The House : Capitol Elevators

The House rejected, 191 for and 221 against, an amendment offered July 18 by Rep. Hank Brown (R-Colo.) to cut 1986 spending for House elevator operators by $106,000.

Congress spends $650,000 in public funds on the salaries of about 50 employees who occupy and “operate” automatic elevators in Capitol Hill buildings. These are patronage employees, hand picked by senior members. Their elevators, throughout the Capitol complex except in the three Senate office buildings, often are exclusively for lawmakers.

Tourists and other visitors to Capitol Hill usually have to punch elevator buttons themselves.

A yes vote was in favor of cutting the elevator outlay.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Moorhead (R) x Rep. Roybal (D) x Rep. Waxman (D) x

Franking Privilege

By a vote of 204 for and 217 against, the House on July 18 rejected an amendment by Rep. Clarence E. Miller (R-Ohio) to cut $10 million from the 1986 appropriation for members’ franking, or free-mailing, privileges. Miller said he hoped that the cut would reduce from six to four the maximum number of newsletters that any member could send each year to all mailboxes in his or her district.

A yes vote was in favor of cutting mailing costs.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Moorhead (R) x Rep. Roybal (D) x Rep. Waxman (D) x

The State Senate Prison for Los Angeles

The state Senate on Aug. 22 defeated, 16 for and 17 against, an amendment that would have prohibited construction of a medium-security prison anywhere within 15 miles of a proposed site in central Los Angeles near Boyle Heights.

The vote came during debate on a bill, SB904, by Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside) appropriating $31 million to buy a site for the prison.

Sen. Art Torres (D-South Pasadena) offered the amendment.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Sen. Roberti (D) x Sen. Russell (R) x Sen. Torres (D) x