European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 8, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the stars and stripes Friday August 8,1986 Senate kills chemical weapons Challenge Washington a the Senate thursday rejected a Challenge to Reagan administration plans to build chemical weapons for the first Lime since 1969 but refused to kill a move requiring More tests on one key Keryc Gas weapon. Driving to finish the main Pentagon budget Bill senators first rejected 57-43 a Contention by sen. Mark half end r-orc., that the Pentagon had not met requirements set Oul by Congress last year when it finally approved . Hal fit id s proposal would have required new action by . Allies in nato before the nerve Gas program could go ahead. Later the Senate rejected on a 50-49 vote an at tempt to kill an amendment requiring new tests for the big Cyc nerve Gas bomb before the Pentagon goes ahead with purchases of the problem plagued weapon. That left the question of new tests for the Bigeye up in the air since the amendment had yet to be adopted. The Senate was trying to Complete work on the huge Bill authorizing $295 billion in defense spending about $25 billion less than president Reagan sought for the fiscal year standing oct. 1. Senate majority Leader Bob Dole r-kan., said thurs Day that the chamber might finish the Bill Early Friday. In a major vote late wednesday the Senate voted 65-34 against a move to kill the Navy s plan to build new ports around the nation to base its growing Fleet. That would have eliminated 1141 million from the Bill for the first two ports in new York and washing Ion state. Under the Home port plan other new bases would be constructed in the future along the Gulf and Pacific coasts. The Home port fifth entered on a move by sen. Jef Bingaman. D-n.m., in Knock $ 1 11 million out of the Bill for new Navy ports in Everett wash., and Staten Island,. The Navy now bases most of its ships at five major ports and wants to increase that number to 13, including new York Washington and the Gulf coast. The service says the dinners Atwould protect the fled from a devastating Pearl Harbor Type strike. Last year congressional approval of chemical weapons was contingent on several conditions being met. One of those conditions was a requirement hat the lop planning Agency of the North Atlantic treaty organization approve the . Plans. The administration says that requirement was met by a decision by nato defense ministers that look note of the . Plans the wording of our language last year has not been complied with Hatfield told his colleagues. But sen. William Cohen a Maine said opponents had seized on an ambiguity to strangle the  the Challenge to the Bigeye was led by sen. David Pryor dark who said this program is riddled  he cited a Long list of technical flaws but Cohen answered that Only a few of the weapons will be built and those will be used to conduct More tests. The bomb won t be produced on a Large scale until All the bugs Are worked Oul he said. Still pending in the Senate is an amendment calling for Reagan to negotiate a total .-Soviel ban on nuclear weapons tests. Meanwhile the House has bogged Down in efforts 1o write its $292 billion version of the defense Bill. Leaden of the democratic controlled chamber were trying thurs Day to work Oul an agreement on ground rules for Debat ing arms control issues and major weapons systems but final House action in t Lindy until next week. Whatever emerges from the two Chambers will have to be reconciled by a House Senate conference committee. While the Overall amounts Are about the same there Are dozens  among individual programs. The Republican run Senate disposed of dozens of relatively minor amendments wednesday after leaders of both panics worked Oul the framework of an agreement Overa standoff that threatened to delay the measure. That agreement still to be formally approved will have the Senate begin debate Friday on whether to approve sanctions against White minority ruled South Africa and whether 10 approve Reagan s plan for military Aid to . Backed guerrillas fighting Nicaragua s government. The Senate also still must resolve a proposal to limit air Force plans to build and lest anti satellite asat weapons. Congress last year banned final stage asat tests and air Force officials say a similar ban this year could mean cancellation of the program. Supporters say it is necessary to counter a similar soviet program but opponents argue thai in will touch Ofta new arms race in space. Of hid possible cause of crashes paper says Cleveland Topi the air Force concealed the possibility that thousands of faulty Turbine Blades used in the engines of f-i5 and f-16 Jet fighters were responsible for some of the 119 major accidents of the two aircraft the Cleve land Plain dealer reported thursday. Pentagon and congressional sources told the newspaper that defective Blades Are in Pratt & Whitney f-100 engines of some of the air Force s More than 2,000f-16 and f-15 fighters As Well As fighters sold to Israel Japan saudi Arabia Paki Stan Venezuela and the Netherlands. Senior master sol. Roy Adams Safe spokesman told the Stan and stripes the air Force operate three wings off a 6s i Europe at Hahn a and Ramstein and Germany and Torrejon a Spain. Safe has on f-15 Wing at Pitburg a Germany and an Al s Squadron at Campney Amsterdam Netherlands these defective Blades could cause the loss of an engine an air plane and maybe even a Pilot a congressional aide close to the investigation said. Thi Crux of the Issue is our concern for safety congressional sources told the Plain dealer that the exact number is unknown because the air Force has concealed the problem with Turbine Blades for nearly a year. Air Force officials would not com ment on he cover up allegation Pend ing a hearing Friday by the House sub committee on oversight and investigations. Some 