May 1989, Page 11

Special Report

House Record for 100th Congress

By Allan C. Kellum

The Senate voting record for selected Middle East-related issues for the 100th Congress appeared in the March issue of Washington Report. In this issue, the House votes are presented for all 435 congressional districts.

In general, these decisions divide into three categories: efforts to restrict US arms sales to Arab countries, votes on foreign aid, and miscellaneous policy issues. Among the miscellaneous policy issues was a 394-0 vote in favor of overturning the UN resolution equating Zionism with racism.

As always it is difficult to devise a "litmus test" to rate a representative's views on the Arab-Israeli dispute. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) insists that congressmen who expect its support vote for foreign aid, but other factors affect foreign aid votes as well. A "pure" test of consistent support for Israel might be votes and signatures limiting arms sales to Arab countries (Yes on 2,5, and 9), overturning the UN resolution equating Zionism with racism (Yes on 4), and against cutting foreign aid by 20 percent across the board (No on 6). A "yes" vote on 2, 4, 5, and 9 and a "no" on 6 might get a perfect pro-Israel rating from AIPAC. A contrary vote or even an abstention on any of these rive votes would probably invite retaliation from pro-Israeli donors.

Only 15 percent (29) of those who ended 1988 as US representatives did not return to the House, and four of those—Dan Coats (R-IN), Jim Jeffords (R-VT), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Connie Mack (R-FL)—moved up to the Senate', where the turnover was just 11 percent.

Thus, the cast of players has changed little, and the votes that they cast are unlikely to change unless citizens who expect changes become more active.

What follows is a brief description of the legislative actions on Middle East issues for all House members of the 100th Congress. The number of each description below corresponds to the number in the voting record key in the chart.

1. Voted For Report of Gulf Reflagging Operation
   
   By a vote of 302 yeas to 105 nays, the House voted to require within seven days a report from the Defense Department on security arrangements in the Persian Gulf. The vote occurred June 2, 1987, as the administration readied its plan to step up the US security role in the gulf by providing naval escorts for "reflagged" Kuwaiti tankers.
   
   
2. Cosponsored Resolution Opposing Sale of US Arms to Saudi Arabia
   
   On June 3, 1987, Larry Smith (D-FL) introduced a joint resolution opposing the Reagan administration's proposed upgrading of Maverick air-to-surface missiles for Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, nearly half of the House (216 representatives) signed on as co-sponsors of Smith's bill (H.J. Res. 302).
   
   
3. Voted For Import Ban Against Iran
   
   By a vote of 407 yeas to five nays, the House on Oct. 6, 1987, approved a bill (H.R. 3391) to prohibit the US importation of all Iranian products. The bill cited Iran's hostile military actions, its terrorism, and the fact that the US was continuing to purchase crude oil at an average cost of "more than one-half a billion dollars annually" from Iran.
   
   
4. Voted For Overturning UN "Zionism Equals Racism" Resolution
   
   By a vote of 394-0 the House, on Nov. 9, 1987, passed a joint resolution (S.J. Res. 205) expressing the sense of the Congress that UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, which equates Zionism with racism, should be overturned.
   
   
5. Voted For Restricting US Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
   
   On Nov. 18, 1987, the House voted 322 yeas to 93 nays on an amendment by Dante Fascell (D-FL) to the foreign aid authorization bill (H.R. 3100), to place conditions on sales of F-15 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia and to restrict the sale of Stinger surface-to-air missiles.
   
   
6. Voted For Cut in US Foreign Aid
   
   Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) proposed a cut in the foreign aid authorization bill of 20 percent from all Economic Support Fund (ESF) monies. Due to the protected status and large volume of ESF funds earmarked for Israel and Egypt, the top two recipients of US foreign aid, this amendment would have had a devastating effect on US aid to non-Mideast nations. In fact, the disproportionality of US Mideast aid was prominently featured in the debate that preceded the Nov. 18, 1987, vote on the Traficant amendment, which was defeated 366-57.
   
   
7. Voted For Foreign Aid Authorization
   
   On Dec. 10, 1987, the House passed the foreign aid authorization bill for fiscal year 1988 (H.R. 3100) by a vote of 286 yeas to 122 nays. The bill, among other provisions, authorized for Israel an annual amount of $3 bdlion—$1.8 billion in military aid and $1.2 billion in economic aid—for fiscal years 1988 and 1989.
   
   
8. Voted For Foreign Aid Appropriations
   
   On May 25, 1988, the House voted 328 yeas to 90 nays in favor of the foreign aid appropriations bill for fiscal year 1989. Of the more than $14 billion in the bill for US foreign policy objectives worldwide, more than $3 billion was allotted to Israel.
   
   
9. Cosponsored Resolution Opposing Sale of US Arms to Kuwait
   
   On July 12, 1988, Larry Smith (D-FL) introduced a joint resolution to prohibit the administration's proposed sale of a number of military items to Kuwait. Subsequently, 168 other representatives joined Smith in opposing the sale proposal. The administration's proposal consisted of F-18 aircraft, cluster bombs, and four types of missiles—Mavericks, Harpoons, Sparrows, and Sidewinders.
   
   
10. Voted For Sanctions Against Iraq
    
    On Sept. 27, 1988, the House voted 388 yeas to 16 nays in favor of imposing sanctions against Iraq for that country's alleged use of chemical weapons against its Kurdish citizens.