Scoop

Your Inside View to the Strategies and Activities of the Conservative Movement in Washington

Issue 108 * September 28, 1995

The National Center for Public Policy Research Amy Moritz, President 300 Eye Street N.E. Suite 3 * Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 543-4110 * Fax (202) 543-5975 E-Mail: [email protected]

Activities at the September 27 and 20 Wednesday Strategy Lunches chaired by Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX), and Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK).

If It's A GOP Congress, How Come We Still Have the LSC & NEA?

Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX), Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) and others discussed the progress of various bills, including 1) legislation that would ban recipients of federal funds from lobbying; 2) legislation to end funding for the federal Legal Services Corporation; 3) efforts to end funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Weyrich expressed frustration with the progress of legislation backed by conservatives, saying: "What I hear from [Rep. George] Gekas (R-PA) is not very encouraging, in terms of pressure from the leadership to throw in the towel [on zeroing-out Legal Services]... If we end up [saving] Legal Services... [and] the National Endowment for the Arts, and no lobbying [reform], forget it." DeLay discussed instances of incorrect reporting in mainstream newspapers; Istook described support for and opposition to these measures in the Senate. Contact the Free Congress Foundation at 202/546-4400; Rep. DeLay via April Lassiter at 202/225-0197; Rep. Istook via Steve Jones at 202/225-2132.

Public Uniformed About Medicare Reform Options, Says Analyst

Peter Ferrara of the National Center for Policy Analysis described the Medicare Reform Plan under consideration in the Congress and the lack of quality information available to the public on Medicare reform: "People don't know what's in the plan... I get calls all week long from [National Public Radio] stations wanting a guest on Medicare but I don't hear from the people who covered health care [in detail] last year." Contact the National Center for Policy Analysis at 202/628-6671.

Amid Atmosphere of Misinformation, Attempts to Reform the Endangered Species Act Continue

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) reviewed his and Rep. Don Young (R-AK)'s Endangered Species Act reform bill, "The Endangered Species Conservation and Management Act of 1995." Said Pombo: "We have the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act going through the House... One thing we need is a reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act with some common sense in it." Pombo distributed fact sheets about his legislation, including a one-page outline on how the current ESA law fails to protect endangered species. He and Rep. Tom DeLay commented on the ferocity exhibited by liberal environmental groups against reform. Pombo: "Environmental groups get tens of millions of dollars from the ESA. This is their cash cow. I was told the other day by the head of one of the environmental groups that they have stockpiled money to fight us on this." DeLay: "We are getting killed on environmental issues. They are lying about us and the lies are sticking." A non-regulatory, incentive-based ESA reform bill has also been introduced by Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ). Contact Rep. Pombo via Mike Hardiman at 202/225-1947; Rep. DeLay via April Lassiter at 202/225-0197; The National Center for Public Policy Research at 202/543-4110 for information on Rep. Shadegg's proposal.

Congressman Continues Effort to Shut Down the Department of Commerce

Rep. Dick Chrysler (R-MI) updated participants on efforts to dismantle the Department of Commerce and distributed a fact sheet. Chrysler said that Congress, and especially the Appropriations Committee, needs to hear from the public on this. Contact Rep. Chrysler's office at 202/225-4872.

Group Charges That Federal Health Agency Has Political Agenda

Tanya Metaksa of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action reported on an amendment being offered by Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) to defund the Center for Disease Control's Center for Injury Prevention (CIJ), which is, she said, "anti-gun... and not very scientific." She distributed information, including quotes from the CIJ staff, showing that the CIJ agenda is political. Contact Institute for Legislative Action at 703/267-1144.

Huffington Explains Goals of New Center for Effective Compassion

Ariana Huffington of the Center for Effective Compassion (a project of the Progress and Freedom Foundation) described the goals of her organization: 1) spurring grassroots, faith-based volunteer charity works by Americans; 2) helping volunteer charitable organizations under attack bvy government agencies; 3) publishing papers on how various legislation will affect charitable giving. Contact the Progress and Freedom Foundation at 202-484-2312.

Congressman Seeks to Empower Treasury Secretary to Ease Some Pain of "Train Wrecks"

Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) reported on H.R. 2098, his bill to give the Secretary of the Treasury the authority to make vital federal payments (as directed by the President) in which the federal government has an inability to borrow because the established debt ceiling has been reached. Information is available. Contact Rep. Smith at 202-225-6276.

Bulletin Board: Publications, press releases, statements and plans of the conservative community.

Heat of Debate Over Medicare Obscures Actual Details in the Plan; Information Available

Though both President Clinton and House Republican leaders agree that Medicare will go bankrupt in seven years, an intense, partisan debate over Medicare reform has erupted in the House and Senate. Despite the fact that Medicare reform impacts every American in a potentially life-and-death way, the heat of partisan debate has obscured the light: the actual details of Medicare reform plan under consideration by the Congressional majority.

A Brief Sketch of Medicare Reform

The Medicare Reform Plan under debate offers American seniors the choice to:

Have more options in their hands and less in the hands of bureaucrats;
Change their health care plan as they see fit;
Benefit from cost-savings made possible by technology;
Benefit from higher-quality care;
Have their presciption drugs paid for;
End seniors' responsibility for 20% of the bill for catastrophic care;
Have expenses of vision care, physicals, podiatry and more paid for;
Reduce out-of-pocket expenses (which have risen 10% annually for seniors for ten years).

The plan also takes steps to reduce the $30 billion in annual Medicare fraud.

Information Kit Available

Succinctly-presented details about the Medicare reform are available to journalists and talk radio hosts/producers from The National Center for Public Policy Research. Ask for either the short version, which outlines the plan, or the long version, which includes copies of Medicare reform articles appearing in the mainstream press. Contact Mike Auten or Nate Stewart at 202-543-4110.

Medicare Experts Available for Interviews

Two of the nation's top health care expertsare among those available for interviews on Medicare reform: Palm Bailey, President of the Health Care Leadership Council and a member of the Coalition to save Medicare (a group dedicated to preserving, strengthening and simplifying Medicare for current and future generations of seniors) and Peter Ferrara, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. Contact the Health Care Leadership Council at 202-347-5731 and the National Center for Policy Analysis at 202-628-6671.

Scoop is published by The National Center for Public Policy Research to provide information about the activities of the conservative movement. Coverage of a meeting or statement in Scoop does not imply endorsement by The National Center for Public Policy Research. © 1995 The National Center for Public Policy Research.

The National Center for Public Policy Research * 501 Capitol Ct., N.E. * Washington, D.C. 20002

©1995, The National Center for Public Policy Research. Coverage of meetings, activities or statements in The Relief Report does not imply endorsement by The National Center for Public Policy Research. Excerpts may be reprinted provided that original source is credited.