Copyright 2002 The Seattle Times Company
The
Seattle Times
May 23, 2002, Thursday Fourth Edition
SECTION: ROP ZONE; News; Pg. A4; Capital Watch
LENGTH: 720 words
HEADLINE:
Capital Watch
DATELINE: Washington
BODY:
White House hands over Enron papers
WASHINGTON -- After a Senate panel voted to issue subpoenas yesterday,
the White House turned over summaries of dozens of contacts between Bush
administration officials and Enron executives.
No instance has been
found of Enron officials asking anyone in the White House for help before
Enron's bankruptcy in December, the White House said.
The summaries were
provided to the Governmental Affairs Committee hours after it voted to issue
Congress' first subpoenas to the Bush White House. The vote was 9-8, along party
lines, and some Republicans accused majority Democrats of having political
motives. The panel decided to subpoena President Bush's executive office and
Vice President Dick Cheney's office to compel officials to produce relevant
documents by noon June 3. The material being sought dates from January 1992,
also covering the Clinton administration.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.,
the committee chairman, was not satisfied with the material provided yesterday
because it appeared to be incomplete, Lieberman spokeswoman Leslie Phillips
said.
"It appears the White House is still providing only what it thinks
is relevant rather than what the committee asked for," Phillips said. She said
the White House still hasn't given Lieberman the assurance that it would provide
all the material requested by the end of the month.
House OKs plan to
prepare nation for biological attack
The House yesterday overwhelmingly
passed a $4.6 billion bill aimed at strengthening the nation's
bioterrorism preparedness by stockpiling vaccines and boosting inspections of
food coming across borders.
The 425-1 vote capped a months-long effort
sparked by post-Sept. 11 concerns that included anthrax-tainted letters sent to
Capitol Hill. The only vote against the bill was cast by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas,
a fiscal conservative.
Senate leaders hope to take up the bill before
adjourning tomorrow for a weeklong recess.
States would receive
$1.6 billion in grants to prepare for a biological attack. The
compromise also would have drinking-water systems assess their vulnerability to
terrorist attack, develop emergency plans and submit the plans to the
Environmental Protection Agency.
The bill also includes
$300 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
to upgrade its facilities and would renew a law that allows the Food and Drug
Administration to charge fees to pharmaceutical companies to pay for speedier
review of new medications.
New air-conditioner rules tough, but not
Clinton tough
The Energy Department announced a tougher efficiency
standard yesterday for home air conditioners, replacing a more ambitious
regulation issued by the Clinton administration.
Under the new standard,
manufacturers will have to make central home air conditioners 20 percent more
efficient beginning in 2006.
Energy-conservation groups and
environmentalists assailed the new regulation, calling it a rollback from the 30
percent increase issued by the Clinton administration but not yet implemented.
"Saying they're increasing the standard by lowering it is a complete
smoke-and-mirrors argument," said Kit Kennedy, an attorney for the Natural
Resources Defense Council.
Energy Department officials have defended the
less ambitious efficiency increase repeatedly in congressional testimony over
the past year. The Senate last month rejected attempts to require the department
to adopt the Clinton-era regulation.
Senate to wrap up discussion on
trade legislation today
The Senate yesterday signaled strong bipartisan
support for trade legislation, voting 68-29 to curtail debate on a measure
designed to enhance President Bush's negotiating authority while expanding
federal aid to U.S. workers hurt by imports.
Final passage was expected
no later than today. The House cleared its version in December by a one-vote
margin.
Also ...
A major bankruptcy overhaul bill stalled again
yesterday after congressional negotiators couldn't agree on a provision banning
abortion protesters from using bankruptcy laws
to avoid paying court-ordered fines. ... Low-income home buyers would receive a
new tax credit and public housing would be wired for the Internet under a
housing plan released yesterday by the nation's mayors.
LOAD-DATE: June 17, 2002 
