European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 04, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Republican continued from Page 15 the Federal government could gel out of the business of writing welfare rules entirely. Sen. Nancy in sebum r-kan., who will be chairman of the Senate labor and human relations committee wants the states to take Over welfare and nutrition programs including their financing in Exchange Washington would absorb the entire Cost of medicaid the medical program for the poor. Crime More for prisons less for Midnight basketball just a few months ago and after six years of struggle Congress passed a $30 billion crime Bill helping pay for 100,000 More police creating 60 new death penalty crimes providing billions for prison construction and Money for Midnight basketball and similar programs. Now the republicans want to rewrite it. The contract with America Calls for throwing out major portions. The cop would kill Many of the crime prevention provisions jetting communities decide whether to hire police or spend the funds in other ways. A Republican Bill will spend More on prison construction but provide it Only to states that jail violent criminals for at least 85 percent of their sentences. Other proposals make the use of a gun in a state " felony a Federal crime punishable by a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years limit appeals by death Row inmates require criminals to pay Back their victims. The purpose is to put some deterrence Back into the criminal Justice system said rep. Bill Mccollum a Fla. We need swiftness and certainty of  although the Brady handgun Law and the assault style firearms ban in the crime Bill aroused much cop opposition they won t be touched in this Bill Mccollum said. Foreign policy scepticism for Clinton s ideas even when democrats ran it Congress was sceptical about president Clinton s foreign policy in places like Haiti the former Yugoslavia and Somalia. Expect scepticism squared when the republicans take charge they will take a tougher look at the United nations and foreign Aid. They Are certain to question the nuclear agreement with _ North Korea. Sen. Jesse Helms , the new chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee describes the Jesse Helms will have much to say about foreign policy. Bob Packwood will hold hearings defend self. United nations As that longtime Nemesis of millions of americans."". \ a. . Rep. Ben oilman . The new chairman of the. House committee is far less outspoken. But even oilman says we want no More so called nation building exercises by our military As we witnessed in  Senate majority Leader Bob Dole r-kan., has been Clinton s chief critic on policy toward Bosnia he favors removing . Peacekeeping forces lifting the arms embargo and bombing the serbs. Not every Republican agrees with him. On the plus Side for the Clinton administration Helms top aide predicts the Start ii treaty will receive Early and positive consideration. The agreement Calls for reducing . And russian nuclear arsenals to 3,500 warheads each. A reasonable treaty said James Bud Nance. Helms is certain to raise doubts about any plan to put . Troops on the Golan Heights As part of an Israel Syria peace agreement. Military cop ardor for buildup is Cooling Congress will take up defense Early when Clinton sends a request for $2 billion in emergency funding for missions to Rwanda Haiti and the persian Gulf this year. Pro defense republicans Are Likely to support the request but no without complaining about the reason for it. More broadly the republicans Promise in the contract with America to achieve restoration of the essential parts of our National Security  the contract however does not specify How this would be done. Instead it establishes a study commission. Earlier this year some House republicans were calling for an increase in defense spending of $60 billion Over five years. Now facing higher priorities to Cut taxes and balance the budget Republican leaders Are backing off that position saying that they can increase key aspects of defense spending by cutting  hoping to Cut off Republican criticism Clinton has proposed $25 billion More for defense Over six years to raise military pay and improve readiness. Faced with his own budgetary pressures Clinton proposes delaying most of the increase until after the year 2000, spending to Cut government starve it empowered republicans out to sculpt the government into a smaller less regulatory image will try to do it by rearranging the $1.6 trillion Federal budget. By Washington standards Many things they want to do Are revolutionary deep spending cuts and wholesale elimination of some agencies a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced Federal budget Power for the president to kill individual items in spending Bills tax cuts for individuals business and Many investors. Gingrich called the budget the transformational document for this government and said if republicans want to kill programs we have to simply not pay for  _ " _ the republicans Haven t come up yet with a list of agencies they would like to abolish but in the past they be mentioned the . Geological Survey the appalachian commission and the interstate Commerce commission. In the Senate where democrats have More Power because of rules protecting the minority republicans May Settle for less than their House counterparts. Health Reform a Bac Burner Issue Universal coverage is dead. Republicans argued Long and hard last session against the Clinton administration s health Reform plan. Polls underscored their claims that americans feared what More government interference would do to their health care. So there s no Chance a major overhaul will appear on the gop Agenda. But republicans handsome health Reform plans of their own last year and those Are Likely to resurface. A cop plan will try to get More americans covered by. Barring insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre existing conditions. It will allow people to take insurance with them when they move from Job to Job. And it will allow Small businesses to Pool together to bargain for less costly coverage for their workers a gop plan will also Likely limit malpractice awards. / ways and Means chairman Archer says his committee will work on a slimmed Down health plan after the first 100 Days lathe Senate a plan framed by incoming finance chairman Bob Packwood r-ore., Likely would provide some subsidies to help  buy insurance As Well. " the cop s new Congress members pose outside the Capitol where they Hope to work their will in both houses. Probes Whitewater is Back so is Packwood republicans say they re not into Witch Hunts but with the Power to set the rules and Issue subpoenas the cop majority won t hesitate to investigate anything. Alfonse d Amato expects to begin Whitewater hearings Early in 1995. Hell focus on the removal of Whitewater documents from the office of Vincent Foster after the Deputy White House counsel committed suicide. D Amato r.