European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 c the stars and stripes Friday june 12, 1992budget amendment alternates Defeated Washington a with a last minute press for support by president Bush the House thursday sorted through competing versions of a balanced budget constitutional amendment and moved toward a final decision that appeared to hang on a few wavering votes. The final vote was expected to Start about Midnight thursday Central european time a it s very very very close a House speaker Thomas s. Foley d-Wash., said. A the people want this done. To get this deficit under control once and for ail a Bush said As he lobbied lawmakers Over breakfast. As a prelude the House Defeated three alternate versions. But it was Clear from the Start that the real decision would be on a fourth version sponsored by conservative rep. Charles w. Sten Holm a Texas. The first sponsored by rep. Jon Kyi r-ariz., would have also handed the president a Linc Ilem veto. It failed on a 258-170 vote. A second which would have required a three fifths vote of Congress to raise taxes failed 227-200. A your problem is not insufficient Revenue. Our problem is unwillingness to Cut spending a said rep. Joe Barton a Texas. A third sponsored by majority Leader Richard a. Gephardt d-mo., would have exempted social Security from any cuts needed to balance the budget. It failed 327-103. By design the last version of the amendment to be left standing after a full Day of House votes was Likely to be the one pushed by Stenholm a Leader of the conservative Wing of House democrats. Stan Holm a amendment would forbid the government to spend More Money than it expects to raise unless three fifths majorities in the House and Senate vote to do so. Another exception would occur if the country was in a major military conflict. The amendment would require the president to submit a balanced budget. To join the Constitution the amendment would have to be approved by two thirds votes of the House and Senate and then by 38 states. Supporters said an amendment would bring the discipline necessary to Force government to Cut the deficit. But opponents said it ease the stalemate Over taxes and spending that has produced red Ink by the Tanker Load a nearly $4 trillion in total Federal debt to Date. And it take effect until fiscal 1998 at the earliest a after even a Bush second term a so the Lough decisions would be left to others. A this is not action now a this is vote now action later a said an opponent rep Jolene Unsoeld a Wash. A it is the ultimate of cynical Campaign promises one More Way to fool the Bush summoned House members from both parties to breakfast at the White House Early thursday for a final bit of lobbying before he departed for Panama and the Earth Summit in Brazil. Bush was seeking the two thirds majority needed to Send the constitutional amendment to the Senate and eventually to the states for ratification. Opponents welcomed Likely Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot As an ally. A you done to need an amendment a Perot said on no cd a today show. A an amendment is an excuse not to do a Cross Perot is right Quot said House budget chairman Leon e. Panetta a Calif. A we done to need it. Leadership cannot be found in any constitutional House democratic leaders were trying to Nail Down enough undecided lawmakers to Block the two thirds majority. Sen. Robert c. Byrd ,va., has said the amendment would fall Short of the 67 votes it needs in the Senate though majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine said the Senate outcome was in doubt. Whatever the outcome the political Battle encapsulated the failure of a divided government to either raise taxes or Cut spending or both in order to rein in deficits that approach $400 billion this year. Torn by incompatible Public demands to hold Down taxes but to continue popular government programs Congress and Bush were turning to a third option make someone else decide in the future. A we Are asking the american Public to believe that this a simple amendment is the equivalent of changing Copper into Gold a said rep. Mike Synar d-okla., an opponent. Bush was supporting the amendment even though the Republican president has never presented Congress with a Federal budget that was in balance or even close. Supporters of the amendment saw it As a sure fire election year Issue and a Way to answer voter outrage Over Washington a blames Bush for pampering Saddam new York a Ross Perot said thursday that president Bush sent emissaries to a burp diaper and pamper Saddam Hussein just before iraqis invasion of Kuwait but then committed . Troops to the persian Gulf War because a your manhood was in a two hour appearance on no cd a today show Perot delivered a series of shots at Bush yet insisted he had nothing negative to say about his Likely fall opponents in the presidential race. A these arc Fine people a Perot said of Bush and democratic candidate Bill Clinton. But the undeclared Independent candidate repeatedly answered viewer questions by taking aim at Bush. When asked How he would have handled Saddam a rot a vocal critic of the Gulf War said . Policies orchestrated by Bush had helped Saddam build Nis military might. Yet when Iraq invaded Kuwait a your manhood was questioned and off we go into the wild Blue yonder a Perot said. He also blamed Bush for causing the banking crisis with Sloppy deregulation and decried lobbying for foreign governments by Bush Campaign aides. The Texas billionaire sounded a Folksy populist tone in criticizing presidential