European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                House votes to extend jobless benefits Washington it of the Houm moved with Asp tech pm the first pitch of president a intone a economic package a a is ? billion Extension of jobless benefits a but other elements of the program Are under attack. As the House on wednesday passed the Bill that would maintain extended benefits for the Long term jobless the administration a proposed Energy tax came under assault in the Senate. Democrats and republicans questioned its Impact on their Home states. The widespread criticism led Senate minority Leader Robert Dole r-kan., to predict that Clinton s Overall economic program was in jeopardy. Quot they know the package is in trouble Quot Dole said the president fired Bach. Quot the Senate minority Leader can say dial but he was Here during the last 12 Yean when other presidents and the Congress quadrupled the National  Cunt on told reporters Quot i m trying to do something about it and turn ii around and go in the opposite  in the House democrats hailed the Quick passage of the unemployment benefits Bill a it was sent to the Senate on a 254161 vote a As the first step in sup port of Clinton s Overall economic pack age. The Senate finance committee a it roved a similar measure earlier wednesday House republicans complained that democrats did no to have a Way to pay the in a it benefits Bill s 15 7 Huttoft Coal and that it would Fuit run up the deficit the Bill is a Quot payroll tax in waiting Quot said rep Porter i Goss Rtia Quot some Bow some Way somewhere Down the Road we re going to have to pay for it. We All know  republicans bristled at the suggestion by democrats that they Don t care about the jobless Quot what kind of compassion is it to go throwing Money around that in t even ours Quot said rep. Robert s. Walker a a. But democrats said keeping out of work americans afloat during Tough times was critical to Clinton s plans for an economic turnaround. They said the $5.7 billion would be paid for in Clinton s suit seeks to open meetings a three groups wednesday sued first lady Hill Washington a _ _ _ used first Taay any Rodham Clinton and the health care panel that she chairs seeking to Force the panel to meet in Public. The suit contends that because Clin ton is neither a Public official nor a Federal employee the task Force on National health care Reform is forbidden from closing its meetings and those of its working groups. The suit was filed in . District court by the association of american physicians and surgeons the american Council for health care Reform and the National Legal policy Center. They asked . District judge Royce Lam berth for a temporary restraining order directing that any meetings be open. Lamberth set no Date for a hearing. President Clinton announced forma Tion of the task Force five Days after taking office Jan. 20 and named his wife to chair it. Its Job is to submit to Congress by May a proposal for a new health care system. Except for the Jan. 25 announcement there is no evidence that the full task Force has met said Frank North am an attorney for the three groups in the Case. But the suit cites newspaper accounts of working groups of health care consultants meeting daily in the old executive office building adjacent to the White House to put together the thousands of recommendations of interest groups. The suit claims the task Force Falls under the Federal advisory committee act passed by Congress in the 1970s. Under the Law any Federal advisory committee that renders advice to con first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton listens at a recent health cart conference. Gress or the president that is not wholly composed of Public officials must meet in Public. The Law also requires that new Federal advisory committees file a charter with the Library of Congress. According to the suit no such charter had been filed As of feb. 10. The White House had no immediate reaction to the suit. But presidential counsel Bernard Nussbaum said in letters this month to inquiring members of Congress and some of the plaintiffs that Quot the participation of the first lad on the task Force does not trigger application of the  Clinton Energy tax plan comes under fire Washington a r senators worried about Home state interests attacked president Clinton a proposed Energy tax wednesday As lobbyists opposed to the measure lined the Halls outside the hearing room. The chairman of the Senate Energy committee sen. J. Bennett Johnston d-la., led the panel in questioning the Levy which would raise the Price of gasoline an estimated Ivi cents a gallon and an average Home electric Bill by $2.25 a month. He called for a National sales tax on most goods and services instead. Quot i have severe reservations about the Impact Quot of the Energy tax said sen. Richard c. Shelby a Ala. Quot we Are looking at a 26 percent Rise in the Price of Alabama  Quot in a angered this administration is going after hydropower a said sen. Larry e. Craig a Idaho. The tax Quot will be very destructive to mar economies in this country a a he a j. Quot the Economy of the Northwest Veo a a collapse Quot added sea. Mari Hatfield a Ore. However Robert d. Reischauer director of the congressional budget office testified that Clinton s fuel Tav Woki help reduce the deficit Quot with the added Benefit of contribute modest to environmental and Energy Security goods Quot Bui sen Ben night horse Curp cd a Colo. Prore tej that  s Energy Lav was a the wrong was Quot to re a Revenue. To really worn to. The  Roo in it i a a Overall economic plan to be voted mail the week ahead Congress wants to Oats the benefits measure by March 6, the expiration Date m the program that extends jobless benefits for up to 26 weeks once unemployed workers have exhausted their Normal 26 weeks of benefits. The Bill is expected to help about 2 million workers. States with official jobless Rales of at least 9 percent could provide an additional 26 weeks of benefits. All other states could provide an additional 20 weeks. Currently six states and puerto Rico have High enough jobless rates to qualify for the full 26 weeks. The six Are Alaska California Oregon Rhode Island Washington and West Virginia. Leader backs educational standards Washington a in a Sharp departure from Long standing government policy the Cunt on administration voiced support wednesday for voluntary standards Tor the nation s schoolchildren. Education Secretary Richard w. Riley pledged in testimony before Congress to avoid Federal Quot micromanagement of the schools and said the standards would a set critical benchmarks for All of our states and . Educators have Long debated whether the nations Public schools should be held to a single Standard. State and local school officials now determine what should be required of schools and the students who attend them. Reaction to Riley s comments was mixed. Albert Shankar head of the american federation of teachers said he supports the idea of National standards but a spokesman for the conservative Cato Institute said it would Lead to Quot centralization and  Riley said the White House would make its proposal As part of a broader National education program called Quot goals 2000 educate America act Quot now being drafted. Labor Secretary Robert Reich appearing at the same hearing before Senate labor and human resources committee said that there would be similar voluntary standards for students in Post hich school Job training programs. The White House will propose making the standards a Quot Mitter of formal policy although they would be voluntary Riley said. He said he expected new National standards in mathematics science English geography history the arts and foreign languages. With no Federal enforcement parents would have to make sure their children were being pay cry educated. Riley and Reich said a federally chartered Council would devise the standards and separate boards would Monitor whether the goals were being reached each state would have its own Board to decide what path to follow. The Only National standards in place arc those designed by some National teacher groups such As the National Council of teachers of mathematics which has drafted standards for what Al  and secondary students should learn m math classes Iley and Reich giving details of Ompton s Prev Irish announced youth initiative also told the committee that the  plans to Goe up to 2 pm Dion youngsters to poor areas so Traer yobs or scats m summer school.  As Catly Asj a. Teen agers hued As ran of the program  he  coring the work did m .  and writing the so a it a. A n t c �11epotcd Yah Ruday