Panel Kills Plan to Ban Junk Mail Sent by Congress

WASHINGTON —  A House-Senate conference committee voted Monday to spend at least $83 million on mail to constituents next year, even though both the House and Senate favored cutting the perk and using the savings for pregnant women addicted to crack cocaine.

The conference committee vote retaining mass mailings came just two hours after the House voted 245 to 137 to instruct House negotiators to cut the congressional perk. The House vote was non-binding.

Earlier this month, the Senate voted 83 to 8 to stop the newsletters and spend the savings on reducing the number of babies born addicted to crack. Proponents on the House side said it was time for them to make a contribution to the fight against narcotics by eliminating mass mailings of newsletters and town meeting notices that traditionally have been sent to every postal patron in a congressional district.

Opponents’ Argument

Opponents, mostly Democrats, argued that the Senate should not be allowed to decide how the House allocates funds for postage or whether congressional newsletters are essential to communicating with constituents.

Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), sponsor of the Senate provision that sailed through, hailed the House action as a victory for his campaign against Capitol Hill junk mail. But he correctly predicted it would not survive a conference committee vote.

“Don’t be surprised if the use of tax funds for these thinly veiled campaign ads is too strong an addiction to overcome,” he said.

Rep. Vic Fazio (D-Sacramento), the chief House negotiator in the conference, made plain his cool attitude toward the instructions approved by his colleagues.

“It’s pure demagoguery but it’s great politics,” Fazio told reporters. “Pete Wilson’s in his element.”