GOP victory prompts command performance - Republican victory in the 1994 elections - includes related article on effect of the election on the Democratic Party

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Dec 5, 1994 | by Michael Rust, | Donald Lambro

While reform is first on the agenda, Gingrich and the Republicans have pledged to bring several major bills to the floor for a vote, including two highly controversial constitutional amendments - one to balance the budget and another to impose term limits on lawmakers. Other proposals on the agenda include a capital-gains tax cut, a $500-per-child tax credit - with accompanying spending cuts to restrain the deficit - welfare reform, a crime bill and a line-item veto. In fact, at his postelection press conference, Clinton requested enactment of the line-item veto, which Democratic lawmakers had denied him.)

The call for term limits probably has some Republicans gulping hard. Fortunately, the contract calls for the to debate and vote on term limits, no necessarily to pass them. (A simple floor vote on the issue would be regarded as a major step toward reform.) However, some obvious problem remain. The average congressional tenure of a GOP House chairman is 19 years, according to Cleta Deatherage Mitchell, director of the Term Limits Legal Institute. Of 22 would-be committee chairs, only six are younger than age 60. The contract calls for either six- or 12-year limits on terms, and some Republicans may try to finesse the issue. "So what if you have a situation where you have 100 votes for six years and 100 votes for 12 years? asks Mitchell. "It doesn't pass and they all go back and say, `Gee, we voted for it." But despite the tension between the competing principles of senioriry and rotation in office, the GOP must stand by its commitment, she concludes. "While this is one of the least popular parts of the contract in Washington, it is one of the most popular parts of the contract in America."

One who will not resort to subterfuge is Henry Hyde, the Illinois representative who may chair the House Judiciary Committee. In a spirit of bipartisanship that made even conciliatory Republicans uncomfortable, Hyde joined outgoing Speaker Tom Foley in a challenge to term limits in Washington state. Now that a vote on the issue virtually is assured, "Henry's going to oppose it," says his press secretary, Sam Stratman. "He appreciates the fact that there will be debate on it. That is completely consistent with the contract." Meanwhile, the number of states voting for congressional term limits has reached 22.

Once the initial contract obligations are met, Republicans see several options. With Ohio Rep. John Kasich chairing the Budget Committee, Clinton could face the prospect of fighting congressionally sanctioned spending cuts. "This is going to be John Kasich's budget," says Schatz, noting that the House budget resolution doesn't require a presidential signature. Similarly, the new Ways and Means chairman, man, Bill Archer of Texas, likely will renew calls for reductions in the tax on capital gains - profits from the sale of property or stocks - which would have special resonance for Republicans. George Bush desperately wanted to cut the capital-gains tax as a recession-fighting measure, but the Senate Democratic leadership killed the effort in the early 1990s.