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DEMOCRATIC STUDY GROUP
SPECIAL REPORT
THE FIRST SESSION OF THE, 92HD CONGRESS ,n
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This' report summarizes the major activities of the
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first session of the 92nd Congress.
It is designed to
provide a quick overview of legislative action in
various' areas^to assist Members v and staff in preparing
end-of-session newsletters, press statements, speeches,
etc.
Bill numbers and dates of key House votes are in
parentheses.
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AGRICULTURE
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The Congress passed legislation to extend tHe Sugar
Act (HR 88&6/June 10) and to provide a f armer-Qv^ned 6
cooperative 1 ^"ystem for the extension of credit ^9 .^v ,
farmers arid•- for ;other rural area
needs
(HR ll'iiJ!2/No'v^
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The House r|3ast Sed legislation to raise farm income t>y
raising loan rates (HR 8290/Dec. 8) and by providing a
strategic grain reserve (HR 1163/Dec. 8). These two
bills are awaiting Senate action.
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. CIVIL LIBERTIES
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The contempt citation ,o,f ; CBS and: its president, -.'N-i
Dr. Frank Stanton,. .was kil,led by : the House on July 13"ofta motion to recommit. .
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Congress passed legislation to repeal the Emergency
Detention Act; (HR 2 34/Sept.,; 13) xvith,an-amendment
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prohibiting; detention of persons by the U.-S. unless
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pursuant to. an ; Act of Congress. ;
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Civil Liberties (Cont'd)
The House also killed a proposal for a school prayer
amendment to the Constitution (H.J.Res. 191/Nov. 8). The
House first discharged the Judiciary Committee from
consideration of the proposal and then defeated it,
falling short of ,the 2/3 majority needed for passage.
The House passed legislation to waive the language
requirement for naturalization for aliens over 50 who
have lived in the U.S.-.for .-over 20 years.
(HR 1535/April 19)
CIVIL RIGHTS
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The major piece of civil rights legislation in the
first session, Equal Employment Opportunities Act of 1971
(HR 1746/Sept. 16), was defeated when the House approved
the Erlenborn Substitute. The Senate is expected to act
on a bill almost identical to the original House measure.
The Congress did approve a bill (HR 10367/Oct. 19)
settling Alaska Native land claims outstanding since 1867.
CONSUMER AFFAIRS
The House passed the Consume Protection Act of 1971
(HR 10835/Oct. 14) after defeating the strengthening
Moorhead amendment to the bill. The bill, which creates
an independent Consumer Protection Agency to represent
the consumer before other federal agencies and the courts,
awaits Senate action.
DEFENSE SPENDING AND DRAFT
The House approved virtually all military spending
requests, and twice rejected Aspin amendments to set
ceilings on the budget (June 16 & Nov. 17). The House
also rejected Leggett and Bingham amendments directed at
the ABM and F-14 fighter (June 16 & Nov. 17).
The Congress extended the draft for two years
(HR 6531/April 1), after rejecting the Harrington
amendment to-repeal the President's induction authority
and the Whalen amendment to limit the extension to one
year (March 31).
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ECONOMY
Early in the session the Congress passed a measure
(HR 4246/March 10) extending the President : 's authority
to institute wage and price controls. The legislation
was the foundation1 for the President'1 s wage-and-price
freeze and his Phase II economic policies.
Later, Congress passed legislation to implement both
Phase I and Phase II of the President's new economic
program. The Phase I legislation (HR 10947/Oct. 6)
originally passed the House by voice vote, but the
conference report was approved by record vote on Dec. 9.
Phase II legislation (FIR 11309) cleared the House on'
Dec. 10 and is currently in conference. The Congress
also passed the Administration's tax bill (HR 10947/ '
Dec. 9) to implement Phase I economic policies.
EDUCATION
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The House passed the Higher Education :Act o£ : 1971
(HR 7248/Nov. 4) after accepting numerous anti-busing
amendments* attaching the school desegregation bill to the
act,'limiting the impact of the sex-discrimination
provisions, and rejecting amendments to other parts Or*
the bill. Because of the procedural snarl caused by the
school desegregation amendments, the House must await
further Senate action before going to conference.
Nixon vetoed the Comprehensive Child 'Development
Act (S. 2007/Sept: 8 '&' Dec. 7) which Congress has added
to a'bill extending the poverty program for another two
years and creating ah independent legal 'services
corporation. The bill woulL have provided a wide range
of educational, nutritional and health services for
children of working parents,
ELECTION REFORM
The campaign reform bill (HR 11060/Nov. 30) (which
.is currently . in a House-Senate conference committee) limits
campaign media spending and requires stricter reporting of
campaign contributions and expenditures.
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Election Reform (Cont'd)
The public financing measure which is included in
the President's New Economic Policy tax package
(HR 10947/Nov. 22 & Dec. 9) providing ,a $1 tax checkoff
to be channeled into a fund for Presidential candidates
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.was delayed until the 1976 Presidential election.
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ENVIRONMENT
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The Congress defeated the SST by passing the Yates
amendment denying funds for development (March 18), and
deleted funds for the controversial Dickey-Lincoln power
project (July 29). Bills protecting wild horses
(HR 9890/Oct. 4) and prohibiting hunting from aircraft
(HR 5060/May 17) were passed by both houses and signed
into law.
