
The congressional debate over the Brady bill generated more publicity, but the real battle in Washington is likely to come in January, when the House and the Senate try to reconcile their differing versions of omnibus crime legislation. With only four negative votes - Sen. Paul Simon being one of them - the Senate approved last week a far-reaching $ 22 billion anti-crime package that expands the number of federal crimes that carry the death penalty, calls for building new prisons and imposes tougher sentences for the prisoners who will fill them.

The House chose a wiser, more limited approach, concentrating on putting more police officers on the street and fighting drug abuse.

In past years, contention over the Brady bill had held up passage of any crime legislation. This year, congressional leaders agreed to separate it from other crime-related measures, letting each stand on its own merits. The House passed a version of the Brady bill's provisions for a waiting period for the purchase of handguns, giving local authorities the opportunity to make a background check on prospective buyers. The Senate passed a different version.  After more than 24 hours of debate and contention, the Senate accepted something much closer to the House version and sent the measure on to President Bill Clinton for his signature.