Sunday, 23 January 2000
http://www.azstarnet.com/public/dnews/080-5121.html
© 2000 The New York Times
WASHINGTON - With elections foremost on their minds, Republicans
and Democrats return to Capitol Hill tomorrow ready to announce
crowd-pleasing initiatives, few of which are likely to pass.
The proposals are mainly designed to tantalize voters and to serve
as partisan weapons the two parties can aim at each other.
Senate and House Republicans plan to push tax cuts, strengthen
the military and retool the juvenile justice system. Democrats
will focus on overhauling managed care, changing campaign finance
laws and making prescription drugs more affordable for the elderly.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., plans to introduce a bill to
help secure health insurance for those who cannot afford it.
And with polls showing that voters favor fiscal common sense,
both parties plan to hammer home the message that they are working
hard to protect Social Security and reduce the nation's debt.
But little sweeping legislation is expected to flow from the debate
on these issues.
``Some of the major things we need to do will have to wait for
the next president and the next Congress,'' Senate Majority Leader
Trent Lott said last week.
White House spokesman Joe Lockhart scoffed at the notion of waiting
until next year.
``The president believes this is a year to make progress and doesn't
believe we can afford to take a year off as some have suggested,''
Lockhart said.
The White House has vowed to push hard to persuade Congress to
support a major trade deal with China, enlisting corporate executives
for what administration officials say will be a large lobbying
effort.
Republicans are wary about handing China or President Clinton
an easy victory, and many labor and environmental groups are opposed
to the deal.
Marshall Wittmann, a congressional analyst for the conservative
advocacy group the Heritage Foundation, called the Republican
agenda ``minimalist.'' Minimalism may be the safest strategy for
Republicans facing a Democratic Party gunning to take back the
slim majority in the House.
``Their watch phrase is, `Do no harm,' '' Wittmann said. ``It's
a cautious agenda because they want to avoid any potential Democratic
attacks as they move toward the fall. They don't want to give
the Democrats any opportunity to attack them and turn legislative
issues into political issues.''
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