03-04-2000

CONGRESS: The Sausage Factory: House-Senate Committee Action: Feb. 28-Mar 2

Hot Bills


Here is the status of major legislation on the congressional front
burner:


Patients' Rights


House: Approved a bipartisan patients' rights and insurance access bill
(H.R. 2990) last October, 275-151.


Senate: Approved GOP leadership bill (S. 1344) with narrower reforms
favored by insurers last July, 51-49.


Outlook: As a House-Senate conference committee convened on March 2,
plenty of differences remained. But GOP leaders, apparently feeling
election-year pressure, have predicted agreement on giving patients at
least a limited right to sue insurers, and President Clinton this week
signaled a willingness to compromise.


Digital Signatures


House: Approved H.R. 1714 on Nov. 9, 1999, 356-66.


Senate: Approved S. 761 on Nov. 19, 1999, by unanimous consent.


Outlook: Senate Democrats have taken their time naming conference
negotiators, reportedly to let Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., seek informal
agreements on consumer issues raised by the bill, which would set legal
standards for e-commerce and online contracts.


Africa Trade


House: Approved H.R. 434 on July 16, 1999, 234-163.


Senate: Approved an amended H.R. 434 on Nov. 3, 1999, 76-19.


Outlook: The Senate bill, which includes a Caribbean trade initiative (S.
1389), still must be reconciled with the House measure. Negotiators have
begun meeting informally, and Republican leaders say a final bill could
clear Congress by early April.


School Aid


House: Approved H.R. 1995 on July 20, 1999, 239-185; and H.R. 2 on Oct.
21, 1999, 358-67.


Senate: Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee began to mark up
S. 2 on March 1.


Outlook: A fierce floor debate over who controls the way federal aid to
schools is spent awaits the Senate, which is trying to pass a single,
comprehensive renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
instead of separate bills, as the House prefers. Senate Democrats say they
will try to incorporate President Clinton's school spending
priorities.


Rural Satellite TV


House: Agriculture Committee approved H.R. 3615 on Feb. 16, 41-0.


Senate: A unanimous consent agreement requires action by March 30.


Outlook: Sens. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and Conrad Burns, R-Mont., have a bill
to provide $1.25 billion in federal loan guarantees for rural satellite
television service. Jurisdictional issues may slow down final approval, as
the House Commerce Committee wants a say in the outcome. But constituents
are keenly interested in this issue.


Social Security Earnings Limit


House: Approved H.R. 5 on March 1, 422-0.


Senate: S. 279 has been referred to the Finance Committee.


Outlook: The bill, which allows full Social Security benefits for people
who keep working beyond retirement age, has strong bipartisan support, and
President Clinton says he'll sign it if lawmakers don't weigh it down with
election-year goodies.


National Journal News Service

National Journal