News in Brief: A Washington Roundup

Senate Democrats are hoping that pictures will be worth a thousand words in their campaign to push President Clinton's $5 billion school construction initiative through a skeptical Republican-led Congress.

Last week, they asked principals to send in pictures and videotapes of crumbling walls, leaky roofs, and other serious maintenance problems to help publicize the need for federal funds for school repairs. All 46 Democrats in the chamber signed a letter mailed to school principals nationwide.

A recent report by the General Accounting Office said that $112 billion is needed to fully repair the nation's schools, and that more than 14 million students attend school in buildings...