From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: PSR October Legislative Update
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 23:01:45 GMT

/** psr.bulletins: 48.0 **/
** Topic: October Legislative Update **
** Written  9:05 am  Oct  7, 1992 by psrnatl in cdp:psr.bulletins **
PSR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
October 1992

NUCLEAR TEST BAN SURVIVES FINAL DAYS OF 102nd CONGRESS - In its
final rush to complete dozens of "must pass" bills before
adjourning for the fall election, Congress approved unprecedented
restrictions on nuclear testing, but allowed other opportunities
for reductions in Cold War weapons systems to slip away. Despite
tremendous pressure from the White House and efforts from
influential appropriations committee members to eliminate
meaningful testing restrictions, grassroots pressure and
unyielding perseverance by Representative Kopetski and Senators
Hatfield, Exon and Mitchell preserved the landmark victory towards
ending nuclear testing.

Congress Sends Nuclear Test Moratorium to President Ending the
deep-rooted Cold War policy of explosive nuclear weapons testing
in Nevada and elsewhere has been an elusive goal of PSR and
millions of other people worldwide. At last, in a series of four
historic votes this summer by the House of Representatives and the
Senate have put a solid majority of the U.S. Congress behind
binding legislation for a cessation of nuclear weapons testing. On
Thursday night, September 18, the House approved the Senate's
language for an immediate 9-month nuclear testing moratorium and
an end to all testing by the end of 1996.  The provision is part
of the FY 1993 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. (See enclosed
PSR News Alert, Summary of the Moratorium Legislation, and the
9/26 Congressional Quarterly article for further details.)

The Energy and Water Appropriations measure is now with President
Bush who may sign the bill because it also contains $517 million
for the Superconducting Supercollider, a non-military DOE project
destined for Texas. Bush's campaign advisors would clearly like
him to approve this appropriations bill because it would help win
support among Texas voters, while Defense Department and National
Security advisors would like him to veto the measure and send it
back to Congress. Early press acccounts following the September 24
vote quote senior Administration officials as saying that a veto
is unlikely. However, until the President signs the bill, the fate
of this year's historic nuclear testing moratorium legislation
will remain uncertain. And even though the moratorium was also
approved as part of the Defense Authorization bill, conferees may
drop it from the final version of the bill on the grounds that it
is already in the Energy Appropriations bill. (See enclosed press
clips for further information.)

Tritium Surplus and Budget Deficit Halt Work on New Production
Reactor Citing budget shortfalls and tritium surpluses due to the
upcoming retirement of thousands of nuclear weapons, the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) announced last month that it will
indefinitely defer construction of a new tritium production
reactor (NPR). PSR has called for the cancellation of the NPR
since its inception. Tritium is a radioactive gas used in most
nuclear weapons to boost their explosive yield. The DOE had
already trimmed the NPR budget from earlier spending levels to
approximately $170 million for FY 1993. The reactor was to be
built at the DOE's Savannah River Site, Hanford, or Idaho Falls
facilities at a final cost of $10-15 billion or more. However, the
NPR boondogle is not completely dead. Senator Strom Thurmond
(D-SC) successfully inserted language into the final report on
Energy Appropriations requiring that the DOE continue to explore
building a "multi-purpose" NPR -- one that could produce tritium,
electricity, and burn plutonium from retired nuclear weapons.

Congress Agrees to High SDI Spending Levels and 20 B-2 Stealth
Bombers In a disappointing 48-50 vote, the Senate failed to
significantly reduce the level of funding for the Strategic
Defense Initiative (SDI or "Star Wars").  Although the Senate was
able to thwart efforts in early August to "table" (hence kill) an
amendment by Senators Sasser and Bumpers to reduce funding from
the Armed Services Committee level of $4.3 billion to $3.3
billion, the long August recess allowed SDI proponents to muster
the handful of votes required to keep sky-high funding. Senator
Nunn (D-GA) was able to further undercut attempts by PSR allies by
offering a "compromise" amendment for an ultimate SDI spending
level in the Senate of $3.8 billion. With the House at a $4.3
billion level, House and Senate conferees are expected to
reconcile the difference by approving a final funding level of
$4.05 billion, including $350 million for the "Brilliant Pebbles"
space-based system.

