Pubdate: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (AR) Copyright: 2000 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Contact: 121 East Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201 Website: http://www.ardemgaz.com/ Forum: http://www.ardemgaz.com/info/voices.html Author: Doug Thompson HUTCHINSON STRESSES WEIGHT OF NEXT ELECTION AT STUDENT CONFERENCE FAYETTEVILLE -- The next election will be a watershed for all three branches of the federal government, U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson of Fort Smith told high school students Wednesday. The election to choose the successor to President Clinton "will decide who will appoint the swing votes on the U.S. Supreme Court, while control of the legislative branch is up in the air," Hutchinson said. The next president will probably fill at least two vacancies over the next four years as sitting members of the court retire, he said. Hutchinson, a Republican, pointed to recent 5-4 Supreme Court decisions, including the court's rejection of a Nebraska law banning an abortion procedure and the court's rejection of prayer led by students before school athletic events in Texas. The congressman was speaking to a group of at least 30 high school students attending the Fulbright School of Public Affairs, a three-week program at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Republicans will lose their majority in the House if six GOP seats go to Democrats without offsetting gains for the GOP candidates. The majority party picks House committee chairmen, so that party can control the flow of legislation. "Control of the Congress is at stake, and it's at risk," Hutchinson said. Foreign policy will become a major issue in the presidential election, Hutchinson said, because of the importance of issues facing the United States that involve other countries. These issues include redefining "our relationship to Mexico," he said, since the political party that held power for 71 years there was defeated in Sunday's election. Real change in border issues such as illegal immigration from Mexico and drug trafficking is possible, he said. "Nationalistic zeal in Mexico has prevented any cooperation with the United States to the point that federal Drug Enforcement Agency agents in Mexico are not allowed to wear guns," Hutchinson said. "Believe me, if you're a DEA agent in Mexico, you don't want to do much work without firearms." Congress' approval of a $1.3-billion aid package to Colombia will cause controversy, Hutchinson predicted. The package includes military aid to fight illegal drug activities that finance some rebel groups. "I supported aid to Colombia," Hutchinson said, because "I don't want to see the oldest democracy in South America go under." Students asked Hutchinson about student-led prayer. "I think it's a bad decision," said Hutchinson of the court's ruling. The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment prohibits Congress from enacting laws that establish a religion, but recent court decisions have crossed the line from being neutral on religion into being hostile toward it, Hutchinson said. "On religion, the same amendment goes on to say 'nor prohibit the free exercise thereof,' " Hutchinson said. Asked why he did not draw an opponent in this year's election, Hutchinson said his ability to build a war chest of election funds must have been a factor. Members of Congress "get criticized for building a war chest, but its not the grassroots opponent we're worried about," he said. "It's the Corzines of the world." Retired Wall Street financier Jon Corzine spent $33 million, much of it from his own money, in a successful Democratic primary race for senator from New Jersey, his first political race. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart