Copyright 2002 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York, NY)
May 10, 2002 Friday NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
EDITION
SECTION: NEWS, Pg. A50
LENGTH: 460 words
HEADLINE:
Battle Over Bankruptcy Reforms
BYLINE: By Elaine S;
Povich; WASHINGTON BUREAU
BODY:
Washington - House
Republicans yesterday played hardball with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) over a
bill to overhaul bankruptcy laws, threatening that families of Sept. 11 victims
could suffer unless he abandons a provision designed to crack down on violent
protesters who attack abortion clinics and then declare
bankruptcy to avoid fines.
The Republicans released a
letter from the "Families of September 11" organization, urging a House-Senate
conference committee to complete its work and proceed with the bill that, among
other things, shields compensation payments to relatives of Sept. 11 victims
from being taken into account as income when declaring bankruptcy.
House
Judiciary Committee spokesman Jeff Lungren said Schumer's language on abortion
clinics - which passed the Senate 80-17 but which is not in the House bill - "is
holding up the whole bill. The families of 3,000 victims would be protected if
the bill goes through. If he insists on this language, the whole bill will go
down." Schumer said he put the item in the bankruptcy bill as a
way to blunt anti-abortion groups who advise protesters on how
to declare bankruptcy after being convicted of a violent crime.
He chastised the opponents of his abortion clinic provision for
using the Sept. 11 victims for political purposes.
"I have compromised
on this proposal again and again and have the votes of such strongly pro-life
senators as Trent Lott, Rick Santorum and Chuck Grassley," he said, naming
Republicans from Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Iowa, respectively. "Shame on the
Republican Judiciary Committee staffers for using the victims of September 11 as
a political football."
Schumer insisted he will not give up the abortion
clinic provision. "I've had more pressure than that," he said. "They have tried
everything under the sun, but they won't make me back off my principles. They
have had financial services people call me. And I represent those financial
services people in New York."
The House and Senate each approved the
bankruptcy bill last year, and differences between the two versions are now
being worked out. The legislation is designed to update bankruptcy laws and to
make it harder for people of financial means to get government protection while
avoiding their debts.
Some opponents have said it is unfair to the poor,
but it won overwhelming approval in both chambers. But talks between the
chambers have stalled over the abortion clinic provision and several others
involving how much property debtors can shield from creditors when declaring
bankruptcy.
President George W. Bush is backing the law and if a
House-Senate deal is reached, the new law will be the most sweeping overhaul of
bankruptcy law in 20 years.
LOAD-DATE: May 10, 2002