Efforts to reduce spending on the B-2 "stealth" bomber also fell
short. Following the SDI vote, the Senate took up an amendment
offered by Senator Leahy (D-VT) to terminate further funding for
the B-2 bomber program, which has already cost taxpayers $30
billion. The amendment would have capped the program at 15 planes
and saved $2.6 billion, but it was defeated 45-53. This means that
both the House and the Senate have approved production of 20 B-2
bombers. However, it is important to note that Congressional and
citizen opposition to the B-2 program has been successful,
severely limiting the Bush Administration's original request for
132 bombers.

Overall military spending will remain at just above $270 billion
-- about $10 billion below the Administration's $281 billion
request for FY 1993.

Senate Moves to Ratify START I Agreement The much awaited
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty will soon go before the full
Senate for ratification where it is expected to be approved easily
and quickly. An important step in the disarmament process, the
treaty will codify some of the reduction recently agreed to by the
U.S.  and Russia. Senator Biden (D-DE) may push for verification
measures to lock in reductions of nuclear weapons and weapons
materials beyond those set forth in START I.

Federal Facilities Compliance Act Sent to President After being
tied up for almost a year in conference committee, the Federal
Facilities Compliance Act moved out of conference and was given
final approval by the House and Senate this week.  By a vote of
403-4, the House approved the final conference report on the bill,
while the Senate approved the conference report by a voice vote.
If signed by President Bush, the legislation would require federal
agencies such as the Department of Energy and Department of
Defense to comply with environmental regulations or else face
penalties. (See enclosed Congressional Quarterly article for
details.)

Two Lead Poisoning Prevention Bills Move Forward The Lead Exposure
Reduction Act (H.R. 5730) was reported out of the Education and
Labor Committee on September 17. Key provisions of the bill ensure
that lead-paint abatements and related projects are done safely
with appropriately trained personnel, and restrict new uses of
lead in commerce. Little time remains in the session to move the
bill, but PSR is working to place the bill on the Senate calendar.
Lead protection measures may also be part of another bill, the
1992 National Affordable Housing Act (S.3031/H.R.5334), now in
conference committee.

******************************************************************************

                       Action Alert

Congratulations on your tremendous efforts toward the passage of
strong nuclear testing moratorium legislation! Now is an important
time to contact your Senators and Representatives regarding their
votes on major legislative issues this year and prepare for
President Bush's reaction to the test moratorium legislation:

        o Several members of Congress made extraordinary
        contributions to the final Congressional approval of the
        nuclear testing moratorium legislation -- they deserve
        thanks from PSR members everywhere: Representative Mike
        Kopetski (D-OR); Senator Mark Hatfield (D-OR); Senator
        James Exon (D-NE); and Senator George Mitchell (D-ME)
        among others.

        o After checking your Congressional delegation's record on
        nuclear test ban legislation this year (see enclosed
        voting records), thank or criticize your House and Senate
        members for their decision.

        o Use the opportunity of the START ratification process to
        write a letter to the editor about the need to further
        reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the arsenal (See
        Manhattan Project II materials in this month's mailing);

Special Note: If President Bush decides to veto the Energy and
Water Appropriations bill because of the limits it puts on nuclear
testing, PSR strongly encourages chapters to respond rapidly with
letters and telegrams to the White House and letters to the editor
expressing your strong disapproval.

Your Senator                    Your Representative U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC  20510   Washington,
D.C.  20515

Capitol Switchboard:  (202) 224-3121

President George Bush   For more information, The White House
call PSR National: (202) 785-3777 Washington, DC 20500 (202)
456-1111          or the Arms Control Hotline: (202) 543-0006
Congress Fails to Fully Contain the Military's Toxic Mess
Congress is well on its way to fully funding the Administration
request for the clean up of military bases contaminated by toxic
waste. The conferees are now working out the details of various
funding level.  However, a little known piece of legislation that
would allow the sale of contaminated land to private hands without
proper environmental oversight may slip through conference
committees. Further, legislation to allow greater public
participation by private citizens and community groups in the
oversight process of on going clean up efforts is stalled along
with the Resource Conservation and Recover Act now bogged down in
conference. Final resolution of all these issues were uncertain at
press time.
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