CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:
California Delegation Calls For Federal Emergency Assistance Due to Citrus Freeze
CCIT & Institute Host Trade Forum in Monterey
Clean Air/MTBE Remains a Hot Legislative Topic
Debate Begins over Base Closings, Defense Spending
Senate Finance Sets Dates for Fast-Track Hearings
Sacramento Fellowships: 2/17/99 Application Deadline Approaching
California Delegation Full Committee Membership Roster

Thirty-nine members of the California Congressional Delegation, joined by both Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, have called on the President to issue a federal emergency declaration for six counties in California. The six counties -- Fresno, Kern, Madera, Tulare, Monterey, and Kings -- have suffered tremendous losses in citrus because of this past December's freeze. The letter to the President encloses letters from Governor Gray Davis to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Labor, Dan Glickman and Alexis Herman, respectively, as well as the Governor Wilson's proclamation of a state emergency in four of the six counties.

In addition, a separate delegation letter to Secretary Glickman, originated by Rep. Bill Thomas (Bakersfield) and signed by 35 Californians, asks that the state's farmers be deemed eligible for 1998 disaster assistance because the damage was caused in that year and much of the crop expenses were incurred then as well.

The letter to the President cites $600 million in agricultural capital losses and predicts the final figure will go much higher as the effects on dependent communities are realized. In addition, long-term losses to California's citrus industry will endanger economic stability in the region if federal disaster assistance is not made available. In addition to the citrus crop losses, Gov. Davis' letters also cite losses to vegetable crops and nursery stocks in the coastal areas.

The state's Department of Food and Agriculture on Wednesday estimated that the four-day freeze will cost $657.3 million. California produces 80% of oranges eaten as fruit in the U.S. and 20% of all oranges consumed.
 

CCIT & Institute Host Trade Forum in Monterey

The California Council for International Trade, joined by the California Institute and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, hosted a Congressional Trade Forum in Monterey, CA from January 16-18. The event drew eleven members of the California delegation, and over fifty business, academic, and non-profit representatives with an interest in trade. Rep. Sam Farr, who represents the Monterey area, served as congressional host.

The forum began with a dinner Thursday night at which Rep. Bob Matsui (Sacramento) was the keynote speaker, and received CCIT's Golden State Award. Friday morning, Rep. David Dreier was featured as keynote speaker and also received the Golden State Award. Both members focused their remarks primarily on the issue of fast-track trade agreement legislation in the 106th Congress, with Rep. Dreier calling for the House to begin its debate with the 1997 legislation.

Later on Friday, Rep. Xavier Becerra (Los Angeles) joined a panel on Regional Trade Issues in Asia and Latin America. Commenting on the fast-track legislation, Mr. Becerra expressed doubt that the 1997 bill would garner any more votes in this Congress than its previously unsuccessful vote. Rep. Cal Dooley (Visalia) appeared on a panel to discuss trade sanctions. Mr. Dooley suggested that before unilateral trade sanctions were imposed against a foreign country, the U.S. should do a cost-benefit analysis to determine what the consequences of the sanction to U.S. interests would be. Rep. Ken Calvert spoke on a panel concerning Agricultural Trade later on Friday, and participated in a China trade panel on Saturday. Mr. Calvert warned that the Cox Committee report on the transfer of technology to China would seriously criticize the handling of U.S. exports. Without disclosing the contents of the report, because it is still classified, Mr. Calvert opined that Normal Trade Relation status with China may be harder to win this year, and some restraints on export of U.S. high technology products might be enacted.

At Friday night's dinner, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante was keynote speaker. On Saturday, Rep. Bill Thomas (Bakersfield) addressed the forum by speakerphone. Mr. Thomas reviewed the trade legislation that might come before the House this year. On fast-track, he suggested that, in order to get a bill passed, the labor and environmental issues would have to be put aside. He encouraged the forum participants to prioritize issues and join forces to speak with one voice on the legislation they could support.

Other members of the delegation participating in the Forum were Reps. Barbara Lee (Oakland); Grace Napolitano (Norwalk) and Doug Ose (Sacramento).

In Congress, the Senate Finance Committee on Friday is expected to mark up legislation, which was not enacted in the 105th Congress, to cut or eliminate tariffs on more than 150 imported products or components, including certain drugs and technological equipment.
 

Clean Air/MTBE Remains a Hot Legislative Topic

On January 6, 1999, Congressman Brian Bilbray (San Diego) reintroduced a bipartisan California bill to amend the Clean Air Act. H.R. 11, which Bilbray previously introduced in the 104^th and 105^th Congresses, would permit California's more stringent regulations for its cleaner burning reformulated gasoline to apply in California, in lieu of existing federally mandated regulations, so long as the State regulations continue to achieve equivalent or greater reductions in emissions of ozone-forming compound and toxic air contaminants. Currently 38 members of the California Congressional Delegation are co-sponsors of the bill.

Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced an identical companion bill in the Senate this week. Feinstein also introduced a second MTBE-related bill which directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make cleaning up storage tanks that are leaking into drinking water a top priority. A third bill requires that stricter emissions controls on personal watercraft engines be implemented by 2001, rather than the EPA proposal of 2006. Personal water craft are also a source of MTBE contamination.

MTBE continues to be a current topic in the State Legislature, and State Senator Don Perata Tuesday introduced a bill to ban MTBE and similar ether compounds in gasoline by December 1, 1999. The bill also requires immediate pump labeling of gasoline containing MTBE and similar ether compounds.
 

Debate Begins over Base Closings, Defense Spending

In an effort to find additional funds within defense accounts, the President is expected to propose another round of military base closings in the FY2000 budget he is to present to Congress on February 1. But Californians and others in Congress may make that task difficult. Armed Services Committee member Curt Weldon (PA) was quoted that the White House is "not going to get a base closing bill. We were burned once. We're not going to be burned again."

Clinton is expected to request $12 billion in increased Pentagon spending next year, and $110 billion more over the next six years, figures which many defense proponents consider inadequate to meet military modernization and readiness needs. The services have estimated that $20 billion would be more in line with military requirements, and about $150 billion more over the next six years.

The White House has said that Clinton will ask Congress to approve two new rounds of base closings one in 2001 and another in 2005. At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, top Pentagon leaders claimed there was excess infrastructure in the military but declined to respond to requests from senators for specific facilities worthy of closure. Three Senators, John McCain (AZ), Carl Levin (MI) and Charles Robb (VA) introduced a bill to authorize rounds of base closings in 2001 and 2003.

California was disproportionately hard hit by prior base closure rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995. Despite housing only 15% of the nation's military personnel before the closures began in 1988, California shouldered 60% of the nation's net personnel reductions from the first four closure rounds.

Press reports indicate that the President's budget will request an additional $6.5 billion for national missile defense over five years, bringing the total to $10.5 billion. Defense Secretary Cohen noted that the budget request will nearly triple the amount proposed for national missile defense spending. The Senate came within one vote last year of moving a missile defense measure, and Administration support this year may tip the scale.
 

Senate Finance Sets Dates for Fast-Track Hearings

The Senate Finance Committee has announced that it will hold hearings on fast-track trade agreement legislation next week. The hearings, set for January 26-28, will take testimony from the administration, business representatives, and labor and environmental groups. The Committee hopes to forge some type of compromise on how to proceed with fast-track legislation, which was defeated in the House in late 1997.

The Committee may also hear from witnesses on measures dealing with trade legislation for the Caribbean and Africa.
 

Sacramento Fellowships: 2/17/99 Application Deadline Approaching

The Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento, administers the Assembly and Executive Fellowship, Senate Associates, and the Judicial Administration Fellowship programs. These programs, known collectively as the Capital Fellows Programs, are nationally recognized. The 18 Assembly Fellows, 18 Senate Associates, 18 Executive Fellows and 5 Judicial Administration Fellows receive an outstanding opportunity to engage in public service and prepare for future careers, while actively contributing to the development and implementation of public policy in California.

Fellows and associates in each program work for 11 months, receive health benefits and a monthly stipend of $1,792.00 and are considered employees of CSUS. They work as full-time members of a legislative, executive, or judicial branch office, and are typically given assignments with a significant amount of responsibility and challenge. Fellows and associates also enroll as graduate students at CSUS and receive 12 graduate credits from the CSUS Government Department or Public Policy and Administration Program. The enrollment fees are paid by the programs.

Anyone with a degree from a four-year college or university is eligible to apply. Fellows and associates are selected in the spring and start their programs in the early fall with an intensive four-week orientation conducted by the program academic advisors, after which they interview with various offices before being placed. They attend weekly graduate seminars conducted by their program's academic advisors.

The Center also administers the Federal-State Relations Fellowship which places a fellow here at the California Institute in DC following the Sacramento Fellowship year.

Applications for the Senate, Assembly and Executive Programs are due February 17, 1999. Visit the Center's website at http://www.csus.edu/calst/Programs/programs.html to learn more about these programs and download applications, or call (916) 278-6906.
 

California Delegation Full Committee Membership Roster

Attached to this Bulletin is a to-date roster of the California Congressional delegation full committee assignments. A subcommittee roster will be prepared shortly as assignments are completed.

The roster is available on the California Institute website in text (html) form at http://www.calinst.org/pubs/comm106.htm or in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) form at http://www.calinst.org/pubs/comm106.pdf.

If you have difficulty reading these documents, please contact the Institute at 202-546-3700 or ransdell@calinst.org for a faxed version.
 

California Congressional Office Roster
In addition, a roster of offices for California members of Congress for the 106^th Congress is available on our website in text format at http://www.calinst.org/pubs/106th.htm or in Adobe Acrobat format at http://www.calinst.org/pubs/106th.pdf.

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