row Expansions

The White House is seeking to bolster its tough anti-crime position by offering a bill to expand the death penalty and limit the appeal process for prisoners on Death Row. A look at the number of inmates on Death Row since 1975: 1975: 479 1977: 443 1978: 445 1979: 567 1980: 714 1982: 1,050 1983: 1,202 1984: 1,405 1985: 1,591 1986: 1,781 1987: 1,967 1988: 2,124 1989: 2,210

A Decade of Failures

Nearly 2,000 commercial banks and S & Ls collapsed in the 1980s, the worst period for financial institutions since the Great Depression. 1980 Bank failures: 10 S & L failures: 11 1981 Bank failures: 10 S & L failures: 28 1982 Bank failures: 42 S & L failures: 63 1983 Bank failures: 48 S & L failures: 36 1984 Bank failures: 79 S & L failures: 22 1985 Bank failures: 120 S & L failures: 31 1986 Bank failures: 138 S & L failures: 46 1987 Bank failures: 184 S & L failures: 47 1988 Bank failures: 221 S & L failures: 223 1989 Bank failures: 207 S & L failures: 328