[12465] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Senate Rules Committee Approves S.2288
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vigdor Schreibman)
Tue Sep 29 20:22:10 1998
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 17:21:48 -0500
From: Vigdor Schreibman <fins98@worldnet.att.net>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
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FINS SPECIAL REPORT September
29, 1998
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SENATE RULES COMMITTEE APPROVES S.2288
Public Information Reform Moves Toward Senator Floor Vote
Washington, DC--Senate bill 2288, "The Government Publications
Reform Act of 1998," which will provide comprehensive reform of the
nation's public information systems, was approved by voice vote of
the Committee on Rules and Administration Monday afternoon, Sept 28.
The bill presents a dramatic challenge between advocates for the corporate
"bottom line" versus free public access to government information, which is
the lifeblood of democracy.
The Rules Committee action came after several failed attempts to obtain a
quorum on the markup beginning earlier this month. The successful action
Monday afternoon came following a roll call vote on the floor of the Senate
related to another unrelated matter.
Rules Committee Chair Sen. John Warner (R-VA), was able to take
advantage of the gathering of the Senators on the Senate floor, to call for
the markup in the Vice President's office just off the Senate floor. "This
is a common procedure for busy Senators who were unable to meet in a
regular quorum," according to Rules Committee Staff Director Eric
Peterson," who spoke to FINS from his office at the Capitol..
The vote marked a shift in the position of Sen. Moynihan, who had
earlier expressed opposition to the bill because of complaints
by Xerox Corporation over possible job loss due to expected
downsizing of bloated agency printing facilities. Other Senators,
mainly Nichols, Helms, and Santorum are known to oppose provisions
of the bill that requires the Government to honor the collective
bargaining agreement with workers of the Government Printing Office.
The position of Sen. Hutchison and Sen. Torricelli on these matters is
unclear, according to library sources. The majority leader, Sen. Lott,
did not vote, sources said, because of a conflict in schedules.
An unrecorded, but official voice vote was taken. Sources indicate
that the results were--yeas 9, nays 2, not voting 4, as follows:
YEAS--9 NAYS--2
John N. Warner (R-VA) Jesse Helms (R-NC)
Ted Stevens (R-AK) Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY) NOT VOTING--4
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) Don Nichols (R-OK)
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) Trent Lott (R-MS)
Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca) Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)
Vigdor Schreibman - FINS
[Communicatiing the emerging philosophy of the
Information Age. Online at Fins Information Age
Library. URL: http://sunsite.utk.edu/FINS]
>
