Page 6-Wednesday, May 20, 1981-The Michigan Daily
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Balanced
budget
sought by
Senate
WASHINGTON (AP)-Giving a big boost to a goal
long held by conservatives, the Senate Judiciary
Committee voted 11-5 yesterday to approve a
proposed constitutional amendment requiring a
balanced federal budget.
The only exception would be in time of war or when
a three-fifths majority in both houses of Congress
vote for deficit spending.
"THE PEOPLE of the country want it," said Sen.
Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), who started suggesting
such an amendment when Dwight Eisenhower was
president. "I believe we have a fine chance to get it
through the Congress this year."
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), said, "This is not only
economically sound, but also constitutionally sound."
Asked about Reagan administration opposition to
the amendment, Hatch said he believes the president
will change his mind once Congress shows its deter-
mination to approve the amendment.
DAVID STOCKMAN, Reagan's budget director, as
said the administration would prefer to balance the
budget through already-existing congressional
avenues than be locked in by the Constitution.
Thurmond and other supporters blame excessive
federal spending and resulting deficits for the coun-
try's rate of inflation. They say Congress will
discipline itself and consistently match federal spen-
ding with the rate of federal taxes only if balanced
budgets are required by the Constitution.
Opponents say there is no proof a balanced budget
would cure inflation and argue ,that abruptly imposed
limits on federal spending in fact would do the
economy more harm than good.
IF APPROVED by the full Congress, the proposed
amendment would take effect two years after being
ratified by three-fourths of the 50 states.
Only then would it be submitted to the states for
ratification. At least 38 state legislatures would have
to approve it for the measure to become part of the
Constitution.
Hatch, chairman of a constitutional subcommittee,
said the amendment has 5 sponsors in the Senate, but
conceded the remaining 17 votes needed "would be
crucial."
DESPITE THURMOND'S stated optimism for
quick action, Hatch predicted no vote in the full
Senate before the end of 1981 or early 1982.
The committee failed by one vote to approve a
similar amendment last year before Republicans
took control of the Senate .
The five dissenting votes on the Judiciary Commit-
tee were cast by moderate Republican Charles
Mathias Jr. of Maryland, and liberal Democrats Ed-
ward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Max Baucus of
Montana, Joseph Biden of Delaware and Patrick
Leaby of Vermont.
Only two Democrats-Howell Heflin of Alabama
and Dennis DeConcini of Arizona-joined the
Republican majority in sending the amendment to
the Senate floor where a lively fight is expected.
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Illegal aliens to be
kept in refugee camps
MIAMI (AP)-AIl illegal aliens were returned unopened and marked
arriving in South Florida in the future "addressee unknown," officials said.
will be held in a barbed wire-enclosed THE REFUGEES will stay in tents at
refugee camp west of Miami pending the center until the federal government
immigration hearings, immigration of- decides whether they should be depor-
ficials say. ted, officials said. In early June the INS
Included are 98 Haitian refugees who will open new courtrooms at the.Krome
landed Monday night at New Smyrna camp just for deportation hearings:
Beach and were immediately taken to Among Monday's new arrivals were
the Krome North camp in westernDade about a dozen children and five
County, immigration officials said. pregnant women, but Coast Guard of-
"THE LAW has not changed. Our ficials said the only health problem was
posture of enforcement has changed," seasickness.
said Immigration and Naturalization INS official Richard Gullage said the
Service District Director Jake Hower- Krome North center is near its
ton. maximum capacity, but a new dor-
The decision to enforce the law to its mitory is under construction.
maximum was based on evidence that In the last seven months, 12,000
thousands of recent Haitian arrivals Haitians have arrived in South Florida
never showed up for deportation illegally-and about 6,000 escaped
hearings, INS officials said Monday. detection until they showed up at INS
About 60-percent of the letters sent to offices seeking work permits, Howerton
notify recent Haitian arrivals of their , said.
deportation or exclusionary hearings
Padding eharged in
Miss USA pageant
BILOXI, Miss. (AP)-Miss New York GLASSER SAID she had admitted
was disqualified from the Mdiss USA wearing padding under her swimsuit
Pageant yesterday after officials while appearing before the pageant's
charged she made public a decision to panel of judges on Sunday night. He
penalize her for wearing a padded bra said after discussions with other con-
in the swimsuit competition. testants and with the Miss USA
Harold Glasser, president of Miss organization staff, it was decided that
Universe Inc., which produces the Miss the judges would be informed of the
USA Pageant under way at the situation but that Miss New York would
Mississippi Coast Coliseum, said the be allowed to remain.
pageant had no choice but to ask Glasser said all sides had agreed to
Deborah Fountain, Miss New York, to keep the matter secret but Miss Foun-
leave. tain had hired an attorney and both
MISS FOUNTAIN said she decided to allegedly discussed the incident with
wear padding because the swimsuit she various newspapers.
was given was "way too big." "A lot of others have done this and it
Miss Fountain, 25, said she asked a is "A litinfthatshey d indle
pageant staff member to fix the suit or hurhiliating that they should single
give her another one prior to the Sun- Me out," said the 5-foot-7, 110-pound
day night competition but the request iss Fountain, who measures 35-23-35.
was refused. "IN LIGHT OF all this, and since it
"I was able to take up the legs myself went beyond the issue of rules and
but not the top," she said, "so I had to regulations, we felt it was in the best in-
try to make myself look the best I could. terest of the pageant and the contestan-
-Idid not know you could be disqualified ts that we not have Miss Fountain be-in
for this or I never would have done it."= th Pageant,- 'Glasser s -fd
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