The lopsided 407-24 vote a rarity on a tax bill in a Congress narrowly divided between Republicans and Democrats should send a strong message to the Senate, where a nearly identical bill died last year, sponsors said. President Bush has expressed support for the approach but did not include retirement measures in his package of tax cuts. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, supported the bill. People age 50 and older would get special provisions raising their contribution limits more quickly. Democrats charge the commission of eight Republicans and eight Democrats was created to give Bush political cover with a predetermined outcome and a bipartisan label.
Oil companies favor drilling in the refuge while environmentalists want to preserve it untouched.
Bush's panel is the eighth special council created in the past 20 years to study Social Security. Only one resulted in any major changes. The Expo, a combination of Ag Awareness Day and Earth Day activities, concludes its three-day run today at the Bell County Expo Center. Congressional leaders planned to push a budget for 2002 embodying the pact through the House and Senate on Thursday. Passage would help GOP leaders toward their goal of shipping Bush a major tax bill by Memorial Day.