Legislation passed by the House but awaiting Senate
action includes a bill prohibiting ocean dumping
(HR 9727/Sept. 9) ; and a bill declaring an international
moratorium on whale killing (H.Con.Res. 387/Nov. 1) .
The Pesticide'Control Act passed the House (HR 10729/N6V.9),
but'only-after three strengthening Dow amendments had been
defeated.
Environmental defeats included the Mink amendment
to stop the Cannikin nuclear test (July 23), and the
Skubitz-•amendment to prohibit dumping of atomic waste
in Kansas (July 15). The Reuss amendment placing a oneyear moratorium on stream channelization was defeated
(June 23) , as was a bill to protect sea mammals from
slaughter (HR 10420/Dec. 6),
FOREIGN POLICY
The Congress refused to strike the South African
sugar quota, (June 10), and rejected efforts to delete
an^amendment permitting importation of Rhodesian chrome
UNdv. ;1Q) . The Congress did relax previous restrictions
on .Presidential authority to permit East-West trade, but
the House unsuccessfully tried to block the initiative
by adopting the Wylie a<nencmcrit(HR 8181/July 8) , scuttled
in conference.
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HEALTH
The Congress passed a $1.6 BILLION attack on cancer
(HR 11302/Nov. 15), and a comprehensive health manpower
training act (HR 8629/July 1). Two House-passed measures
to provide drug treatment for ex-servicemen and assistance
to state medical schools await Senate action (HR 9265 &
H.J.Res. 748/July 19). Health provisions in the welfare
bill also await Senate action (HR I/June 22).
The House increased appropriations for rehabilitation
services by passing the Giaimo amendment, but only after
defeating the Yates amendment: providing for larger,
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general increases in health appropriations (HR 10061/
July 27) .
INDOCHINA WAR
The House continued to support Administration handling
of the war in Indochina, as it defeated the Fraser '
amendment to limit use of drafhees (April 22), and the
Ne&zi and'Boland amendments to limit use of funds (June 17 &
Nov. 1'7) . The House also twice defeated the Mansfield
amendment on procedural votes (June 28 & Oct. 19) «
TRANSPORTATION POLICY
The Congress adjusted transportation priorities by
defeating the SST (March 18) and adopting the GiaimO
amendment adding funds for the DoC, subway (Dec. 2). ;
Legislation permitting bigger buses on the highways
passed the House but awaits Senate action (HR 4354/July 21).
JOBS AND LABOR
:•Congress passed twc bills to help ease unemployment,
the Public Works Extension (HR 9922/July 28) and the
Daniels Emergency Jobs Act (HR 3613/June 2). The public
works bill passed, after efforts to weaken it were defeated
(April 22), but the President vetoed the bill and the
July 28 version was weakened to meet his objections.
Jobs and Labor (Cont'd)
Legislation benefiting miners afflicted with black
lung failed in the House under suspension of the rules
(HR 9212/Oct. 18), but passed on the House Calendar
(Nov. 10) and is. awaiting Senate action^ Legislation
providing increased wages but also prohibiting strikes
for railway workers passed both houses (H.J.Res. 642/
May 18) .
Labor defeats included House rejection of a resolution
providing federal pay raises (H.Res. 596/Oct. 4), and
adoption of an amendment to Phase II legislation limiting
retroac'iivity in New Economic Policy wage increases
(HR 11309/Dec. 10).
WOMENS ! RIGHTS
The Hotise passed the 48 year old Equal Rights Amendment
(H.J.Res. 208/pct. 12) after defeating the nullifying
Wiggins amendment. Now, as last Congress, the House awaits
Senate action on this constitutional amendment to provide
equal'rights for men. and women.
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The House also adopted prohibition on sex
discrimination in the Comprehensive Health Manpower
Training Act (HR 8629/July 1), Nurse Training Act (HR 8630/
July•.•!)'> and the Public Works and Economic Development
Act (HR } 9922/July 28) passed in both the House and the
Senate and signed into. law.... A third bill providing 1 equal
rights and benefits for married women federal employees
(HR 3628/Aug. 2) was approved by Congress and awaits
Presidential signature.
A provision banning sex discrimination in federally
supported education programs was weakened by the Erlenborn
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amendment (HR 7248/Nov. 4) exempting undergraduate
admissions from the prohibition. However, the provision
did 1 contain an extension of equal pay provisions of the
Fair Labor Standards Act to executive and administrative
personnel r and extends.; equal employment provisions of the
1964 Civil Rights Act to teachers. The bill awaits
Senate action.
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RECORD TELLER VOTES
The first session of the 92nd Congress saw the
implementation of a major procedural reform — the
record teller rule which permits recording of votes on
amendments fpr the first time in House history.
This historic reform has resulted in an 80%
increase in the number of record votes, a 150% increase
in the number of Members voting, and record votes for
the first time on major issues such as the v/ar, SST
funding, and appropriations for health and other
domestic priorities.
As of the close of business December 10, the
House had taken a total of 312 record votes during
1971 — 108 record teller votes and 204 roll call votes.
By comparison, there were only 177 record votes — all
roll calls — during the first session of the 91st
Congress.
The number of Members participating in votes on
amendments has increased from about 150 previously
when such votes were unrecorded to an average of 375
on the 108 record teller votes taken this year.