Washington news briefs for June 9, 2000

Friday, June 9, 2000 | 11:35 a.m.

Bryan to continue study of SUVs

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., is vowing to continue his fight to study fuel-economy standards for gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles. Bryan for years has battled an auto industry that does not want tougher standards. Many members of Congress also have been reluctant to pursue stricter rules on popular SUVs.

Congress in 1975 set a rule that an automaker's line of "trucks," such as minivans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, must together average 20.7 miles per gallon. Bryan and several other senators including Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., and Slade Gorton, R-Wash., are leading the effort to require the Department of Transportation study whether to make the standard stricter. The trio held a press conference on the issue Thursday.

"Many of us think (SUVs) can be made more fuel efficient," Bryan said in a statement. "This is what this amendment is attempting to find out. All we are asking is to let the experts make that determination."

Bryan faces a tough road: the House for five years running has restricted the DOT from studying the issue. "It is clear that we have the technology to be able to improve fuel efficiency standards, but the Republican leadership in the House and the auto industry just want to keep burying their heads in the sand," Bryan said.

The lawmakers will try to add a measure requiring that the federal government study the benefits of increasing fuel efficiency standards to a transportation spending bill slated to be considered by the full Senate as early as next week.

Last year, a similar Bryan tactic failed, by a 55-40 vote.

Bill would strip limits on payouts

Disabled veterans would be allowed to collect both disability compensation and their military retirement benefits under legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. Reid introduced the bill with Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, a disabled World War II veteran.

Veterans who currently collect a military pension must waive a portion of the pension equal to any disability pay they receive.

The Senate this week approved the legislation as an amendment to a Department of Defense spending bill now being debated.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 400,000 veterans would benefit from the change in law, costing $1.9 billion a year.

National Guard honors senator

The National Guard honored Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., this week with the National Guard's Distinguished Service Award and the Adjutants General Association's Impact Award. He was given the awards for years of support and service to the Guard.

Bryan is a former Army second lieutenant in the Adjutant General Corps, as well as a Nevada assemblyman, state senator, attorney general and governor. He is retiring from the Senate at the end of this congressional session in October.

Land-protection bill gains speed

A congressional effort to reduce urban sprawl in fast-growing Douglas County is gaining speed.

A bill headed to the House floor would alter the boundary of the Toiyabe National Forest and pave the way for a federal land exchange that could help preserve ranchland in the Carson Valley.

Under the proposal, which passed the House Resources Committee on Wednesday, the shift in the boundary of the Toiyabe forest would transfer authority for more than 35,000 acres of land in Douglas County from the national forest to the federal Bureau of Land Management.

The BLM then would sell more than 16,000 acres it owns in rural Lincoln County and use the proceeds to pay Douglas County ranchers not to develop their property. This strategy, proponents say, should help keep about 2,000 acres of Carson Valley ranchland undeveloped.

"This bill helps pave the way to protect the beautiful Carson Valley and its way of life," said Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who sponsored the House version of the proposed the legislation.

A companion bill, written by Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., passed the Senate last November.