WASHINGTON — The House voted yesterday to use the spending power of Congress to undermine a Supreme Court ruling allowing local governments to force the sale of private property for economic development purposes. Key members of the House and Senate vowed to take even broader steps soon.

Last week's 5-4 decision has drawn a backlash from an unusual coalition of conservatives concerned about property rights and liberals worried about the effect on poor people, whose property is often vulnerable to condemnation because it does not generate a lot of revenue.

The House measure, which passed 231-189, would deny federal money to any city or state project that used eminent domain to force people to sell their property to make way for a profit-making project such as a hotel or mall. Historically, eminent domain has been used mainly for public purposes such as highways or airports.

The measure, an amendment to an appropriations bill, would apply to money administered by the departments of Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development. House GOP leaders said they will push for a more inclusive measure that would apply to all federal funds.

The Supreme Court ruling allows local governments to force property owners to sell and make way for private economic development when government officials decide it would benefit the public, even if the property is not blighted. Opponents say property owners should not be forced to sell to make way for private commercial projects.

Stalemate broken

over DeLay probe

Leaders of the House ethics committee broke through a months-long stalemate over staffing yesterday, making it possible to investigate Majority Leader Tom DeLay and conduct other business.

The logjam was broken by Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., and senior Democrat Alan Mollohan of West Virginia. The dispute was over the powers allotted to Hastings' chief of staff, Ed Cassidy, who will work part time for the committee but not be part of the investigative staff. With the agreement, the committee can now take advantage of extra money it was allotted this year to hire additional investigative staff.

DeLay has asked the committee to review his travel expenses that were paid for by private organizations. He is seeking to clear his name against allegations that a lobbyist or the lobbyist's clients paid for some of his travel expenses.

House OKs revamp

of pension rules

House Republicans advanced legislation yesterday that would overhaul the rules governing private pension plans, even as Democrats said they hadn't had sufficient time to assess it and voted "present" in protest.

The measure, passed the same day the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. assumed liability for United Airlines' pension plans, aims to reduce similar pension defaults in the future.

It requires corporations to use a new interest rate when measuring their future pension obligations; curbs increases in benefits promised from underfunded plans; increases premiums paid to the PBGC, the federal agency that insures pension plans; and enhances public disclosure of information about severely underfunded plans.

Also

Pay raise: The House approved a 3.1 percent pay raise for federal civilian employees yesterday as part of a fiscal 2006 spending bill covering transportation, housing, the Treasury and the District of Columbia.

Cuba: The House voted 211-208 yesterday against permitting Cuban Americans to visit their families in Cuba more frequently and for retaining a trade embargo that has been in place since 1960.

FERC: President Bush yesterday named Joseph Kelliher to be chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees wholesale electricity and interstate natural-gas markets. He would replace Pat Wood, whose term expires at the end of this month.

Compiled from The Washington Post and The Associated Press