68 f-16s, built at a Cost of More than 120 million each were involved in accidents and 51 f-l5s, at a Cost of More than 140 million each were involved in accidents air Force . Tic causes of the accidents and the number of casualties were not known. The f-l5s have been in service since 1975, and the Al 6s since 1980. There were four accidents for every 100,000 night hours for the f-15 and 7.7for every 100,000 flight hours for the f 16, compared with an air Forte average last year of 1.5 major Accident for every 100,000 flight hours. Try inc. Of Lyn Hunt Ohio and the Hormel Turbine components group of Hartford conn., manufacture the tur Bine Blades but it is unknown which company provided the defective Blades sources said. The air Force has never sent a defective Blade under warranty Back to Pratt & Whitney the manufacturer of the f. 100 engine but other countries have re aimed in Blades the newspaper Laid. Tax Compromise offer would retain most iras Washington a Senate tax overhaul negotiators preparing what May be the final Compromise offer to their House counterparts thursday considered allowing Many workers covered by company pensions to retain deductible individual retirement accounts. Sen. Bob Packwood r-ore., Leader of the 11-member Senate bargaining group gathered his colleagues for a series of meetings to privately discuss the draft proposal which was outlined in a document tilled possible Senate  Packwood said he also would meet Dur ing the Day with rep. Dan Rostenkowski Mil. Leader of the 11-member House group and chairman of the Overall negotiations. Packwood emphasized that the senators still were not ready to make a comprehensive offer to the House. The Senate s offer May not be completed and presented to the House until next week raising doubts about whether the conferees can meet an unofficial deadline of aug. 15 for completing their work. According to the document Ute new Senate proposal would allow All workers not covered by company pensions to de duct contributions of up to $2,000 a year made to an Ira just As under present Law. In addition workers who Are covered by a company pension plan and earn up to $35,000, or $50,000 for a couple could deduct some of their contributions. A pension covered worker earning up to 125,000 $40.000 for a couple would be allowed a full deduction of up to $2,000 a year. The deduction would de Cline gradually As income rises Between $25,000 and $35,000 for a single and Between $40,000 and $50,000 for a Cou ple. Once the upper limit was reached no deduction would be allowed. For example single person making $30,000, or a married worker filing a join return and earning $45,000, could have an Ira deduction of up to $1,000 a year. The plan would allow non deductible Ira contributions of up to $2,000 a Yea for those who do not qualify for a deductible Ira. Thus their iras could continue to earn tax deferred interest until withdrawn. The original version of the Tan Over haul Bill passed by the Senate would have ended tax deductible iras fori Hose covered by company pensions Al though the feature of lax deferred inter est would have been preserved. The House passed version of the Bill would retain current Law on iras but House bar gainers have proposed a plan Simitar to what Packwood has outlined. However that House offer would not permit tax deferred interest for workers covered by company pensions. The latest Senate draft proposal also includes provisions that would suspend for one year 1989 the indexing of tax brackets that is supposed to offset the effects of inflation. Would allow the deduction of medical expenses exceeding 7.s percent of income. The House already has agreed to that raises corporate taxes by $118.1billion Over five years to pay for lax Cut for individuals. Removes the tax exemption granted to Blue Cross Blue shield Calll insurance plans which is dose to a prov Alfrom the House. Packwood who first outlined the package for senators in a private meeting wednesday night is preparing the latest offer in Art attempt to resolve the hundreds of differences Between versions of the tax overhaul legislation passed by the House and Senate. Drug from Page 1 Federal employees should set the example for state and local government and the private sector to follow in identifying users of illegal  Brashear said this is a voluntary  asked whether it might be come mandatory he said we re not at that Point yet reporters asked Brashear several limes to spell out the consequences far any members of the senior staff who did not Volunteer to take the test if they Don t take it they just choose not to Lake it he said at one Point. But he also said i m cure that it the refusal to submit would be noted that they did t want to Doit. Probably by  the tests will be conducted at the while House medical unit that serves the president and the staff. And the testing will be done by the Navy lab he  on monday unveiled a wide ranging program to cleanse the nation s workplaces and schools of illegal drugs including endorsing a combination of mandatory and voluntary testing pro Grams. But Brashear said the taking of urine samples from top White House aides was not the president s idea. Mail from Page 1 main Exchange monday tuesday thursday and Fri Day 9 . To 4 45 ., and wednesday 9a.m. To 12  Grafe Woehr training area monday tuesday wednesday and Friday 10 . 10 3 ., and thursday i  To 3  Mannheim Benjamin Franklin Village monday 11 . To 4  Tuesday wednesday and Friday 9 am. To 4 30  Thursday 1  To 4 30 ., an saturday 9 , to 4  Wuerzburg Leighton Barracks monday tuesday thursday and Fri Day 10 . To 3 ., and wednesday,1  To 3  Air Force express mail patrons should Contact their local postal office for express mail hours. Pitburg a base Apo Hahn a base Apo Kapaun As postal finance Unitas Vogel Weh and base Apo Lindse Yas base Apo Span Dahlem a base Apo Sembach a base Apo  a base Apo