Senate Approves Reform of Congress’ Workplace : Legislation: Laws imposed on rest of Americans will apply to Capitol Hill. Clinton is expected to sign bill.

WASHINGTON —  The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to make all members of Congress and their staffs subject to the same workplace, anti-discrimination and environmental protection laws as the rest of America.

The Congressional Accountability Act, viewed as a must-pass measure if the new Republican-controlled Congress is to persuade the public that it can have confidence in the legislature, passed by a vote of 98 to 1. A similar measure already had passed the House.

Although moving much more sluggishly through the Senate--five days of off-and-on debate compared to one evening in the House--the bill’s sponsors hope that the measure will make Capitol Hill less of an island that is aloof to many of the rules and laws that govern the rest of the nation.

The bill mandates overtime pay for qualifying congressional workers, applies all federal safety regulations to congressional workplaces and gives the 3,500 Capitol Hill workers the right to file employment grievances in court. In the past, Senate and House members have denied their staffs these kinds of protections under the premise that enforcing them would violate the separation-of-powers doctrine.

Showing their intent to reform their own house, the Republican-ruled Senate also adopted an amendment to prohibit the personal use of frequent flier tickets. But they put off until later a ban on gifts to members of Congress as well as provisions to place lawmakers’ pensions under the same rules as other federal workers and no longer to permit pensions higher than congressional salaries.

Nevertheless, both sides of the aisle said that the legislation was a long time coming.

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), one of the bill’s two main sponsors, called the measure a “reverse version of the Golden Rule.”

“We should do unto ourselves as we have done unto others for lo these many years and that is to live by the laws that we imposed on the rest of America,” he said.

“Is it any wonder,” added Sen. Dirk Kempthorne (R-Ida.), another sponsor, “why public opinion polls of Congress are significantly low? In living outside the limits of the same workplace laws it imposes on others, the Congress has lost touch.”

The Congressional Accountability Act would extend 11 existing civil rights and labor laws to the Senate, House and other government entities such as the Library of Congress, the General Accounting Office and the Congressional Budget Office. Among the 11 laws are the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

Sensitive to a growing public perception that Congress has been a citadel of special privileges, members tried to adopt the law last year, with the House passing it, 427 to 4. But Senate Republicans blocked its passage in the closing days of the 103rd Congress.

Speaking for the vast majority of his colleagues Wednesday, Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio) said that he has pushed for the legislation since 1978 only to see it repeatedly knocked down by the argument over separation of powers. In the past, detractors argued that it would be improper to have federal regulators from the executive branch of government enforcing rules on the legislative side.

“This has been held up all this time,” Glenn said. “Now we can treat our people on Capitol Hill with the same rights and same fairness we think is right for America.”

Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) did not vote because he was out of town. The lone dissenter was Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), who cited his concerns over the “serious constitutional questions” regarding the separation of powers.

“I do not expect to persuade others,” he said in announcing his opposition on the Senate floor Monday. “And there may be no others who will vote against this act. I may be alone.”

The measure now goes to a conference committee of Senate and House members to iron out some minor differences. President Clinton is expected to sign the bill that finally is sent to him.

In other congressional action Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee passed a tough version of the balanced-budget amendment that requires a three-fifths vote by both houses of Congress to raise taxes, increase the nation’s credit line or allow an annual budget deficit.

The 20-13 vote was along party lines. The measure now will be sent to the House floor for further consideration.

But several moderate House Republicans predicted that the provision would be modified by the full House to remove a provision requiring a 60% “super majority” for raising taxes. A House vote is expected in about two weeks.

Also on Wednesday, an Interior subcommittee in the House heard testimony--but took no action--on proposals to discontinue funding for unauthorized programs and to turn over some public lands to the states or sell it to private foundations.

The panel also was encouraged to cut down or do away with some Interior Department agencies and functions. In addition, the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities was also targeted for possible elimination.

Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio), chairman of the subcommittee, said that the hearing was the first in a series of sessions in which the panel will review what agencies and programs are expendable as Congress attempts to cut the size of the federal government.

“We intend to scrub these budgets carefully,” he said, “listen to all sides, and make tough, but rational decisions, not just arbitrary reductions.”

‘Contract With America’

* The full text of the Republican “contract with America” is available on the TimesLink on-line service. Also available are biographies of Newt Gingrich and up-and-coming GOP leaders. Sign on and click “Special Reports” in the Nation & World section.

Details on Times electronic services, B4

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THE 104TH CONGRESS / Developments on the Hill

IN THE HOUSE

* The Judiciary Committee passed a balanced-budget amendment that requires a three-fifths vote by both houses of Congress to raise taxes, increase the nation’s credit line, or allow an annual budget deficit.

IN THE SENATE

* The Senate voted 98-1 to subject members of Congress and their staffs to the same civil rights and labor laws that currently apply to private business, one of the 10 “contract with America” items. A House version of the bill passed last week.

* Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) took charge of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Of the 18 members of the committee, five are newly elected Republicans, while Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is the panel’s one new Democrat.

UPCOMING

* Senate Aviation Committee holds hearings on aviation issues, specifically on whether to privatize the Federal Aviation Administration.

ETC.

* Calling all wanna-be Newts: The junior members f the Capitol Hill Club hold an informational job seminar today for young conservatives looking for work.