European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 15, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5 extended jobless benefits Bill rushed through House panel Washington a the House ways and Means committee rushed a $5.2 billion plan to extend jobless benefits for up to 3 million victims of the recession to the House floor wednesday after president Bush vowed to sign it. The measure which would add up to 20 weeks of coverage for people who have exhausted the Standard 26 weeks of benefits was to be taken up in the House thursday and possibly considered by the Senate later in the Day. The agreement ends a four month political War in which the president had killed two earlier versions of the plan. Bush has said democrats wanted to needlessly break budget agreements. The president in turn was accused of ignoring an Economy that has stalled. Lawmakers and congressional aides said agreement was reached when the two sides ironed out final differences Over stepped up collections of student Loans which will help pay for the measure. The Bill would provide six 13 or 20 weeks of extra benefits for the 300,000 people who deplete the Standard coverage every month and remain without work. The exact amount of extra coverage would depend on a Complex formula measuring How bad unemployment is in each state. Initially 23 states plus the Virgin islands would get six weeks of benefits. Another 18 states and the District of Columbia would get 13 weeks and nine states plus puerto Rico would get 20 weeks. The president blocked two previous democratic drafted measures to extend jobless benefits and has lately come under pressure from republicans to make concessions. That formula for computing benefits represented a slight democratic Concession to Bush who All along has tried to make the Benefit package less generous. The earlier versions of the Bill provided no less than seven weeks of new coverage for each state. Most people who use up their Standard benefits for the period starting last March 1 through next August would qualify for the extra checks. The House measure would be paid for chiefly by speeding up tax collections from the Well to do who estimate their taxes and who have dramatically increasing incomes. Besides the accelerated collections of estimated taxes the Bill would also raise Money by allowing the government to Garnish Money from the paychecks of people who owe student Loans. Dod soviet Aid plan abandoned Washington a democratic leaders in Congress on wednesday abandoned a proposal to use up to $1 billion in Pentagon funds to help stabilize the soviet Union. The plan was scuttled by a sudden surge of anti foreign Aid sentiment on Capitol Hill even though the proposal included no direct financial Aid. The decision Nunn came As top state department officials in the stars and stripes prepared for three Days of talks next week with a senior soviet delegation seeking new ideas for helping the soviet Union through its economic and political crisis. Sen. Sam Nunn the Georgia Democrat who co authored the proposal said it would have served . Interests by warding off a potential breakdown in control of soviet nuclear weapons and nuclear know How. Nunn blamed the demise of the proposal on distortions by republicans and some democrats and on a tepid and ineffectual White House support. Nunn said that he and rep. Les Aspin a Wisconsin Democrat and the other main sponsor of the proposal planned to reintroduce the plan before Congress adjourns for the year. Nunn held out Little Hope however that a resurrected plan would fare better. Quot anyone with common sense can see the logic of helping the soviets survive a Winter food crisis and lending technical advice on the destruction of soviet nuclear arms Nunn said. Quot if helping them destroy 15,000 nuclear weapons Isnit a reduction in the soviet military threat Why have we been worrying about 15,000 nuclear weapons for the past 30 years a Nunn asked. Opponents argued that the shrinking . Defense budget Wasny to the proper source of Money to help stabilize the soviet Union.. Checking report of pow in soviet Union by the los Angeles times Washington the Bush administration is investigating the report by a soviet newspaper that a . Airman shot Down in Vietnam in 1967, is living in Kazakhstan the state department said wednesday. Spokesman Richard Boucher said that the business newspaper Kommer Sant reported this month that an . Pilot who was shot Down on May 19, 1967, was brought to Alma Ata the capital of Kazakhstan in september 1967. The newspaper said that the Pilot who was not identified later was taken to a provincial town where he is still living. A when we got this information we instructed our embassy in Moscow to dispatch an officer to the area to attempt to confirm the report a Boucher said. A the embassy was also asked to attempt to Contact a soviet citizen who was quoted in the article As having been involved in the transportation of american pos out of South Vietnam in 1962." an investigation by a special congressional committee has focused new attention on speculation that american pos were sent to the soviet Union before the peace settlement and might Stilt be