NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : House Drops Push for Anti-Obscenity Bill

The House, after twice last week demanding stronger anti-obscenity language in federal funding for the arts, voted narrowly to drop the issue. In a 214-205 vote, the House rejected an attempt to overturn a deal that axed the anti-obscenity measure in exchange for maintaining grazing subsidies for Western ranchers. The anti-obscenity measure was inserted by the Senate into a $12.6-billion appropriations bill to keep the Interior Department, the National Endowment for the Arts and some Energy Department programs in money through fiscal 1992.