The Senate spent several days debating the FY2001 defense authorization bill (S. 2549) before setting the measure aside on June 8 to work on the FY2001 defense spending bill (S. 2593). Additionally, the break in action will give Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) time to negotiate the remaining 100 unrelated amendments.
Before setting aside S. 2549, the Senate defeated an effort by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) to attach the House-passed patients’ bill of rights (H.R. 2990) to the defense authorization bill. H.R. 2990 passed the House on October 7, 1999, by a vote of 275-151 (see The Source, 10/8/99). The Senate passed a similar version (S. 1344) by a vote of 53-47 on July 15, 1999 (see The Source, 7/16/99). The bills have been languishing in a House-Senate conference, where Republicans and Democrats have been unable to resolve differences over patients’ right to sue their health plans and the number of individuals that would be covered under the legislation. On June 8, Senators voted, 51-48, to table the Kennedy amendment, with four Republicans crossing party lines—Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL), John McCain (R-AZ), and Arlen Specter (R-PA).
Senators agreed, by voice vote, to an amendment by Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) that would require the Department of Health and Human Services to study the effects of welfare reform on children.
When the Senate resumes consideration of the defense authorization bill, Sen. Kennedy may offer the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 622) as an amendment. S. 622 would expand the definition of federal hate crimes to include crimes committed against individuals based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability. The language was attached to the Senate-passed FY2000 Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill last year but dropped during a House-Senate conference.
Additionally, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) may offer an amendment to repeal the current restriction on privately funded abortions in military facilities overseas. Under current law, DoD covers abortions in domestic and international facilities only in cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the pregnant woman is endangered. In 1996, the abortion restriction was written into permanent law, with an exception to save the life of the pregnant woman only. During last year’s reauthorization process, rape and incest were added to the list of exceptions, but were not codified. From 1973 to 1988 and from 1993 to 1995, DoD allowed privately funded abortions at overseas military hospitals, but that policy was negated with the passage of the FY1996 defense authorization bill, which codified the restriction.
The Senate bill also would make women-owned or controlled businesses eligible for assistance under DoD’s Mentor-Protégé Program.
