From: mykes@shell.portal.com (mike myke schwartz)
Subject: Congress will not change
Organization: Portal Communications Company
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 23:06:58 GMT

From the San Jose Mercury News, Monday Jan 25, 1993:

NEW CONGRESS NOT INCLINED TO BACK CHANGE

A Look ahead: Clinton proposals are likely to meet stiff resistence.

By Charlese Green and Owen Ullmann, Mercury News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - The new 103rd Congressshows no appetite for tough
measures to cut the budget defecit, remains protective of its perks
and displays sharp partisan differences despite public disgust with
gridlock, according to a poll conducted by the Gallup Organization for
Knight-Ridder Newspapers.

The busniess-as-usual attitudes are at odds with voter sentiment
expressed last fall for wholesale changes in the way Congress conducts
the nation's and its own affairs.

The survey suggests that President Clinton will face significant
opposition if he tries to increase the gasoline tax or fulfill some
campaign PROMISES such as a tax cut for the middle class and a civil
rights bill for gays.

A large majority opposed cutting the defecit by reducing tax breaks
for mortgage interest and employee benefits, such as health insurance.
They also opposed increases in the payroll tax, gasoline tax and the
tax on social security.

But Clinton could find quiet support for revamping Medicare, the
federal health insurance program for the elderly.  Majorities in both
parites favored charging upper income elderly more for Medicare
benefits - a sharp departure from current policy.

More than any other group, the elderly were identified by returning
members of Congress as the constituency with "too much influence on
public policy."  Nearly a quarter of them cited the senior lobby.

The survey was answered anonymously by 220 of the 535 members of the
house and senate.  The respondents included 110 democrats, 107
republicans, and three members who did not identify their party
affiliation.  Democrats have majorities in both the House and Senate.

Although the poll cannot predict future actions of the House and
Senate, it provides a guide to the attitudes, priorities, and policy
preferences of the new Congress as it starts working in earnest this
week.

Among the key finding:

* Health care reform, deficit reduction, and economic growth are the
top three priorities of both Democrats and Republicans.  No other
issues come close.

POINTS OF AGREEMENT

* Democrats and Republicans agree they should concentrate on cutting
hte size and cost of government, rather than expanding government
services.

* Legislators support cutting White House perks but don't want to cut
their $133,600 annual salary or surrender their free parking spaces at
National Airport.

* Both parties support a short-term economic stimulus package,
particulary tax credits for business investment and first-time
homebuyers.  But only about 40 percent of Republicans and Democrats
say that a middle-class tax cut should be included.

* Both Republicans and Democrats seem willing to support more aid to
the former Soviet Union if necessary but oppose US Military action in
Bosnia to try to bring peace to the region.

* Abortion rights enjoys broader support in Congress than gay and
lesbian rights.  There may not be enough support in Congress for
enacting a gay and lesbian civil rights bill.

* Compared with men, the women in Congress are more likely to support
abortion rights, gay and lesbian rights, welfare spending, and higher
taxes on alcohol and tobacco.

* New members of the House and Senate place a higher priority on
campaign finance reform and reducing congressional perks than do
senior members.

* Democrats picked the gun lobby, elderly and big business as the
groups with too much influence, while Republicans names labor unions,
the elderly, and environmentalists.

The poll indicates that the new Congress' greatest difficulty - like
that of its predecessors - will be reducing the $300 billion annual
budget deficits the government is expected to run up during the next 5
years.

While defecit reduction is a top priority for both Congress and the
public, little concensus is evident on specific measures to stem the
flow of red ink.

"Only the president of the United States can take that issue to the
public and raise the level of support," Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.,
said in an interview separate from the survey.  "He has to be talking
about it, teaching, admonishing; otherwise we can't do it.  The
special interests have not changed their minds.  The same interests
are against the same cuts."

Only about half the democracts and one-fifth the Republicans said they
favored increased gas taxes, an option strongly recommended by many
participants at Clinton's economic summit last month.

"When you talk about a gas tax, it comes down to a question of jobs -
Congressional jobs.  My suspicion is that we will not see any
significant gas tax," said Rep. Philip Sharp, D-Ind.

