Companies that fail to comply with pollution laws should not receive federal financial assistance denied to other companies that do comply with the law. Such bailouts only encourage disdain for the law and set dangerous precedents.

In this vote, Sen. Gordon (R-WA) offered an amendment to strike $7 million sought by Sen. Stevens (R-AK) for construction of a demonstration wastewater treatment system at a Japanese-owned pulp mill in Sitka, Alaska. The Alaska Pulp Corp. had avoided compliance with clean water laws for many years.

Amendment accepted 70-26; October 17, 1985. YES is the pro-environmental vote. (Gorton Amendment to H.R. 3038, FY '86 HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill.)