From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: FCNL update 4/3/92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 03:31:28 GMT

/** fcnl.updates: 12.0 **/
** Topic: fcnllegislativeupdate4/3/92 **
** Written  2:39 pm  Apr  3, 1992 by fcnl in cdp:fcnl.updates **
     FCNL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- 4/3/92  

This is the Friends Committee on National Legislation,
with updated legislative information.  To speak with a
staff member, call (202) 547-6000.

This message was prepared at 6 p.m. on Friday, April
3rd.  It contains information and action suggestions
on the following subjects:  CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM, 
AID FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES,
MILITARY RESCISSIONS, and UPDATES ON LAST WEEK'S
LEGISLATION. 

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.  The conference committee to
reconcile differences between the House and Senate
campaign finance reform bills has just issued its
final report.  The House of Representatives is
expected to vote on the report next Wednesday, April
8th.  The Senate vote is expected some time next week
as well.   If approved, the report will then be sent
to President Bush.  He has already said he intends to
veto it.  He objects to reforms that include public
financing, spending limits, or different guidelines
for the House and Senate.  

ACTION:  Please call your representative and senators
immediately and urge them to approve the conference
report.  Also call the White House Comment Desk at
(202) 456-1111 and urge President Bush to sign the
campaign finance reform bill.  For more information,
send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to FCNL and
request document G-213-DOM.

AID TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES. 
Congress recently passed a FY92 foreign aid bill which
included $230 million in aid for the former Soviet
Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). 
On Wednesday, April 1, the President announced a $24
billion international assistance program for the CIS. 
In addition, the President has submitted an aid
package to Congress which asks for the following
provisions:
     
     1) $1 billion in agricultural credits;
     2) permission for U.S. business exchanges with    
        the CIS;
     3) establishment of programs such as the Peace    
        Corps and United States Information Agency in  
        the CIS;
     4) approval of the President's FY93 request for   
        $620 million in aid to the CIS;
     5) approval of the President's earlier  request   
        for a $12 billion increase in U.S.             
        contributions to the IMF's loan funds.

ACTION.  Members of Congress need to hear messages in
support of aid for the Commonwealth of Independent
States.  Details are not yet clear how all aspects of
the President's aid proposal will be dealt with in
Congress.  Nevertheless, please ask your senators and
representative to support U.S. aid to the CIS.  Urge
that the needed funds should come from the U.S.
military budget and NOT from other foreign aid or
domestic programs.


PRESIDENT BUSH'S MILITARY RESCISSION PACKAGE. 
President Bush has submitted to Congress a proposal
for rescinding, or cutting out, 68 items in the
already approved FY92 budget.  These rescissions
include cuts in defense, agriculture, housing and
urban development, and interior programs.  FCNL
supports the MILITARY rescission which stems largely
from his proposed cancellation of the $3 billion
Seawolf submarine program.

The President's rescission requests were submitted to
the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on
March 20.  If these committees do not take action
within 45 days, the rescissions will not go through. 
FCNL encourages Congress to support the President's
rescission of the Seawolf submarine and urges members
to cut additional military programs.  William Kaufman,
a former Pentagon official, has proposed an
alternative military rescission package which includes
sizeable cuts in the Strategic Defense Initiative, the
B-2 bomber, and several missile programs.  FCNL
recommends these rescissions in addition to the
President's.

ACTION.  We expect Appropriations Committees to take
action on the President's rescissions and add some of
their own rescissions.  Please ask your members of
Congress to support President Bush's Seawolf
rescission proposal. Ask them also to expand the
military rescissions to include the Kaufman proposals
and to terminate funding for nuclear test explosions.

UPDATES FOR YOUR INFORMATION.  Congress acted this
past week on several matters we have been alerting you
about.  Here, briefly, are the outcomes.  (1) The
House failed to pass the Conyers bill, H.R. 3732, to
take down the budget walls.  The Senate bill failed
earlier, and no further efforts on this matter are
likely this year.  (2) The Continuing Resolution (CR)
for foreign aid was passed; it includes approximately
$21 million in so-called "non-lethal military aid" for
El Salvador.  Approximately $64 million of military
aid that had been appropriated earlier was transferred
to the Demobilization Fund.  Military aid still in the
pipeline was not cut off.  (3) The foreign aid
continuing resolution did not contain any provision
for loan guarantees for Israel.  However, a NON-
BINDING resolution in favor of loan guarantees passed
the Senate nearly unanimously.  It does not carry the
force of law but simply expresses the "sense of the
Senate."


This concludes our message.  For more information,
please write to the Friends Committee on National
Legislation, 245 Second St., NE, Washington, DC 20002. 
** End of text from cdp:fcnl.updates **