and congressional Perks. At one Point he said of Washington a a in be never been there a a remark that belied insider dealings with Congress and several presidents dating to the Nixon administration. Perot said he has not decided when to declare his candidacy. And he insisted he could work with the Democrat led Congress if the voters a select me As their servant. That would Send a message to Congress. I think that would close the As he fielded Calls from today viewers two Days after Clinton Perot debated with one Over whether he would Cut social Security for Well off elderly people. Perot said he would not Cut benefits but would a ask people to voluntarily give it when asked by today Anchor Katie Couric How he would decide whom to ask Perot said a a let a go make the computer runs and define Perot was scheduled to stay for an hour but agreed to stay for two. Today invited Clinton Back Bush has declined similar invitations. Asked what he thought of Clinton Scall for weekly debates Perot said he was eager to a get in the ring and get it but he said that once a week was probably too often and that Bush would never agree. Perot said he would raise taxes Only As a last resort a or unless the country went to War when he said a War tax would get every american involved in the Effort. He ridiculed the current attempt supported by Bush to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution characterizing it As another attempt by Washington to sidestep responsibility for deficit and wasteful spending. Perot a criticism of lobbying for foreign countries by Bush Campaign officials closed a discussion of farm policy. Perot Saia Farmers were getting less than they deserved because a the special interests run this gets prison term in Money laundering fraud Philadelphia a a businessman who masterminded a huge financial fraud and smuggled $50 million Worth of weapons to South Africa was sentenced wednesday to 15 years in prison. James h. Guerin 61, who faced a possible sentence of 30 years to life had pleaded for mercy from . District judge Louis be Chile. Guerin apologized for his a misdirected Bechtle followed the prosecutions recommendation in sentencing Guerin who pleaded guilty in december to helping South Africa evade a United nations ban on weapons imports Laii Dering $958 million through Swiss Banks in 1983-89 and falsely inflating the Price of his company. The 15-Ycar sentence was imposed on the laundering charge. Munitions and weapons components Worth More than $50 million were illegally sent to South Africa prosecutors said. Some of the weapons ended up in Iraq and were used against . Forces in the persian Gulf War prosecutors said. Guerin has denied knowing the weapons would end up in Iraq. A a in a very sorry for what has happened and for what i have done a Guenn told the judge. �?o1 never really appreciated the magnitude of what 1 did until the investigation began. 1 got carried away and Felt our Mission was above the Law. It was misdirected with aids infected 2 to make Point Friend thinks b-2 bomber makes first night flight los Angeles up the air Force said wednesday that Northrop b-2 stealth bomber had successfully made its first night flight last week at Edwards fab in the Mojave desert. The 4vi-hour test on june 4 included 11 takeoffs and landings five in Twilight and six in darkness. The air Force said the Crew took the bomber to an Altitude of 10,000 feet and evaluated Interior cockpit lighting As darkness fell. It said that a second night test flight is scheduled for later this summer. The b-2, the most expensive plane Ever built first flew in july 1989 and has flow n 137 flights for a total of 607 hours. West Palm Beach Fla. A an aids stricken or. David acer thought mainstream America was ignoring the disease and he May have infected Kimberly Bergalis and another patient to make a Point says a Friend of the dentist. Edward Parsons was quoted wednesday in the Palm Beach Post As saying he based his a uncomfortable conclusion on conversations he had with acer in 1988. A racer said a when it starts affecting grandmothers and younger people then you la see something done a a said Parsons a 35-Ycar-old unemployed nurse from Miami Beach. Acer a bisexual who died in 1990, is the Only health care worker known to have infected patients with the aids virus. The centers for disease control in Atlanta concluded that he infected five patients but the Agency was unable to determine precisely How. State and Legal investigations also were unable to pinpoint a cause. Cd spokesman Don Berreth was travelling and unavailable for comment late wednesday on Parsons comments. Most attention has focused on the possibility that the aids virus was transmitted via acers contaminated dental equipment. Some experts speculated that acer infected patients out of bitterness during bouts of aids related dementia or As Parsons suggested to draw More attention to the disease which in the United states mainly afflicts homosexuals and drug addicts. Bergalis who became infected in 1987 while having a tooth pulled died in december at 23. She had become a National crusader for mandatory aids testing of healthcare workers. Bergalis father George Bergalis of fort Pierce said he did not believe Parsons Story. But Barbara Webb the other patient who was infected considered Parsons theory plausible. A in a weird Way it makes some kind of sense a said Webb 66. A if indeed he did choose he chose rather Well. A who better than Kim to wrap the whole country up who More than Barbara Webb an English teacher who does t mind speaking out a