there. At a hearing last week a former North vietnamese officer testified he knew that some . Prisoners were questioned by soviet advisers during the War. Boucher said that the state department had raised the Issue of american pos with soviet and russian officials.10 years ago nov. 15,1981 a the shuttle Columbia landed three Days ahead of schedule after its second flight in space was Cut Short due to a faulty fuel cell.20 years ago nov. 15,1971 a the Saigon High command announced that communist troops have stepped up their attacks in South Vietnam with at least 19 ground assaults shellings and terror incidents in a 24-hour period. . Troops reported no attacks in the same period.30 years ago nov. 15,1961 a in keeping with the de salinization instituted by the soviet unions 22nd communist party Congress East Berlin removed a huge statue of Stalin from Stalin Altee renamed the Street Quot Kari Marx Allee a and renamed a train station and electric company which had been named in Stalin s honor.40 years ago nov. 15,1951 a army officials said the communists have killed at least 5,790 . Prisoners of War about 5,000 of them americans a and some 250,000 korean civilians in atrocities since the Start of the korean  oks leave Bill destined for veto by Cox news service Washington a the House on wednesday passed legislation guaranteeing workers 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for new children or sick relatives. But the proposal appears dead for this year because the 253-177 vote was 34 Short of the two thirds needed to override a veto promised by president Bush. Since the House Bill differs slightly from the one handily passed by the Senate last month sponsors May try to hold the measure in the suspended animation of a conference committee until january hoping to drum up More support in an election year. It was Clear however that business opposition to the family and medical leave Bill remains As Strong and almost As influential As it was when the legislation was first introduced and bottled up in 1986. Supporters said the United states is the Only industrialized nation that fails to offer such a minimum leave guarantee. Opponents charged the family leave Bill would increase costs for businesses requiring them to recruit and train replacement workers or pay overtime to existing workers. To attract More votes sponsors had agreed to weaken the Bill slightly from one Bush vetoed last year. Companies with 50 or More employees a half the nations work Force a along with Federal state and local governments would have to allow workers 12 weeks unpaid leave a year to care for a Newborn or adopted child a seriously ill Parent or spouse or for themselves. Medical insurance would continue for those on leave. A a we be talked about family values. Lets do something to encourage them a rep. Sherwood l. Bochler r-n.y., urged his colleagues. But rep. Don Ritter  said a Law would be placing a new Federal mandate on the great american Job producing  other provisions of the Bill would a permit employers to exempt the 10 per it highest paid Force. Percent of their work a require an employee to provide 30 Days notice for foreseeable leaves for birth adoption or planned medical treatments. A require an employee to provide medical certification justifying the need for leave in the Case of illness. The Bill provides the same leave to Federal workers and congressional employees As for eligible private workers. Lawmakers cry foul on Cia building project Washington apr House and Senate negotiators Are requiring the Cia to follow . Agency guidelines before approving a $1.2 billion plan to build a major Agency Center in West Virginia. The proposal has been angrily denounced As a Covert action by sen. Robert c. Byrd to Hijack jobs to his Home state. Conferees on a 1992 intelligence Bill decided late tuesday to subject the spy Agency a planned move a up until now buried out of sight in classified legislation a to Public scrutiny. A it becomes an open process now a said rep. Dave Mccurdy d-okla., chair Man of the House intelligence committee. A we Are making the requirements and conditions  the controversy Over the Ciao a planned move to West Virginia the most expensive Federal office project Ever arose earlier this year when it was revealed that a site search had been ordered in a classified Pentagon budget Bill. House members led by rep. Frank Wolf r-va., complained that the West Virginia site had been ruled out by professional real estate consultants but ultimately chosen because of political pressure from Byrd d-w.va., chairman of the appropriations committee. The plan Calls for consolidating numerous Cia offices in the Virginia suburbs and relocating their 6,000 workers to West Virginia and a second facility to be built in Prince William county a. The Compromise provides up to $30 million to buy land for the consolidation Effort this year but Only after the Cia develops written procedures for land purchases consistent with guidelines under which other agencies operate. Byrd said in a statement wednesday that he was confident the consolidation proposal would proceed and that the secret site selection process would withstand Public examination