(S. 717). The vote on the McClure amendment to delete provisions authorizing federal inspectors to close down mines cited for repeated violations of safety standards. The power to close the mines is the only really effective enforcement sanction that the government has, and passage of this amendment would have gutted the whole Act. Environmentalists opposed the amendment. The Administration took no known formal position, but probably opposed the amendment informally. Rejected 21-76; June 21, 1977. No is the correct vote.