Campaign finance 'poison pill' defeated
The Senate refused Wednesday to erect new barriers in the way of political activity by unions and corporations after supporters of campaign finance legislation objected to the proposal as a thinly disguised attack on organized labor that would doom their bill to defeat. "This is a poison pill that has nothing to do with union members' rights but everything with defeating campaign finance reform," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said. Numerous key votes still lie ahead on the campaign finance bill, which is expected to remain on the floor through the end of next week.
Clinton pardons probes continue
Despite calls to quit, House investigators are quietly continuing their investigation into former President Clinton's pardon of billionaire Marc Rich through interviews and letter-writing. Republican leaders including President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have suggested the GOP-controlled House Government Reform Committee move on from investigating the ex-president's pardons. Committee chairman Dan Burton, R-Ind., said that if the committee finds "additional questions that need to be asked of people under oath, we'll have a hearing."
Gun buyer checks flawed, study finds
Armed with fake IDs, undercover investigators sailed through background checks and bought guns from licensed dealers in five states, lawmakers were told Wednesday. The background check system can determine if a potential gun buyer has a criminal history, but there is no safeguard to verify whether the name or identification being used by the buyer is valid, the General Accounting Office investigation found.
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