U.S. Senate to Restrict Alcohol on Campuses

The U.S. Senate today is expected to approve a measure that would cut off federal funding to colleges that do not restrict on-campus alcohol promotion and marketing Congressional staff members said yesterday.

The restrictions, attached as a last minute amendment to President Bush's sweeping anti-drug bill, surprised senators and higher education lobbyists who have fought to keep federal education monies separate from the anti-drug package, a Senate aide said. The aide said opponents hope to water down the alcohol measure before a House-Senate conference meets to hammer out a final drug plan for White House approval in coming weeks.

Introduced by Sen. Jesse F. Bingaman '65 (R-N.M.) on Tuesday, the proposal passed by a unanimous voice vote while only a few senators--including Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-56 (D-Mass.)--were present at a late night session.

The measure would cut off federal aid, including student loans and direct funding, to all schools that fail to prohibit:

."the distribution of free alcoholic beverages for promotional purposes on campus."

."the distribution of any promotional material for alcoholic beverages on campus"

."financing, sponsoring or supporting of any athletic, musical, cultural or social program, event or competition...by any alcoholic beverage company or industry."

In addition, schools would be ineligible for federal money if they did not limit advertisements for alcoholic beverages in campus publications. Schools would also be required to provide all students and employees with information about alcoholic counseling, treatment and rehabilitation programs.

"We will never control the use of illicit drugs or the abuse of alcohol among this age group if we do not take the fundamental--though perhaps politically unpopular--step of encouraging colleges and universities to adopt policies on campus alcohol advertising and alcohol industry sponsorship of college activities, "Bingaman said Tuesday.

Congress is expected to pass Bush's anti-drug plan. Bingaman's amendment, however, surprised many legislators and even some Bush Administration officials, who are now looking to moderate the proposal's tone, according to a Senate aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It's a bad policy and has a lot of problems," said the staffer. "We would like to narrow the language to address the real problem--abusive, underage, irresponsible drinking. The Bingaman amendment is too broad."

The aide said the senators would try to introduce their own amendment to limit the Bingaman proposal today, before the Senate vote. Even if the bill were passed, he said, several senators would attempt to modify the measure in subsequent House-Senate conference committee hearings.

Harvard officials yesterday said they had not heard of the proposal and were uncertain as to how it would affect the University. But Harvard receives some $150 million in direct federal aid and about $30 to $40 million more through student loans each year, according to Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs John Shattuck.

Shattuck said he would not comment further until he had more information but said that the Bingaman proposal would "obviously be of interest" to his office.

Since Bush announced his intentions for a national drug strategy this spring, national higher education lobbyists have urgedthat federal education grants not be tied to thequirky drug bill, according to the Congressionalstaffer.

He said that before Bingaman's amendment, itappeared they had succeeded.

"The [Drug Policy Adviser William J.]Bennett-Bush plan had tried to tie a lot ofstrings to federal education money," the staffersaid. "And the universities have kind of waged aquiet battle to keep it out."

Director of Governmental Relations Nan Nixon,who handles much of Harvard's lobbying inWashington, said she had not yet heard of thealcohol-related restrictions. She added, however,that she probably would be working on it today.

A legal expert said that the bill apparentlystands on solid Constitutional ground. HarvardProfessor of Law Kathleen M. Sullivan compared theproposal to linking federal highway funds to statedrinking ages, a practice that has withstoodfederal court challenges.

"The court was willing to uphold that so itwould probably be willing to uphold [the Bingamanamendment]," said Sullivan, a constitutional lawexpert