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Washington in briefCompiled from Times wires © St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 2000 Deal reached on aid for foreign abortionWASHINGTON -- Seeking to avoid a pre-election confrontation with President Clinton, congressional Republicans on Tuesday agreed to remove legal restrictions preventing private family planning groups that receive federal funds from spending any money to provide abortions or promote abortion rights in foreign countries. In House-Senate negotiations on a $14.9-billion spending bill that covers foreign aid, Republicans agreed to allocate as much as $425-million to international family planning groups, up from $385-million. As they agreed to expunge the restrictions on family planning groups and increase the aid to the groups, the negotiators provided that none of the money could be spent before next Feb. 15 -- after the next president takes office. Clinton had vowed to veto the spending bill if the restrictions on family planning groups remained in it. By agreeing to Tuesday's action, the negotiators now leave it up to the next president to decide, via executive order, whether to continue the policy of limiting the abortion-related activities of groups in foreign lands. TAX PACKAGE: Congressional Republicans worked Tuesday to put the finishing touches on a tax relief package that would boost individual retirement savings, help businesses absorb the cost of a higher minimum wage and revitalize economically depressed areas. GOP leaders also want the legislation, expected to cost about $250-billion over 10 years, to include a tax deduction of from $5,000 to $10,000 for the costs of long-term health care, a full deduction for people who pay 50 percent or more of their own health insurance premiums and a $10,000 deduction for the costs of adopting a child. FEDERAL EXECUTION: An inmate facing the first federal execution since 1963 has asked President Clinton to spare his life. Lawyers for David Paul Hammer, 42, who had dropped all his appeals this fall, filed the application with Hammer's approval, said Justice Department spokeswoman Gretchen Michael. Michael said Hammer asked that his death sentence be commuted, but she would not disclose details of the petition, including what grounds it cited. HEATING OIL RESERVE BILL: Congress on Tuesday gave final approval to the creation of a 2-million barrel home heating oil reserve for the Northeast and belatedly restored the president's authority to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The legislation creates a reserve in the Northeast that the energy secretary can use when there is a significant regional supply shortage or price rise. McKINLEY RESCUES: Congress directed the Interior Department to report on how best to recover costs from rescue missions on Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, said more than 1,000 climbers every year attempt to scale the 20,320-foot peak, resulting in deaths, injuries and dangerous rescue missions. CHIMP SANCTUARIES: The United States would establish a network of chimpanzee sanctuaries under a bill passed by the House. The sanctuaries would care for the animals after they are no longer needed for biomedical research. The measure would allow spending up to $30-million to set up the centers, which would be managed by a non-profit private entity.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
