Overdue Bill

Congress moves on jobs

Responding to what appeared to be a politically necessary proposition whose time had come, the House, with the Reagan Administration looking on, last week passed a $4.9 billion jobs bill. First proposed by President Reagan in mid-February, then rearranged and fattened a bit by the Democrat-controlled House Appropriations Committee, the package sailed through by an overwhelming 324-to-95 vote.

Proponents claim that the appropriated funds could create up to 400,000 jobs in fiscal 1983. The largest single item, a supplemental $1.25 billion in fiscal 1983 for community development, is intended to produce 80,000 jobs in light construction. Other big-ticket jobs boosters: $200 million for the Economic Development Administration (which Reagan had hoped to abolish), $202 million for small-business loans, $200 million for rural water and sewer grants, and $100 million for summer jobs for youths. Also included in the final bill was about $375 million in humanitarian aid, including $100 million for a food program for poor women and children, $75 million for the distribution of surplus food and $200 million for healthcare services.

On the way to passage, some House Democrats sought to turn the legislation into a March Christmas tree. The House Appropriations Committee, while drafting the bill, tacked on a $110 million assortment of mass-transit projects for committee members' districts that gave Republicans plenty to complain about. "This bill is frenzied feeding at the public trough," fumed Republican Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. But Democrat-sponsored floor amendments ultimately struck the offending provision, substituted $171 million in mass-transit aid, and required that $1.8 billion of the final bill be spent in the nation's deepest pockets of unemployment.

The jobs issue seemed certain to stay on the front burner: late last week newly released Labor Department figures showed February's 10.4% unemployment rate for the civilian labor force unchanged from the previous month. The jobs package will be taken up by the Senate this week. Republicans there are expected to try to reinstate some of Reagan's original priorities, like heavy-construction projects, though the White House reportedly will veto a bill crossing the $5 billion line.

The Senate is likely to act quickly: the jobs package is legislatively appended to a $5 billion bill to extend the additional unemployment-benefits program due to expire March 31. Meanwhile, House Democrats are readying for floor action in April a "phase 2" bill, which Democratic House Whip Thomas Foley says "is almost certain to go beyond what the Administration wants to do." This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.