Trial could hinder legislative session

The 106th Congress opens today, but for at least the first few weeks there's only one thing on the agenda: the Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) is looking at proposals that would put a tight time limit on it so the Senate can conduct legislative work.

He is backed in that effort by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) who has made clear that Democrats will block all legislative action until the trial ends.

''Obviously that (legislative) agenda is going to be affected dramatically'' until the impeachment issue is resolved, Daschle said yesterday on C-Span.

The House today will reappoint the 13 House Republicans who will serve as prosecutors in the Senate trial. The House also will do some housekeeping chores, including easing a 1995 decision to bar members from receiving any gifts at all from lobbyists.

Instead, they will adopt the less restrictive Senate standards that allow gifts, including meals, valued at up to $50, with a $100 cap on gifts from any one source in a year.

After that, the House will recess at least until Clinton's State of the Union address, scheduled for Jan. 19. That speech could be delayed because of the impeachment trial.

The administration and the Democrats probably will resubmit bills to overhaul campaign finance rules and to impose a national settlement on the tobacco industry. With Republicans down to a 12-seat majority in the House, Democrats will hold a little more sway, but those efforts are sure to meet strong resistance from the GOP leadership.

There's more room for compromise in defense, where Republicans have welcomed Clinton's pledge to boost spending by $110 billion over six years but insist that's still not enough to improve readiness. The Republicans are also determined to build a national anti-missile defense system.

Both sides have also recognized the need to do more concerning education. The White House wants to continue funding for a program to hire 100,000 elementary school teachers and new money for school construction. The GOP stress is on more local control, better teachers and new ideas such as education savings accounts that promote family choice.

There's also wide agreement that patients must be better protected from the abuses of managed care providers, and this may be one area where public pressure might force a compromise. Last year the hang-up was the Democratic demand, opposed by Republicans, that consumers have the right to sue health plans.

Saving the Social Security system - now expected to go broke in 2032 - is the feature issue of both parties. Clinton recently showed some flexibility toward GOP proposals that Americans be able to invest some of their retirement funds privately, and Republicans have promised to work with the White House if it produces its own plan.

''We spent a year making it safe to talk about Social Security,'' White House budget director Jack Lew said Sunday on CNN. ''Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. There's not going to ever be a better time.''

The White House opposes any major tax cuts until the Social Security issue is settled, but is proposing tax credits for people with long-term care responsibilities and for child care. Republicans want across-the-board tax relief and will again work to change tax rules that penalize two-income married couples, but say a major tax bill may be at least a year away.

01-06-99