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combined two spending bills and repealed a 3 percent telephone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.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: September 16, 2000
