Some infor useful to ECOFEMers. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>Report From Washington, 5/24/95
Western Ancient Forest Campaign
202/939-3324, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
PRESIDENT CLINTON PROMISES VETO, COMPROMISE NOW
LIKELY
The Clinton Administration announced May 16 that the FY
1995 rescissions package agreed to by the House-Senate Conference
Committee is unacceptable and faces a veto, the President's first.
Among the many reasons cited was the logging amendment. The
rescissions package is now likely to be renegotiated following the
veto soon after the Memorial Day recess. According to Congress
Daily, the President has requested Congress work with the
Administration to rewrite the timber salvage language. Statements
by the Administration opposing the suspension of laws and Option
9 and in support of expediting salvage logging suggest that a
compromise rescissions bill may still contain a salvage logging
amendment.
In a speech in White Plains, MD, the President said:
"There's another thing which is in this bill which I really object to,
which would basically direct us to make timber sales to large
companies, subsidized by the taxpayers, mostly in the Pacific
Northwest, that will essentially throw out all of our environmental
laws and the protections that we have that surround such timber
sales.
In a May 11 press release, Vice President Gore called on the
conferees to remove the timber provisions from the rescissions
package, but in a sign of the possible compromise to come,
endorsed increased salvage logging. Gore stated, "Increasing timber
salvage...and improving forest health are goals we share with the
Congress. In fact, we have already put in motion reforms to speed
timber salvage without compromising environmental standards.
That's the right way towards reform...the timber salvage provision
attached to the rescissions package tells the federal government that
it doesn't have to obey environmental laws. That's bad policy.
The timber salvage provision should be taken out, and we should
move forward to expedite timber salvage in a responsible manner."
President Clinton still needs to ensure that the conferees
remove the logging amendments from the final rescissions bill after
the veto. The President must recognize that his credibility with the
conservation community is still on the line. It is possible that
Congress will send the bill back to his desk with the same salvage
logging and other anti-environmental amendments. The compromise
the Administration is seeking is very likely to be unacceptable to the
environmental community so it is essential we increase the pressure.
Please call the White House Comment Line at 202/456-1111.
Follow the automated survey and leave a message with the
operator. Urge the President to tell the conferees to remove the
logging amendment from the rescissions bill and that compromise is
unacceptable.
CAPITOL HILL TAKES A BREATHER
Congress will be in recess May 30 - June 2, offering activists
an opportunity to again challenge their elected officials who voted to
suspend the law in the rescissions bill. Other recesses are
tentatively scheduled for July 3 - 7 and August 4 - 31. Please use
this time to organize meetings, rallies and attend townhall meetings
during these district work periods.
