July 23, 1992

Notes on Recent Activities

      
This afternoon the full Senate Appropriations  Committee, chaired by Robert
Byrd (D-WVa) voted 26-0 in a roll-call to report (conditionally*) the FY93
Energy & Water Appropriations Bill.  To "report" a bill to the Senate means to
approve it.

There was no mention of the SSC or Fermilab or High Energy Physics at all
---except E & W Subcommittee Chairman Bennett Johnston's (D-La) two-sentence
description of the SSC's presence in the bill and the $550 million recommended
for this year. The timing for floor action ---which is expected to include an
amendment to kill the SSC --- was not anounced; the preponderance of
speculation, however, is aimed at Thursday, July 30.




*(conditionally:) In Tuesday's interim bulletin, it was reported that Johnston
had added the House and Senate energy-strategy legislation to the E & W
appropriations as a tactical maneuver. These extra bills are still attached.
The committee approved reporting the appropriation IF the other bills are
removed; until and unless they are removed, the bill is in sort of limbo. As
additional actions are taken, details will be provided.