Senator threatens Helms to hold hearings on Weld

By GREG McDONALD
Copyright 1997 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee threatened
Thursday to take action against tobacco farmers unless Sen. Jesse Helms,
RN.C., agrees to hold hearings on William Weld's nomination as ambassador
to Mexico.

Sen. Richard Lugar, RInd., said he has not yet decided "what options" he
might pursue to force a hearing on Weld before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, which Helms chairs. Lugar suggested, however, that he could use
his authority as chairman of the agriculture panel to push for an end to
tobacco subsidies or to limit input by Helms on whether the Senate should
ratify the recent $368 billion settlement between tobacco companies and 40
states.

"I'm not going to speculate on what's going to occur in the agriculture
committee. ... But I would observe, though, that we're going to ... take up
tobacco on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18," Lugar said during a breakfast with
reporters.

"This is a very big issue for the whole country. It's a big issue for Sen.
Helms," Lugar added pointedly.

He also offered his personal view that subsidies the government pays to
tobacco growers should be stopped.

"To those who are in the tobacco business, I would say, `You're on your
own. No more tobacco program,' " Lugar added.

Helms, who gave up chairmanship of the agriculture panel to head Foreign
Relations, is still the No. 2 Republican on the Agriculture Committee and
represents the biggest tobacco producing state in the country.

So far, Helms has refused to schedule a hearing on Weld's nomination
because he believes the former Massachusetts governor and fellow Republican
is too soft on drugs.

Helms' spokesman, Marc Thiessen, said he was surprised by Lugar's remarks
Thursday.

"Senator Helms would never do or say anything to hurt farmers in Indiana,
and we're surprised Senator Lugar would suggest hurting North Carolina
farmers," Thiessen said in a statement. "We think once Senator Lugar has
some time to think about it some more, he'll realize it's not an
appropriate course of action."

Lugar has emerged as the leading spokesman within his party in pushing for
a hearing. The Indianan says he does not know how he would vote on the
nominee, but he believes that Weld deserves a chance "to make his case"
before the committee.

"I'm just saying I'm a member of the (Foreign Relations) Committee. I want
a vote, I want a hearing. I think other members of our committee do. ... "
Lugar said. "It is not only unfair, but it seems to me unacceptable, for
one chairman to say, `In my committee, I will be a dictator.' "

Lugar said he hopes that Helms will relent. But if he doesn't, Lugar said
he is prepared to flex the same kind of "dictatorial" muscle on the
agriculture panel that Helms uses in running Foreign Relations.

"I'm not indicating, nor do I want to have, dictatorial power over
tobacco," Lugar said.

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry called Lugar's threat against
Helms an "interesting development" in the Weld nomination. But he refused
to comment further.

President Clinton has vowed to support his nominee, even to the point of
joking earlier this week that he's prepared to "jump off those cliffs at
Acapulco." But the president and his aides have been reluctant to criticize
Helms' position publicly.

Weld, a moderate Republican long at odds with conservatives in his party,
resigned as governor of Massachusetts last week to launch what he called a
"land war" against the powerful Foreign Relations chairman.

Lugar said he fears "the risk" of a "messy and divisive" battle between GOP
moderates and conservatives if the issue is not resolved soon.

Citing Weld's strong popularity in New England, Lugar suggested that it
might be in the best interest of conservatives to push for Weld's
confirmation, if for no other reason "to keep him occupied" as the 2000
presidential race approaches.

"I barely know Governor Weld," Lugar said. But he called it "remarkable"
that he had been elected twice as governor of Massachusetts.

"Our party is not doing well in New England," added Lugar, a former GOP
presidential candidate. "It's a difficult row to hoe. But Governor Weld,
for some reason, has found some magic in a lot of those endeavors. It may
not transfer to the South or the West or the Midwest, but he has been a
considerable figure in the party."

Lugar, who was chairman of Foreign Relations before Helms pulled seniority
to claim the top committee spot, has crossed swords with the North
Carolinian on a number of issues, including the chemical weapons treaty and
United Nations reforms.

Lugar maintains, however, that the two still have a "good relationship."
Nonetheless, he said Helms has responded "negatively" to his formal written
request for a hearing.

That may leave only one option now for forcing the issue a petition
signed by a majority of committee members. If all eight Democrats on the
committee sign, only the signatures of two Republicans would be needed to
hold a hearing without Helms' consent.