European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday november 9, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 3 historic civil Bill sent to Bush Washington apr ending two years of charged debate Over racial quotas the House has overwhelmingly passed a major civil rights Bill that makes it easier for victims of Job discrimination to sue and collect damages. The passage on a 381-38 vote thursday sends the measure to president Bush who has said he will sign it. Speaker Tom Foley d-wash., hailed the House action As a a historic  a the struggle to enact civil rights legislation in 1991 has engaged us for a very Long time a he said. The House vote was to accept the same Bill passed by the Senate last week. It was the product of Long negotiations Between Bush aides and Senate sponsors. The Bill would expand the rights of Job discrimination victims including the objects of sexual harassment to sue and collect damages. It overturns a series of supreme court rulings that had increased the burdens of proof on plaintiffs in Job discrimination cases. With approval a foregone conclusion the final action came after partisans on both sides debated who had blinked in the negotiations with the White House. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher a conservative Republican / a life Fri of u j. V if e Bush a claims to based  Complete surren Democrat from had always been a a Louisiana re pub it ukr a former Kun in thu Liuasi to abandon the a a a Joti Iwu i 9 Piu lil scially divisive argument. A David Duke took the Sheet off the quotas argument a Washington said. The final debate was dominated by outrage Over a provision added by the Senate that would exempt from its provisions the plaintiffs in one Case about 2,000 asian american and other minority employees of an Alaska Salmon Cannery known As wards Cove packing co. Their Case resulted in a 1989 supreme court ruling that significantly narrowed the rights of plaintiffs in some Job discrimination cases. Undoing that court ruling was one of the primary motivations of supporters of the Bill but Senate sponsors agreed to Bush administration demands to include the provision to exempt that Case from the change in Law. In an emotional speech rep. Neil Abercrombie a Hawaii denounced the Compromise As an a extortion that subjects two minority groups a asian americans and alaskan natives a to unfair treatment. He said Congress would never agree to such treatment for More politically powerful minorities. A do you think this would be happening if it was 2,000 Irish americans or 2,000 jewish americans a Abercrombie said. However the House voted to go along with democratic leaders who proposed a Rule permitting Only a straight vote on whether to accept the Senate Bill without any amendments. They said Bush had threatened to veto the Bill if the exemption were removed. A this Bill is so fragile we re just afraid apy amendment will sink it a said House rules chairman Joe Moakley a mass. A it is not a perfect Bill a Foley said when he came to the House flood to Cool tempers. A i will exercise every Effort on my part to see that it is  the Senate approved the measure a week ago on a 93-5 vote. Push to allow abortions in overseas Dod clinics loses round in Congress just wearing his Grubbes it does no to bother Wayne King to open a can of Worms because As he says the wiggly critters make great pets. Australia s largest worm Farmer from Adelaide says you can t go wrong with Worms because they done to need to be fed. Tax applies to spouses briton rules London a amps a British judge ruled Friday that British spouses of . Civilians and military members assigned to the United kingdom must pay the Community charges tax. The ruling affects an estimated 2,000 British spouses of american service members and civilians. The judge based his ruling on the 1952 visiting forces act which defines the Legal status of spouses of foreign service members stationed in Britain. He found that the tax applied to the British spouses because they unlike most others mentioned in the 1952 act were British citizens and thus subject to the nations tax Laws. By Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a a 3-year-old Effort to allow abortions in overseas military medical facilities has suffered yet another defeat in Congress sources say. The proposal sponsored by rep. Les Aucoin d-ore., would reverse a 1988 Pentagon decision discontinuing abortions in overseas facilities at patient sex i it Ense. Such procedures had been Al owed from the late 1970s to 1988. The proposal was dropped late wednesday from the final version of the fiscal 1992 defense authorization Bill. But its still technically alive because it is also contained in the Senate version of the defense appropriations Bill sponsored by sen. Frank r. Lautenberg . The House version of the defense appropriations Bill does not contain the abortion proposal which sets the stage for a repeat of the fight that has just ended Over including it in the final version of the authorization Bill. House and Senate conferees will take up the abortion provision once again when they meet next week to begin fashioning a final version of the defense appropriations Bill. Under the two tier defense funding process the armed services committees authorize spending for various programs. Then the appropriations committees actually provide the Money. A a we re going to do All we can during the appropriations conference next week to try and push this provision through a said an aide to Aucoin. In the defense authorization Bill conference the proposal fell victim to political infighting that included a vow from president Bush to veto the entire Bill if that single provision was included sources said. After sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., chair Jan of the Senate armed services committee voiced Strong opposition to forcing a showdown with Bush Over the abortion provision the House leadership met late wednesday and agreed to drop it from the Bill. House speaker Tom Foley d-wash., and House armed services committee chairman Les Aspin d-wis., were among those at the meeting an aide to Foley said. Aucoin a initiative was narrowly approved in May As part of the House ver Sion of the fiscal 1992 defense authorization Bill a the first time either chamber had approved it since he first proposed it in 1989. But it was later rejected by an equally slim margin in the Senate where it was sponsored by sen. Timothy e. Wirth d-colo., during consideration of the Senate version of the Bill. House and Senate conferees who met to resolve differences in their respective Bills wrestled with the Issue at length said a House armed services committee staffer. Most of the conferees including sen. John Glenn a Ohio the chairman of the Senate armed services manpower subcommittee wanted to include the abortion provision in the Bill the staffer said. But Nunn a would not hear of it a the staffer said. A it was excluded because Nunn Felt that if the president vetoed the Bill Over the abortion provision a lot of other issues that have already been decided might be revisited in the ensuing debate a the staffer said. For example Nunn is pleased with the Bill a stance on the b-2 bomber. The Bill would deny the administrations fiscal 1992 request for four More planes at roughly >865 million each but keep the program open while More tests Are done on the aircraft a ability to avoid radar. A Nunn did no to want to take a Chance on reopening things that had already been settled just for the Sake of the abortion provision a the staffer said. Other sources said Aspin also has been reluctant to let the abortion Issue hold up the entire Bill. About 15 to 20 abortions a year had been performed in overseas facilities prior to the 1988 change which was made unilaterally by the Reagan administration with no congressional input. The Issue has sparked fiery debate each time it has been brought up in Congress. Advocates say the policy leaves women with two equally unattractive choices a seek off base abortions in nations where medical care is Well below . Standards or spend considerable time and expense to travel to the United states. Aucoin said he is not advocating a Radical new policy but Only wants to extend to military women overseas the same rights of women in the United states under the Roe is. Wade supreme court decision a rights the military itself had prior to 1988