>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Date: Thu, 07 Nov 1996 15:44:56 -0800 (PST)
>From: Western Ancient Forest Campaign <wafcdc at igc.apc.org>
>Subject: Election Update - Key Gains in House - Furse Wins!
>
>TO: All Forest Activists
>FROM: Jim Jontz & Steve Holmer
>DATE: November 7, 1996
>
>SUBJECT: Election Update - Key Gains in House - Furse Wins!
>
> Thanks to everyone who got out the vote and helped elect Members of
>Congress who will support the environment. Based on the election results, we
>anticipate a net gain of about 9 additional votes in support of forest
>protection
>in the House. The Senate appears slightly more conservative and we have lost
>one vote for certain. The Oregon Senate race between Tom Bruggere and
>Gordon Smith is still too close to call due to a large number of absentee
>ballots.
>
> President Clinton easily won reelection, but heavy public criticism
>about fundraising in the week preceding the election may have cut into his
>victory margin, and cost Democrats a chance at recapturing the Congress.
>The President is already faced with substantial personnel issues in his second
>administration, but Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt and Secretary of
>Agriculture Dan Glickman are likely to remain. We expect action on choosing
>a new chief of the Forest Service in the weeks ahead. If you have names to
>recommend for the new Chief or for promotion in general, please send them in
>to WAFC as soon as possible.
>
>
>The 105th Congress - The House
> The Republican majority has been narrowed and the balance is now 225
>Republicans, 205 Democrats and 1 Independent with four races still undecided.
>In Oregon Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-OR) won with a comfortable margin (55-
>42%) after winning her last race by only 300 votes. Rep. Jim Bunn (R-OR),
>who was an outspoken supporter for lawless logging, lost to Darlene Hooley.
>Bob Smith (R-OR), tireless champion of the timber industry will return to
>reclaim his seat from Wes Cooley who was forced to withdraw from the race.
>Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) were both easily
>reelected.
>
> In Washington State, three seats which had switched to Republicans
>during the 104th Congress, reverted back to Democratic control. Rep. Linda
>Smith (R-WA) was defeated by Brian Baird, Kevin Quigley outpolled Jack
>Metcalf (R-WA) and Adam Smith beat Rep. Randy Tate (R-WA). The
>remainder of the Washington delegation, Reps. Dicks, McDermott, Dunn,
>Nethercutt, Hastings and White were all re-elected.
>
> California also saw several significant victories for forest protection
>advocates. Reps. Baker (R-CA) and Seastrand (R-CA) who had supported the
>logging rider were both defeated. Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA) is holding on
>with a 200 vote lead, but the election is still too close to call.
>Unfortunately,
>Reps. Frank Riggs (R-CA), Wally Herger (R-CA) and John Doolittle (R-CA)
>who have led the charge to suspend environmental laws to increase logging in
>California's forests were all re-elected.
>
> In the Northern Rockies, Rep. Pat Williams (D-MT) retirement opened
>the door for Rick Hill (R-MT) to gain the seat in a race against Bill
>Yellowtail
>(R-MT). In Idaho, Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-ID) won a close election against
>Dan Williams. This means that in the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
>there is a solid block of conservative House Republicans dedicated to increased
>resource extraction.
>
> A number of longtime forest champions will be leaving Congress
>including Rep. John Bryant (D-TX), who sponsored the forest biodiversity and
>anti-clearcutting legislation the last three sessions; Tony Beilenson (D-CA)
>who argued against the logging rider from his position on the House Rules
>Committee; Patricia Shroeder (D-CO), Harry Johnston (D-FL), Richard
>Durbin (D-IL) who was elected to the Senate to replace Sen. Paul Simon;
>Andrew Jacobs (D-IN), Jan Meyers (R-KS), Gerry Studds (D-MA), Charlie
>Rose (D-NC), Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) who was elected to replace Sen. Bill
>Bradley in the Senate; and Jack Reed (D-RI) who was also elected to the
>Senate.
>
>
>105th Congress - The Senate
> In the Senate, the Republicans gained one - possibly two seats and we
>expect to lose one - or two - votes for forest protection. But, we know that
>these votes can be changed, so the situation is not much different than what we
>faced in the 104th Congress.
