CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
WETA "CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE" IN 13.56.00-WETA credit/funding credits/title sequence Host Ed Newman in a vacant committee hearing room. Discusses the process of compromise in Congress. Shots of a Bill draft with lots of lines crossed out. Shots of a committee meeting, Sen. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT) expresses some chagrin at being left out of discussion by the Republican chairman and members. Chairman Orrin Hatch tells him what the vote is about. Shot of Rep. George Miller (D-CA) in well of House, complaining that the Committee draft of a bill is confusing. Rep. ED JENKINS (D-GA) makes a similar complaint about a bill. TIP O'NEILL questions the presence of a woman's phone number scribbled onto a page of the bill, asks if that is to be stricken, hilarity ensues. 13.58.52-Newman-discusses the ongoing process of markup. Norman Ornstein discusses a plan to use a nickel gas tax increase for highway repair funds. Interest groups hijacked the markup process. Shots of lobbyists in a Senate Committee chamber. Shot of Sen. PAT MOYNIHAN talking to a lobbyist. Staffer consults with Sen. PETE DOMENICI. A Senate Committee secretary discusses the hearing process of markup. Shot of Sen. ROBERT STAFFORD (R-VT) advocating the passage of a bill. Shot of Sen. STEVE SIMS (R-ID) talks about financial pitfalls of the bills. A committee staffer testifies about the states' financial arrangements. Sims continues the dialogue with the staffer. 14.03.43-Committee secretary discusses patterns of State payback of Federal grants. V.O.-States have to put up matching funds unless the Federal Gov't grants a waiver. Sen. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT) says that States should pay nominal interest if the feds waive matching requirements. Sen. GEORGE MITCHELL (D-ME) says interest isn't necessary or wise. Sen. PAT MOYNIHAN (D-NY) says unemployment is too high to pass restrictions on giving states money to fund highway jobs. Shot of JOHN CHAFEE (R-RI) advocating an amendment to fund wastewater treatment in the highway bill. Chairman STAFFORD says that the committee can't start adding expensive amendments without sinking the whole bill. Sen. MOYNIHAN proposes an amendment for drinking water supply projects. Sen. CHAFEE opposes the amendment. Committee secretary says that often a member will propose an amendment but resist further amendments in trying to calculate the thresholds of legislation that can be passed. 14.07.01