The Chronicle welcomes you online! Please feel free to respond to these editorials or letters to the editor by sending your letters to the editor.

Norwood, Graham pluses

Web posted September 22, 1997

Augusta Chronicle Editorial Staff

Since Congress returned from its Labor Day recess, it has become more apparent that, though Republicans are in the majority, conservatives are in a minority.

Just as in the 1980s, President Reagan often recruited enough ``boll weevels'' from the Democrat majority to pass his tax-cut programs, President Clinton has enjoyed like success in peeling off Republicans, mostly from the Northeast, to have his way on most spending bills.

There were two recent notable exceptions, however -- and our two area conservative congressmen, Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., both played critical roles in each of them.

One involved the Hoekstra Amendment, balking at having taxpayers cough up another $20 million for a Teamster election rerun. The second was the House rejection of funds to pay for Clinton's ``voluntary'' national testing scheme for 4th and 8th graders.

Norwood took a leadership role, not only in speaking out in favor of Hoekstra, but also insisting on a floor vote -- instead of a voice vote -- to get every member on the record. Citing the 1989 consent decree calling for federal supervision of Teamster elections, Norwood pointed out there's no requirement for taxpayers to pay for them, especially since last year's was fraudulent.

``That makes no sense,'' Norwood said. ``We need to make sure ... that we do not fall into the trap again of having the American taxpayer foot another $20 million bill.''

The Hoekstra Amendment, in effect, confines the federal role to supervision and forces Teamsters to pay for their own election. It passed with a decisive bipartisan majority.

Conservatives picked up even more Democrat support in rejecting the national testing scheme 295-125 -- a veto proof majority that included most members of the Black Caucus.

Graham argued eloquently that the millions spent on developing and administering the tests would only strengthen the bureaucrats in Washington and weaken local and state control of curricula. He urged, instead, that the federal money planned for the tests be sent directly to the nation's classrooms to benefit students and teachers.

These two victories show that House conservatives, at least, are also learning how to forge bipartisan support for their initiatives. That's reason for optimism. Cutting wasteful spending and curbing bureaucrats' empire-building are not just conservative causes -- they should be everybody's.