European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ministration. But after president Richard m. Nixon took face in 1969, the dispute was settled in favor of Perot v o had ties to the Nixon administration although congressional investigators and critics of the t tracts did not suggest that Perot broke any Laws they 1 f say he was Overly secretive skirted Federal rules and �3" aged in what could be viewed As conflicts of interest a a the time he won the medicare contracts Perot f aed part time for Texas Blue Cross a Blue shield it a n administered the Texas medicare program some a Zibers of the congressional panel also said that the a a in administration was not completely forthcoming on a Ding All the facts. A a e highest level of bureaucracy stonewalled us and May 16, 1992 defended both Perot and their own actions in this matter Quot said John Buchanan a former Republican representative from Alabama who served on the subcommittee that investigated Perot s contracts in 1971 both Thomas m. Tierney the Federal official who made the decision to accede to Perot in the dispute and Morton h Meyerson a former vice president with electronic data who handled the original contracts with Texas Blue Cross Blue shield adamantly deny that any political pressure was brought to Bear on Perot a behalf Meyerson to whom Perot aides referred questions did acknowledge however that electronic data officials had pressed their Case with Robert h Finch then the continued on Pege 16 what happens if Perot forces a deadlock by Martin Tolchin the new York times should Ross Perot do Well enough in the november election to prevent either president Bush or the democratic nominee from winning a majority in the electoral College the election would be decided by the newly elected House of representatives with each state delegation casting one vote. The Constitution s 12th amendment provides that the House choose among the three presidential candidates with the most electoral votes. Since each state has one vote the one representative from Vermont would have the same Power As All 52 House members from California. The majority of a state s delegation would decide How the state voted. If a state failed to have a majority in favor of a candidate it would lose its vote. To to a looted a presidential candidate needs a majority of All the state delegations or 26 votes. Similarly if no vice presidential candidate received a majority in the electoral College the election would be decided by the newly elected Senate but each senator would have a vote rather than one for each state. The senators would choose Between the two vice presidential candidates with the most electoral College votes. To be elected a vice presidential candidate needs a majority of the Senate or 51 votes. Democrats control the current Senate 57-43. If a president has not been elected by noon on Jan 20, which the 20th amendment designates As inauguration Day and there is a vice president elect he becomes acting president until the Housa elects a president. If neither a president nor vice president has been selected the presidential succession act of 1948 becomes operative. The speaker of the House who is next in line becomes the acting president followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and Cabinet officers starting with the Secretary of state. Democrats control the current House 268-166, with one Independent and have majorities in 31 state delegations. Ten states have Republican majorities eight Are evenly divided and Vermont s sole representative is also the House s Only Independent member. Democrats Are expected to control the next House too but experts caution that this would not guarantee a Democrat s election As president because american party loyalty is weak and factors like How a member s constituents voted would come into play the other states with one representative in the House Are Alaska North Dakota South Dakota and Wyoming the District of Columbia which has three electoral votes has no representation in the House or Senate and therefore would not participate in the House election two presidential elections have been thrown into the House of representatives the House needed 36 ballots to elect Thomas Jefferson in 1801, but Only one ballot to elect John Quincy Adams in 1825 the stars and stripes a Page 15