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.