-n.y., also wants to investigate the suspension of three j Federal regulators in the Whitewater Case. The plodding Senate ethics committee s investigation of Packwood could reach a crucial Point in february or March when the panel should finish  preliminary inquiry into alleged sexual misconduct. The probe could have political consequences since Packwood As chairman of the Senate finance committee will be a crucial player in any gop tax cuts the House ethics committee has postponed action oh.,1. Complaint that Gingrich improperly used his staff and abused tax Laws in preparing and teaching a College course. Unless the current ethics committee disposes of the cabe. The chairman and republicans on the successor panel will be Gingrich appointees. House democratic whip David Bonior said that would be a conflict of interest and makes appointment of an outside counsel imperative. Social issues school prayers abortion restrictions Gingrich wants a House vote by july 4 on a constitutional amendment allowing school prayer. Few other republicans jumped on the bandwagon. Many said focusing on controversial social issues could derail More important initiatives Dale said a school prayer /. Amendment would be a Tough Battle in the Senate j some republicans who oppose abortion also see their party s newfound Power As an Opportunity to tighten restrictions. One possibility re imposing the gag Rule which bans publicly funded clinics from advising patients about abortion. According to the National abortion rights action league anti abortion forces gained 39 new seats in the House bringing their total to 218 versus. 146 pro Choice members and 71 in the Middle. Five new anti abortion senators bring the total in that chamber to 45, compared to 38 pro Choice senators and 17 in the Middle Narat said. Rep. Bui Archer left expected to become chairman of the House ways and Means committee and sen Bob Dole Senate majority Leader discuss plans for the future. Gop freshmen eager to get started by Kevin Merida and Kenneth j. Cooper the Washington Post sked to characterize the overwhelmingly Republican House freshman class of 94, James b. Longleyjr., a Maine a persian Gulf War Veteran who has never held political office said we re serious As a heart  1 so far the top s heart attack kids have pushed to strip 28 House caucuses of their Public funding and staff proposed the Sale of a House Annex argued for abolishing commemorative legislation such As Bills establishing National Forest system month or Federal lands cleanup Day recommended that they be Given 50 percent of open committee slots and even suggested that they be considered for subcommittee chairmanships. Though they define themselves As if they Are steely Battle worn infantrymen fire in the belly seriously on a Mission incredibly Gung to House speaker to be Newt Gingrich r-ga., sees his Young charges As thoughtful reflective warriors. These Are folks who Are excited but subdued said Gingrich. I think they have a real sense that they re the moment of history and that the responsibility is on them not to blow the Opportunity i sensed a deeper desire to be aggressive but in a More positive Way than any class i think i have Ever worked with. This is really an experienced serious group of people and they re not Giddy with  the class of 94 is younger and More ideologically conservative than the class of 92, with fewer minorities. It is also not As politically seasoned As the previous class in which nearly three quarters of the members had held elective  _ of the 86 House freshmen elect 71are republicans the numbers alone suggest a dramatic shift in influence for newcomers Over the last Congress in which democrats held a 66 to 51 advantage among freshmen. The incoming cop freshmen and their soon to be Sophomore  comprise More than half the 230 republicans in the House in the 10-4th Congress giving Junior members the Power to drive legislative decisions. It is unclear however How Active the 94 Rookie class will be in applying this leverage. V i believe you have to learn to follow before you Lead said Richard Doc Hastings r-wash., 53,  state legislator who now runs a paper and Supply Coj Spany. Other gop newcomers say their mantra must be stay United to maximize clout. If we Don t All hang together Well surely hang one by one said Steve Chabot a Ohio a 41-year-old attorney and county commissioner. The newcomers recently immersed themselves Irta three Day orientation in Baltimore sponsored by the heritage foundation and empower America two conservative organizations that have pledged their resources and experts to the freshmen elect. The conference opened with a speech by potential 1996 presidential candidate Jack Kemp a luncheon talk by atomic physicist Edward Teller promoting the strategic defense initiative and sessions on family tax Relief farm policy and reining in  the following night they heard from Ruslim Haugli it is part of Gingrich s recognition that even As he has moved to consolidate Power in the speaker s office he would t be in charge without the freshmen pc Watts for instance the former Oklahoma sooner football a. Watts is already 9 cop spokesman. _ Star and Only Black Republican in the class of 94 who is being touted for class president was tapped recently to give the cop response to a president Clinton radio. Address. And Enid Green Waldholtz a Utah will become the first gop freshman to serve on the powerful rules committee since 1915, according to her office. At least 20 cop members elect Are being assigned to the House s Power committees. Besides Waldholtz nine have been nominated for slots on Commerce seven for appropriations and three for ways and Means. In the last v Congress Only four Republican freshmen were named to those panels. " " 7.-. Gingrich also has placed three incoming freshmen on the 26-member steering committee that is making assignments to standing committees. And the freshmen have been promised two seats at the weekly leadership meeting which includes the speaker majority Leader other elected officers and four major committee chairmen. 16 the stars and stripes wednesday january 4, 1995 the stars and stripes 17