Measure to Kill Super Collider Goes to Clinton

WASHINGTON — Congress on Wednesday sent President Clinton legislation to kill the superconducting super collider, putting the death of the multibillion-dollar atom smasher a pen stroke away.

By an 89-11 vote, the Senate sent the measure to the White House for Clinton’s expected signature.

To the chagrin of longtime supporters, the $640 million in the bill originally intended for continued construction on the huge Texas physics project was rechanneled to close out contracts.

“Ten years into this project, three presidents, $2 billion, 10,000 employees, all devoting their lives to this . . . and all of a sudden the country loses its nerve,” said Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), one of the collider’s chief supporters. “The country loses that dedication, that purposefulness that makes a great power.”

But Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.), one of the chief opponents, responded: “I’d rather see the $640 million spent at trying to get at the root causes of crime, violence and uncivilized conduct.”

About $2 billion has already been spent on the $11-billion project, which was to help answer questions about the origin of matter. Nearly 15 miles of its proposed 54-mile circular tunnel had been dug.