>
> In Idaho, Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) defeated Walt Minnick and has
>promised to introduce legislation concerning the National Forest Management
>Act and forest health. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) will also return to become
>Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, replacing Sen. Mark
>Hatfield (R-OR). The good news is that Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) won by
>a solid margin (50-41%) in a race many thought he may lose. Sens. John
>Kerry (D-MA) and Max Baucus (D-MT) will also return.
>
> A number of longtime Senate forest supporters are retiring including
>Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ) who introduced rider repeal legislation this year;
>Sens. Paul Simon (D-IL); Clairborne Pell (D-RI); David Pryor (D-AR); and
>James Exon (D-NE) whose voting records for forest protection were
>outstanding over the years.
>
>
>Local Elections
> Congratulation! to Connie Stewart, WAFC's President, who was the
>leading vote getter for Arcata, California's City Council race.
>
>
>Looking Ahead to the 105th Congress
> The 104th Congress was closely matched between the forces of forest
>protection and those of forest exploitation; key votes in both the House and
>Senate were decided by margins of only one or two on several occasions.
>
> The election of the 105th Congress offers us an opportunity for
>achieving a forest protection majority. This will take a great deal of
>work, but all of the efforts of these past two years to shore up our friends
>and to find new allies has laid a solid foundation to build upon.
>
> There is still a group of Democrats in both the House and Senate --
>outside of the West -- who cannot be counted on to support forest protection.
>We must generate activity in their districts to bring them our way.
>Fortunately, there is also a growing block of moderate and fiscally
>conservative Republicans who disagree with their Western colleagues' support
>for uncontrolled and subsidized logging of public lands. We must continue to
>cultivate these GOP members to attain a solid majority in the House.
>
> In the Senate, we need to develop new champions to take a lead on
>forest issues. Sens. Murray, Wyden, Feinstein, Boxer and Baucus are key to
>our success, but we must also put resources into recruiting forest champions
>from other parts of the country. The Northeastern moderate Republicans are a
>priority.
>
> Steady and ongoing pressure caused many members of the 104th
>Congress to reverse their position on the logging rider. This same kind of
>pressure, can ultimately lead to a bi-partisan consensus that our forest
>heritage must be protected.
>
>
>Where lawmakers stand on forest/wildlife issues
>
>CHANGES IN THE HOUSE
>105th CONGRESS
>
>NOs to YESs (16)
>
>Baker to Tauscher (CA 10)
>Seastrand to Capps (CA 22)
>Lightfoot to Boswell (IA 3)
>Longley to Allen (ME 1)
>Chrysler to Stabenow (MI 8)
>Funderbark to Etheridge (NC 2)
>Heineman to Price (NC 4)
>Frisa to McCarthy (NY 4)
>Cremeans to Strickland (OH 6)
>Hoke to Kucinich (OH 10)
>Bunn to Hooley (OR 5)
>Metcalf to Quigley (WA 2)
>Smith to Baird (WA 3)
>Tate to Smith (WA 9)
>Gunderson to Kind (WI 3)
>Roth to Johnson (WI 8)
>
>YESs to NOs (4)
>
>Durbin to Shimkus (IL 20)
>Ward to Northrup (KY 3)
>Johnson to Thune (SD)
>Bryant to Sessions (TX 5)
>
>Maybe to YES (2)
>
>Franks to Maloney (CT 5)
>Flanagan to Blagojevich (IL 5)
>
>Maybe to NO (5)
>
>Browder to Riley (AL 3)
>Bevill to Aderholt (AL 4)
>Volkmer to Hulshof (MO 9)
>Williams to Hill (MT)
>Geren to Granger (TX 12)
>
>
>Net gain: 9 votes
>
>
>CHANGES IN THE SENATE
>105th CONGRESS
>
>NOs to YESs
>
>Pressler to Johnson (SD)
>
>
>YESs to NOs
>
>Exon to Hagel (NE)
>Pryor to Hutchison (AK)
>
>
>MAYBE to NO
>
>Heflin to Sessions (AL)
>
>(Oregon still undecided)
>
>
>Net loss: 1 vote
>--=====================_847506888==_
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Steve Holmer
>Campaign Coordinator
>
>Western Ancient Forest Campaign
>1101 14th St. NW #1400
>Washington, D.C. 20005
>202/789-2844 ext. 291
>202/682-1943 fax
>wafcdc at igc.apc.org
>
>--=====================_847506888==_--

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
web site: http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html