Copyright 2000 The Seattle Times Company
The
Seattle Times
September 15, 2000, Friday Final Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A6; CAPITAL WATCH
LENGTH: 499 words
HEADLINE:
Capital watch
House OKs funding package; veto looms
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
WASHINGTON - Trying to speed through Republican budget bills, the House
yesterday passed a $33 billion package to fund the Treasury
Department, Postal Service and Congress' own operations, but it faces a likely
veto from President Clinton.
On a tight 212-209 vote, the House passed
the measure that combined two spending bills and repealed a 3 percent telephone
tax as Congress pushed to finish the federal budget, to adjourn for the year to
campaign for Nov. 7 elections.
The bill for the next fiscal year, which
begins Oct. 1, also cleared the way for lawmakers to get a 2.7 percent
cost-of-living pay raise starting in January.
Democrats complained the
bill did not give the Internal Revenue Service enough money to carry out reforms
that Congress has demanded and did not provide money Clinton wanted to fight
terrorism.
They also said the three-year telephone tax phaseout, while
popular, should have been taken up in a separate tax package.
FCC wants to ban new VCRs
from copying
digital cable
Spurred by the copyright issues raised in the
Napster music case, federal regulators yesterday moved to prevent video piracy
in the age of digital television.
The Federal Communications Commission
said it will require consumer electronics makers to include technology in their
next generation of VCRs, televisions and set-top boxes that would prevent
viewers from automatically copying digital cable-TV shows, such as Home Box
Office and other cable networks.
The agency also approved three new
categories of cable-ready digital TV sets that won't be required to receive
over-the-air digital broadcasts of TV shows such as "60 Minutes" or "The Tonight
Show With Jay Leno."
But the consumer electronics makers, who have
opposed copyright protection adamantly, say they are considering going to court
to block the new FCC rules.
Senate clears last hurdles
to China trade legislation
The Senate yesterday beat
back the last proposed amendments to legislation putting normal
trade with China on a permanent basis, setting up a
vote on the historic bill next Tuesday.
With all obstacles now removed,
at least 70 senators are expected to endorse the measure that would open China's
markets and give American businesses and farmers the chance to increase their
sales significantly.
Sen. William Roth, R-Del., a chief advocate, cited
figures estimating that the new relationship would result in
$13 billion in new U.S. exports to China.
Passage of
the bill, strongly backed by the Clinton administration and the business
community, is necessary if the United States is to enjoy the lower tariffs and
reduced trade barriers China is committed to as part of its accession to the
World Trade Organization.
First, the Senate had to clear away 19
amendments in the past two weeks, including six yesterday. Supporters had said
any amendment would kill passage this year, because the House couldn't consider
the changes before Congress adjourns next month.
LOAD-DATE: September 16, 2000
