Copyright 2000 The National Journal, Inc.
The National Journal
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June 17, 2000
SECTION: OUTLOOK; Pg. 1916; Vol. 32, No. 25
LENGTH: 524 words
HEADLINE:
House-Senate Committee Action For June 12-15
BODY:
Hot Bills
Here is the status of major legislation on the
congressional
front burner.
CHINA TRADE
House: Approved H.R. 4444 on May 24, 237-197.
Senate: Finance Committee approved S. 2277 on May 17, 19-
1.
Outlook: Republican leaders have signaled that the Senate
will
wait until after the July 4 recess to vote on granting
permanent normal
trade relations to China. The Senate may not
pass a "clean" version of the
bill: GOP leaders are weighing a
national security amendment that could
complicate dealings with
the House and put off final action until September.
BANKRUPTCY REFORM
House: Approved H.R. 833 on
May 5, 1999, 313-108.
Senate: Approved amended
version of H.R. 833 on Feb. 2,
83-14.
Outlook:
As negotiators resolve lingering disputes,
President Clinton warns that he
will veto a reform bill that
fails to "protect all debtors when targeting
the few who abuse
the system." That has emboldened some Democrats to plot a
Senate
filibuster if GOP leaders push anything resembling the House
bill.
DIGITAL SIGNATURES
House: Approved
conference report on S. 761 on June 14, 426-4.
Senate: Plans vote on conference report on June 16.
Outlook: High-tech firms eagerly await enactment of the
measure, which
provides a presumption of legal validity to
electronic signatures and
records. President Clinton says that
he'll sign the bill, noting it "will
remove legal barriers to
doing business online while preserving consumer
protection."
MARRIAGE PENALTY TAX RELIEF
House: Approved H.R. 6 on Feb.
10, 268-158.
Senate: Effort to end debate on S. 2346
failed on April
27.
Outlook: Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., says
that a marriage penalty phaseout will be
included in a
reconciliation measure this summer to keep it from being
"filibustered to death or amended to death."
PATIENTS' RIGHTS
House: Approved a bipartisan patients' bill
of rights (H.R. 2723)
on Oct. 7, 1999, 275-151, then merged it with
an insurance access
bill (H.R. 2990).
Senate:
Approved S. 1344 with narrower reforms favored by
health insurers on July
15, 1999, 53-47.
Outlook: Although the White House
vows to fight on, two
setbacks have thrown this legislation into cardiac
arrest: Senate
Democrats failed, 48-51, on June 8 to amend a defense bill
with
provisions from the bipartisan House bill. Then the Supreme Court
ruled on June 12 that health plans cannot be sued in federal
court for
damages arising from cost-cutting decisions.
GUN
CONTROL
House: Approved juvenile-justice bill (H.R. 1501) on June 17,
1999, 287-139.
Senate: Approved juvenile-justice
bill (S. 254) with new
gun control measures on May 20, 1999, 73-25.
Outlook: On June 14, House Republican appropriators
crushed a Democratic bid to hire 1,000 prosecutors to work in
areas with
high rates of gun violence. Dueling resolutions on gun
control passed the
Senate on May 17, but they only shot down
prospects for a compromise.
LOAD-DATE: June 19, 2000 
