FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1985
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→THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLICATED LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURES WHICH CAN BE USED IN THE PROGRESS OF A BILL THROUGH CONGRESS AND THE SENATE,+ SAID MR MACLEOD, IN BRIEF, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THIS:
+THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILL IS NOW BEFORE THE SENATE. SENATOR E.F. HOLLINGS YESTERDAY PROPOSED THAT THE AMENDED THURMOND BILL BE ATTACHED TO IT. A MOTION WAS THEN PUT FORWARD THAT SENATOR HOLLINGS' PROPOSAL BE PUT ASIDE. THIS WAS DEFEATED BY 55 VOTES TO 38.
+THEN A VOTE WAS TAKEN TO CONSIDER THE CONTENTS OF THE AMENDED THURMOND BILL AND THIS WAS CARRIED BY 54 VOTES TO 42. SENATOR HOLL INGS' PROPOSAL WAS THEREBY ACHIEVED. THE VOTING FIGURES ARE IMPORTANT, FOR IF THE PRESIDENT DECIDES TO VETO THE MAIN BILL AND ITS ATTACHMENT THEN A TWO THIRDS MAJORITY WOULD BE REQUIRED IN BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO OVER-RIDE THIS VETO. TODAY'S VOTING INDICATES THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE TWO-THIRDS REQUIREMENT COULD BE MET. THE VOTE IN THE HOUSE, ON OCTOBER 10, WHEN THE ORIGINAL JENKINS BILL WAS PASSED BY 262 VOTES TO 159 GAVE THE SAME MESSAGE.
+ THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILL WITH THE AMENDED THURMOND BILL ATTACHED HAS NOT YET BEEN PASSED. THE SENATE IS EXPECTED TO RESUME DEBATE ON IT TODAY, U.S. TIME.
+ THE JENK INS BILL STARTED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE THURMOND BILL IN THE SENATE AS IDENTICAL MEASURES. THE HOUSE BILL WAS PASSED IN AN UNAMENDED FORM. IN THE SENATE, HOWEVER, THE BILL AS ATTACHED TO THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILL WAS AMENDED - MOST IMPORTANTLY TO SINGLE OUT I.E. HONG KONG, TAIWAN AND SOUTH KOREA FOR THE HARSHEST TREATMENT.
+ IF THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILL IS PASSED IN THE SENATE IT WILL DIFFER FROM THE VERSION PASSED BY CONGRESS. THE NEXT STAGE WOULD BE FOR WHAT IS KNOWN AS A JOINT CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. THIS IS A GATHERING OF SENIOR CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS INVOLVED IN THE RELEVANT LEGISLATION TO RECONCILE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LEGISLATION EMANATING FROM THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE AND TO PUT FORWARD A SINGLE BILL TO THE PRESIDENT FOR CONSIDERATION.
J
+VARIOUS THINGS COULD HAPPEN AT THE CONFERENCE STAGE, SAID MR MACLEOD. +THE HOLLINGS ATTACHMENT COULD BE DETACHED, COMPROMISES COULD BE MADE, OR IT COULD EMERGE UNSCATHED.
+CLEARLY THE POWERFUL OPPONENTS OF THE BILL, SOME OF WHOM WILL BE MEMBERS OF THE CONFERENCE, WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE BILL AT THIS AS AT EVERY OTHER STAGE.
A
+ THE ADMINISTRATION REMAINS OPPOSED TO THE BILL AND IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE IN YET ANOTHER VOTE THAT THE SUPPORTERS NOT BEEN ABLE TO MUSTER ENOUGH SUPPORT TO OVERRIDE ANY PRESIDENTIAL VETO.+