Summer Session Kansan
Thursday, June 14, 1979
3
House reverses itself on planned pay hike
WASHINGTON (AP)—The House yesterday reversed itself on the issue of raising its pay, rejecting a bill containing a provision that would have given members of Congress a 5.5 percent cost of living increase in October.
The about-face came shortly after the House had overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the bill that would have given lawmakers more time to raise in their current salaries of $750 a year.
That increase, plus a similar increase included for high-ranking government officials, would have cost between $20 million and $40 million, supporters of the amend-
HOWEVER, AFTER approving the amendment, the House rejected the overall
bill on a 232-186 ticket with several members jumping to the winning side in the last round.
In a series of payments on the pay raise issue, the House, by voice vote, rejected an attempt to freeze pay levels for Congress and employees making more than $47,500 a year.
Faced with a choice of either a 7 percent pay hike as proposed by the House Appropriations Committee or a lower 5.5 percent, the House voted 36-15 for the 5.5 percent.
OPPONENTS OF any increase at all were able to muster the winning margin to defeat the entire bill, 232-186. The full measure was passed by the House and Senate in fiscal year 1980.
The Kansas congressional delegation opposed the bill and one member called the measure "a slap in the face" of the tax-payers.
"Everybody's watching us," said R-Larry Winn of Overland Park, "and I don't think it's a prudent time for us to give ourselves increases when many, many people out there can't control their own incomes."
REP. DAN GLICKMAN of Wichita, the only Democrat in the Kansas delegation, said the next version of the congressional budget will not include a pay raise and he called those supporting the defeated "absolute ideals" for bringing it to a vote.
the American people," Glickman said. "We have 13 percent inflation."
"Whoever did it is not reading the mood of
Rep. Keith Sebelius of Norton said instead of any pay increases, the Congress should increase the percent pay cut, citing the need for Compete in order to sign signs of leadership in withdication.
"INFLATION CALLS for something drastic." he said. "We have to have some sacrificial bullet biting."
Others in the Kansas delegation agreed.
"A pay raise for the people who are responsible for inflation is a slap in the face of the rest of the country," said Rep. Jim Jeffries of Atchison.
Rep. Bob Whittaker of Augusta suggested passage of the bill would have indicated
Congress was abandoning any effort to take a lead inhalation inflation.
"We've got enough inflation in our country now," he said. "If we're going to have any leadership, it's up to us to demonstrate it."
REP. GEORGE O'BRIEN, R-III., a principal opponent, said the parliamentary maneuvering have been unnecessary motion for a pay freeze had been accepted.
Asked if legislators had a chance to kill without going away with the question of deciding what percentage increase to move, he replied, "I think you can say that, I should support my substitute wage freeze supported, that would have ended the matter."
O'Brien added that he thought the House was 'very, very nervous' over the issue and that press reports of its action may have played some part in the final decision.
The vote to kill the bill outright came just minutes after Rep. Robert Walker, R-Pa., told the House that a news organization was calling the members and voted themselves a pay raise.
The president annually recommends a cost-of-living increase for government workers in an effort to keep federal salaries on a par with those of private workers. Last year, Congress exempted itself and all officials making more than $47,500 a year from the 5.5 percent pay increase approved by the president.
Stable relationship sought at Vienna summit
WASHINGTON (AP) — The carefully orchestrated summit meeting in Vienna will produce a signed treaty to limit U.S. and Soviet strategic nuclear weapons and, President Carter hopes, smooth out "the peaks and valleys" in superpower relations.
But otherwise, Carter's goals at this first U.S. S.U.-summit in 4/5 years are modest, Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance said yesterday.
"We must move away from the peaks and valleys, the ups and downs we have seen, to the higher hills."
He said Carter also will stress to Soviet
President Leonid I. Brezhnev that "detente is a two-way street and that we must both recognize it as such."
CARTER WLL fly to Vienna today with vance and other U.S. advisers for summit talks in Geneva.
The strategic arms limitation treaty, SALT II, a milestone in arms control, is the centerpiece of the three-day summit. It would impose constraints until 1985 on U.S. air force bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles and enhance U.S.-Soviet cooperation.
But the treaty still must clear the Senate, where ratification is in doubt, and where Sen. Henry M. Jackson, D-Wash., a chief critic, said the pact demonstrated a policy of "appeasement" toward the Soviet Union.
Vance rejected the allegations as "misguided and simply wrong."
"WE HAVE no delusions about the fundamental differences which exist between species of organisms."
He said Jackson, a critic of the strategic arms control treaty, was really questioning the United States' stance.
The United States is maintaining and strengthening its military defense while negotiating arms control agreements, Vance said.
"It would be foolhardy for us to embark on all an-out arms race," Vance said. "Strength in our military forces and arms control is compatible."
THE TWO leaders may reach a number of informal understandings to improve relations. If they hit it off personally, they might establish an atmosphere of trust extending far beyond Hofburg palace, the site of Monday's treaty signing.
"Hopefully, out of this can come a better understanding of the views and positions of them."
In a gesture of conciliation, Carter will bring to his first encounter with the crusty Soviet leader his personal assurances that he would be a more favorable trading privileges to Moscow.
But, like the arms control treaty, Congress will have the final say.
The Soviets lost low tariff and easy credit arrangements five years ago by refusing to join a congressional amendment requiring that Jemen's minorities be allowed to emigrate freely.
COLOR IT KODAK
COLOR BURST, 100
INSTANT CAMERA Only $35$
COLOR IT
INSTANT.
COLOR IT
BEAUTIFUL.
COLOR IT
EASY.
Get color prints so beautiful you have to see them to believe them
Easy-to-use zooming-circle focusing means you don't have to estimate the distance between 4 and 25 feet. Also have zone symbol to highlight in feet and meters.
con photosensor
Automatic print ejection as soon as shutter button is released
Correct exposure is automatic with electronic shutter and a sill-
The print develops
from the printer's
pulled-off,
peeling of ink from
the camera backed by
a 3-year Kodak
mask.
Come see the beautiful color prints you can get with the new Kodak Instant Camera
THE KODAK INSTANT* HAS ARRIVED
DAY GIFTS!
DAD'S GRANDFATHER'S HUSBANDS
Father's Day is to honor someone who has put his heart into bringing happiness to those he loves
Remember the men in your life with a card by Ambassador, or choose a gift, calculator, or special book at the...