There were sharp partisan difference on other options.

SPLIT ON TAXING THE RICH

Democrats strongly favored and Republicans strongly opposed increasing
the tax rates on people with incomes exceeding $200,000, imposing a
tax surcharge on millionaires and increasing taxes on alcohol and
tobacco.

Republicans favored and Democrats opposed cutting welfare spending.
About the only program both Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly
agreed could be cut to reduce the deficit was foreign aid.  But that
only accounts for about one cent of every $1 the government spends.

But the poll suggests significant support - at least support given
anonymously - for Medicare cuts.  About half of both the Democrat and
Republican respondents favored requiring a means test for medicare.
That would mean adjusting benefits to a beneficiary's income level.

Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., predicted that any attempt to create a means
test for Medicare would be politically explosive.

"This is something that has to be done very, very carefully," Goss
said.  "If you just do means testing, without preparing the ground and
including it in a comprehensive health-care package, it will sink like
a stone."

John Rother, legislative director of the American Association of
Retired Persons, said despite congressional fears of opposition from
the elderly to any changes: "We support deficit reduction when the
sacrifice is spread widely and fairly.  We would actively support
compromises (in Medicare) if there are system-wide restraints in
health care."

HEALTH CARE REFORM

On the broader issue of health care reform, the poll indicates sharp
partisan differences.  Half the democrats backed the approach favored
by Clinton - capping health care spending and requiring employers to
cover their workers - but only one in five Republicans supported that
option.

The GOP respondents strongly backed providing tax breaks to help the
uninsured and small businesses pay for health insurance, but few
democrats support that approach.

There was some consensus on campaign finance reform, with both
Republicans and Democrats favoring increased restrictions on
special-interest contributions.  But, while democrats backed placing
spending limits on congressional races and partial public financing of
congressional campaigns, Republicans rejected the ideas.

The two parties, however, favored full public financing of their
airport parking places.

############################################################

(results of the poll)

Can Congress face the tough problems?
A new survey of Congress shows partisan divisions on solutions
to major problems facing the country.  Some highlights:

Issues requiring the most attention from Congress: 

Dem: Health Care 82%, Economy/Jobs 65%, Budget deficit 57%, Education
17%

Rep: Budget deficit 76%, Health care 58%, economy/jobs 50%,
congressional reform 9%

Interest groups with too much influence:

Dem: Gun lobby 24%, elderly 17%, big business 13%

Rep: Organized labor 17%, elderly 17%, environmentalists 15%

Percentage who favor these ways to cut the deficit:

Increase tax rate on incomes exceeding $200,000: dems 89%, reps: 16%
Reduce tax break for mortgage interest: dems 24%, reps: 10%
Increase payroll taxes: dems 3%, reps 2%
Require means test for Medicare: dems: 53%, reps: 50%
Increase gas tax: dems: 49%, reps: 18%
Reduce spending on welfare programs: dems 26%, reps: 71%
Delay cost of living increases for SS: dems: 26%, reps: 23%

Percentage who say Congress should cut the following:

Congressional staff: dems: 54%, reps: 78%
Parking privileges at National Airport: dems: 33%, reps: 38%
Salaries of Congress Members: dems: 22%, reps: 34%
white house perks: dems: 62%, reps: 74%

source: A Knight-Ridder poll conducted by the Gallup Organization of the 
535 members of Congress, Dec. 1992-Jan. 1993; 220 responded

############################################################

Social Issues divide congress
A survey shows members of Congress divide along party lines
over abortion, gay rights, and cultural issues.

* Which abortion actions would you like congress to take?
Pass the Freedome of Choice Act to codify abortion rights
Dems: 71%, Reps: 19%

Leave abortion issue to the states?
Dems: 20%, Reps: 71%

Only approve Supreme Court nominees who favor abortion rights?
Dems: 30%, reps: 2%

* Percentage who favor the following:
End ban on gays in the military: dems: 68%, reps: 13%
Civil rights bill protecting gays from discrimination: dems: 62%, reps: 14%
Loosen restrictions on NEA support for art with sexually explicit
themes: dems: 29%, reps: 6%

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