HOUSE MAY DEBATE THE CRIME BILL TODAY

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are expected to take up a long-debated compromise crime bill today, but 8th District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson said the changes aren't enough to win his support.

Emerson and three other rural Missouri congressman, Democrats Ike Skelton and Harold Volkmer and Republican Mel Hancock, said Friday that they still have problems with a ban on assault weapons that remains in the bill.

Emerson said the weapons ban puts unreasonable regulations on gun owners, hunters, shooters and collectors.

The Cape Girardeau Republican also is concerned that the compromise bill does not pare down enough of the social spending.

Originally, the House defeated a procedural measure that would have let the bill come to the floor with a $33 billion price tag. Across the board cuts have taken about $3.5 billion out of the bill, but Emerson and other conservative lawmakers contend the social spending is still too high.

Pete Jeffries, a spokesman for Emerson, said Friday that the House was scheduled to go into session at noon today and would likely vote on the rule that it be taken up for consideration. If the rule is passed, debate and a vote would follow on the bill itself.

After that, Jeffries said the House would likely recess until after Labor Day.

But many House leaders were predicting Friday that the compromise would garner enough support to get the measure through the House this weekend.

Two other Missouri representatives, Democrat Pat Danner and Republican Jim Talent, both expressed concerns about the gun provisions and social spending in the compromise bill, but had not taken a definite position.

Rep. Bill Clay, D-St. Louis, maintained his opposition to the bill because he said he expands the death penalty to dozens of federal crimes. The negotiations were not expected to make any changes in the death penalty provisions.

As of Friday, the only firm votes for the bill from the Missouri delegation were from Majority Leader Richard Gephardt of St. Louis, and Rep. Alan Wheat of Kansas City. Gephardt was leading the efforts to draft a compromise and bring the bill to a vote today.

Even if a bill is passed today, it would need Senate approval to go to the president for his signature.