Space Station Funding Wins Decisively in Senate -- Margin Similar to House Vote in June -- Volume 1, Bulletin No. 2 -- August 4, 1994

On a vote of 64 to 36, the Senate Wednesday defeated a Bumpers amendment to kill $2.1 billion for the space station in the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations bill. In late June, the House voted 278 to 155 to also maintain funds for the project. California receives a major share of NASA funding, and the station -- when combined with the closely related shuttle program -- accounts for nearly 30,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state. The Institute has supported the space station throughout the legislative process and will continue to do so. The Cassini mission to Saturn and other space programs important to California also received funding in the Senate bill.

Education Bill Passes Senate -- Formula Change Would Benefit California Slightly

The Senate on Tuesday approved S. 1513, which would reauthorize the major federal education programs, including Chapter One, the largest education grant and fourth largest federal formula. California receives about $700 million of the roughly $7 billion in annual Chapter One distributions, but the formula has traditionally given our state less funding per poor child than most other states. Senator Feinstein opted not to offer a major formula change amendment and instead supported a Hatch amendment to reduce the disparity among states' receipts. More details on the Hatch formula will be available in the next few days. The House and Senate formulas vary substantially, and conference negotiations will likely be contentious. Both the House and Senate proposals provide more funds to California than would current law.
Unfortunately, negotiations to authorize updating of poverty data, which would help growing states like California, were unsuccessful. The Institute and others are working to ensure full discussion of these issues at conference.

Immigration Reform Commission Recommends Worker-Verification System

Barbara Jordan, Chair of the U. S. Commission on Immigration Reform, recommended testing a nationwide system to verify an individual's identity and eligibility to work in the U.S. The Commission's recommendation is aimed at improving enforcement of the immigration laws, prohibiting the employment of undocumented immigrants, and ending economic incentives that draw them to the United States.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs, Ms. Jordan pointed out that prospective employees are already required to provide a Social Security number to employers. The worker-verification just adds an additional step, she said, "checking that the Social Security number is valid and has been issued to someone authorized to work in the United States." Ms. Jordan acknowledged that Social Security and Immigration registries would have to be improved to be effective, and that an as yet undefined, fraud-proof system would have to be established. Nevertheless, she called upon President Clinton to promptly set up a test program in immigration-impacted states, including California.
Civil rights and Asian and Hispanic groups strongly oppose a worker-verification system, arguing that it would be an invasion of privacy and lead to discrimination. The Commission is required to report to Congress in September on measures to reform U. S. immigration policy and its implementation. The Institute will report on the commission's proceedings.

Defense Bill Conference Effort Underway to Save B-2 Bomber Production Facility

The Senate's Defense Authorization bill includes $150 million for the preservation of Northrop Corporation's B-2 bomber facility, the last U.S. bomber production plant. The House version of the bill would end the program. Northrop is the B-2's prime contractor, and much of the funding for the program comes to California. Conference discussions are now underway. The DoD Appropriations bills already contain funds, provided authorization language exists.
An effort is underway to gather signatures for a Dear Colleague letter to the defense authorization bill's conferees. So far the letter has the signatures of over half the bipartisan California Congressional delegation and nearly half the House of Representatives. Members wishing to sign the letter should contact Claire Kelly (202-225-5916) with Rep. Norm Dicks; for more information or action suggestions, call Fred King with Northrop (703-841-5138).

Changes Proposed to Homeless Group Priority Access to Closing Military Facilities

The House of Representatives recently passed a housing authorization bill which included a provision to reduce the extent to which homeless assistance providers are given priority access to closing military facilities under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. The McKinney Act, enacted prior to major base closings legislation, has been criticized for allowing homeless providers to leapfrog all other potential bidders for use of closed bases, regardless of the extent of the problem in the base's community, and to do so at any stage of the process. Further, property screening can be costly and time-consuming.
The proposed amendment would balance economic redevelopment concerns with homeless needs by specifying procedures for closing military bases. First, the local community develops a base reuse plan, to include addressing the needs of local homeless. Next, HUD determines whether the plan adequately addresses homeless needs. If HUD finds these needs are addressed adequately, the plan is forwarded to DoD for re-use without further screening. If, however, HUD finds these needs are not addressed adequately, the property would be screened under current McKinney procedures.

Bulletin No. 2 -- August 4, 1994