[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: February 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 1994
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 336 and rule
XXIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union for the further consideration of the bill,
H.R. 3759.
{time} 1507
in the committee of the whole
Accordingly the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union for the further consideration of the
bill (H.R. 3759) making emergency supplemental appropriations for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1994, and for other purposes, with
Mrs. Kennelly in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIRMAN. When the Committee of the Whole rose earlier today, the
amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank] had
been disposed of. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3
printed in House Report 103-416.
amendment offered by mr. deutsch
Mr. DEUTSCH. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Deutsch: On page 19, after line
12, insert the following:
Administrative Provision
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency may not expend any funds
appropriated to it, or deny the political subdivision known
as Metropolitan Dade County, State of Florida, coverage under
the National Flood Insurance Program, for the purpose of
requiring Metropolitan Dade County to direct property owners
to tear down existing construction of which the Federal
Emergency Management Agency was aware on or after August 24,
1992, where Metropolitan Dade County did not give accurate
notice to affected property owners of National Flood
Insurance Program regulation requirements.
The CHAIRMAN. Under the rule, the gentleman from Florida [Mr.
Deutsch] will be recognized for 10 minutes, and a Member opposed will
be recognized for 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Deutsch].
Mr. DEUTSCH. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown).
(Mr. BROWN of California asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. BROWN of California. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman from
Florida [Mr. Deutsch] very much for yielding this time to me in order
to have a very brief colloquy with the chairman of the Subcommittee on
V.A., HUD and Independent Agencies, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Stokes], and I ask if he would be willing to do this.
Mr. STOKES. Madam Chairman, if the gentleman will yield, I would
certainly be delighted to join in a colloquy with the distinguished
gentleman.
Mr. BROWN of California. Madam Chairman, as the gentleman knows, this
bill includes $15 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency
[FEMA] to spend on research, particularly postearthquake investigations
under section 11 of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
[NEHRP].
Madam Chairman, this program is very important to our understanding
of earthquakes. It is imperative that we help the research teams that
are out gathering such information to do their job as quickly as
possible. It is also my understanding, Madam Chairman, that all of the
investigations will be carried out collaboratively among the NEHRP
agencies. In view of the urgency of these investigations, I would like
to request that we receive a plan from the agencies on the proposed
study within 2 months of the signing of this bill.
Madam Chairman, it is the intent of this provision that FEMA will
distribute the funds to the NEHRP agencies as soon as possible after
the enactment of this bill, and that my understanding of the uses of
the $15 million concurs with the views of the chairman of the VA-HUD
subcommittee of appropriations. Is this correct?
Mr. STOKES. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. BROWN of California. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
{time} 1510
Mr. STOKES. Madam Chairman, the gentleman is correct.
Mr. BROWN of California. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for
his assurances.
Mr. DEUTSCH. Madam Chairman, 18 months ago Hurricane Andrew
devastated south Florida. Up to that time it was the largest disaster
in our Nation's and probably the world's history. Many residents went
through a living hell, and many residents are still going through that
same crisis in their lives.
The Federal, State, and local governments should be there to solve
problems, not to create them. I want to thank my colleagues who were in
this Chamber before I arrived who did such a great deal to help solve
some of the problems that south Florida experienced during that period
of time.
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has done both good and
actually some really awful bad things in its work in south Florida.
There are some residents who are still going through a type of living
hell. Residents of Royal Harbor Yacht Club in south Dade County are
amongst those people.
These are people who had built their homes that were totally
devastated in the hurricane, in almost the eye of the storm, and then
rebuilt their homes after getting the proper permits, and now have been
told by FEMA that they should destroy the homes after they were
properly permitted.
For the last 6 months my office, as well as the offices in Dade
County of County Commissioner Hawkins and the county manager, has been
trying to resolve this issue with FEMA.
I really want to thank the Rules Committee members today for making
this amendment in order. Within the last 24 hours we have worked with
FEMA, and we have been able to resolve an intractable issue. This
should not have ever been to the point of an amendment on the floor of
the U.S. Congress. It is an issue which should have been resolved
administratively, and it has now been resolved administratively. My
hope is that by both offering this amendment and bringing to our
attention some of these problems of FEMA, those people who have been
victims of natural disasters since Hurricane Andrew, those in the
Midwest and those in California today, would not experience the level
of frustration and the level of intractable bureaucracies that some
people still experience in south Florida.
