roundtable: Office of Technology Assessment Survives House Vote

roundtable: Office of Technology Assessment Survives House Vote

Office of Technology Assessment Survives House Vote

Vigdor Schreibman - FINS (fins@access.digex.net)
Thu, 22 Jun 1995 13:08:41 -0400 (EDT) 

Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 13:08:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
To: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
Subject: Office of Technology Assessment Survives House Vote
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950622123320.12131A-100000@access2.digex.net>


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FINS SPECIAL REPORT                                          June 22, 1995
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OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT SURVIVES HOUSE VOTE
Vote on OTA Budget Taken De Novo Due To Irregularities

Washington, DC--The Office of Technology Assessment survived in the US
House of Representatives today by a vote of 220 yeas to 204 nays on a
substitute amendment by Rep. Amo Houghton (R-NY) that would transfer $15
million from the Library of Congress "salaries and expenses" account to
the Congressional Research Service (CRS).  The vote was taken de novo on a
consent motion introduced by majority leader Richard Armey (R-TX), after
irregularities were conceded by Armey and Speaker Newt Gingrich in a vote
on the matter Wednesday. 

  In Wednesday's vote, called by the presiding officer Rep. John Linder
(R-GA), at 213 yeas and 214 noes, the amendment was defeated.  However, at
the time the vote was closed--15 to 20 seconds under the 17 minute time
limit set by Republican rules for House votes--two members were in the
well (Reps. Tom Foglietta (D-PA), and Earl Hilliard (D-AL)), ready to cast
votes that would have reversed the outcome.  Democrats angrily assailed
the Republicans for prematurely shutting down the vote in mid-afternoon
allegedly so that they could get to a Gingrich fundraiser in New York City
where $1.7 million was raised from fat cats yesterday afternoon.

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