House Votes
to Halt Ergonomics Rules
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The U.S. House voted 220-203 on
Thursday to block the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration from enforcing ergonomics
rules that the agency had planned to implement by
the end of this year. The vote was on whether to
delete an anti-ergonomics amendment from an
appropriations bill passed last week. The
amendment by Kentucky Cong. Anne Northrup was
tacked onto a $339.5 billion measure funding
education, labor and health programs in the
coming fiscal year. In the mostly party-line
vote, just 16 Democrats – mostly from the
South – voted to block the ergonomics
regulations. Fourteen Republicans, mainly from
the industrial Northeast and Midwest, voted to
let them take effect.
North Carolina's congressional delegation split
8-4 on keeping the anti-ergonomics amendment in
the spending bill. Democrats David Price, Eva
Clayton, Bob Etheridge and Mel Watt voted to
strip the amendment from the bill. Democrat Mike
McIntyre joined Republicans Richard Burr, Howard
Coble, Walter Jones, Charles Taylor, Sue Myrick,
Robin Hayes and Cass Ballenger in voting to keep
the amendment. See the roll call.
President Clinton strongly supports OSHA's bid to
enforce ergonomics regulations on an estimated
1.8 million businesses, and has said he will veto
the bill if it reaches his desk.The language
could disappear even sooner, when House-Senate
bargainers craft a final version of the spending
bill.
The vote was the second major defeat for
organized labor in recent days, coming soon after
Congress voted to extend permanent normal trade
relations with China.
Business groups oppose the OSHA rules because
they say there hasn't been sufficient scientific
evidence produced to guarantee that the rules
will benefit workers. In a letter to House
members, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the
OSHA effort "exemplifies irresponsible
government at its worst" and said it might
include the vote in its annual rating of
lawmakers' records, which can effect campaign
contributions.Since taking control of Congress in
1995, Republicans have repeatedly approved
legislation aimed at delaying the regulations.
Floyd Flap: Nine members of
North Carolina's congressional delegation have
signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Trent
Lott (R-Mississippi) urging him to drop delaying
tactics that have help up Senate consideration of
a House-passed bill that includes more than $300
million in federal disaster aid to North Carolina
victims of Hurricane Floyd. The House passed the
emergency relief bill in March but Lott has
refused to let the Senate consider it because he
believes it includes too much money for unrelated
items. A Senate committee in May attached $250
million in Floyd aid to an agriculture spending
bill, with Lott's approval. But Minority Leader
Tom Daschle blocked a vote on that bill because,
he said, spending bills should originate in the
House.
Farm Aid: The U.S. Agriculture
Department said 10,221 North Carolina farmers
will receive $6.1 million to help offset low
commodity prices. Nationally, the payments amount
to $462 million to more than 600,000 farmers
nationally who grow soybeans, sunflowers and
other oil-bearing crops. The payments are being
made under a farm aid package passed by Congress
last year and are intended to help offset low
prices for the crops. The payments will amount to
$593 for a farmer who grew 100 acres of soybeans.
Education Grants: The U.S.
Department of Education awarded $1.29 million in
grants to UNC-Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem State,
Appalachian and Elon College for technology
training programs for teachers, Sen. John Edwards
(D-N.C.) announced. The four colleges were among
122 nationwide that received a total of $128
million in grants.
Paying Taxes: Republican U.S.
Rep. Charles Taylor (R-11th) paid a $3,583.50
property tax bill to Jackson County under protest
and submitted a written request for a refund.
Taylor and county officials are involved in a
dispute over a law that cuts the tax rate for
land under active forest management. The county
says Taylor has not qualified for the lower rate
and wants $17,989 in delinquent taxes dating to
1996. Taylor contends he is eligible for the tax
break and disputes the tax claim.
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