Madam Chairman, with those comments and again with my appreciation,
particularly for the Rules Committee and the members responsible for
making this amendment in order, along with the chairman of the
subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, I ask unanimous consent
that I be permitted to withdraw the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from
Florida?
There was no objection.
The CHAIRMAN. The amendment is withdrawn.
Pursuant to the order of the House of today, it is now in order to
consider the amendment to be offered by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Traficant]. The amendment is debatable for 10 minutes, equally divided
and controlled between the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] and a
Member opposed.
The amendment is not subject to amendment.
amendment offered by Mr. traficant
Mr. TRAFICANT. Madam Chairman, I offer my amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Traficant:
At the end of the bill, insert after the last section
(preceding the short title) the following new section:
Sec. . In the case of any equipment or product that may
be authorize to be purchased with financial assistance
provided using funds made available in this Act, it is the
sense of the Congress that entities receiving the assistance
should, in expending the assistance, purchase only American-
made equipment and products, and that notice of this
provision be given to each recipient of assistance covered
under this Act.
Mr. TRAFICANT (during the reading). Madam Chairman, I ask unanimous
consent that the amendment be considered as read and printed in the
Record.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from
Ohio?
There was no objection.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Ohio will be recognized for 5
minutes, and a Member opposed will be recognized for 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant].
Mr. TRAFICANT. Madam Chairman, the amendment is very straightforward.
The American taxpayers provide the money for us to run our Government,
and when our Government buys goods and services, we should encourage
that those moneys be used to buy American-made goods and products.
With that, Madam Chairman, let me say that I appreciate the support
of the committee, and I ask that my amendment be agreed to.
Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIRMAN. Does any Member wish to oppose the amendment?
If not, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Ohio [Mr. Traficant].
The amendment was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed
in part 2 of House Report 103-416.
amendment offered by mr. myers of indiana
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Myers of Indiana.
At the end of the bill:
(1) Insert the text of H.R. 3511, as reported by the
Committee on Appropriations, making rescissions of $2.561
billion: and
(2) insert at the end thereof the following new sections:
Sec. . Rescission of Funds Connected With Reduction in
Full Time Equivalent Positions.--Of the aggregate funds made
available to executive departments and agencies in
appropriations Acts for fiscal year 1994 for purposes of
employee compensation, with the exception of the Department
of Defense, $750,000,000 is rescinded. The Director of the
Office of Management and Budget shall allocate such
rescission among the appropriate accounts and shall submit to
the Congress a report setting forth such allocation;
Sec. . Reduction in Administrative Expenses.
(a) Budget Obligations.--
(1) In general.--The amount obligated by all departments
and agencies, with the exception of the Department of
Defense, for expenses during fiscal year 1994 shall be
reduced by an amount sufficient to result in a reduction of
$3,200,000,000 in outlays for expenses during fiscal year
1994. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget
shall establish obligation limits for each agency and
department in order to carry out the provision of this
section.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for Community Development
Grants.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Community
Planning and Development--Community Development Grants'' in
the Department of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban
Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-124) for grants, $400,000,000 is rescinded.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for MK-19 Grenade Launcher
Program.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Procurement
of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army'' in the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
139), $15,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the MK-19
Grenade Launcher Program.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for NOAA Research Fleet.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'' in the Department of
Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121),
$17,000,000 is rescinded.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for EDA.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Economic
Development Administration--Economic Development Assistance
Programs'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State,
the Judiciary and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-121), $25,000,000 is rescinded.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for House Franking.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``House of
Representatives--Salaries and Expenses'' in the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-69), $2,000,000
is rescinded, to be derived from ``Official Mail Costs''.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for World Bank.
(5) ``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy'': $50,000,000 to
be derived from advance procurement of LHD-7.
Sec. . Rescission of Funds for Legislative Branch.
(a) In general.--The funds made available for each account
in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-69), are rescinded by 1.3 percent of such funds.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Indiana will
be recognized for 30 minutes and a Member opposed will be recognized
for 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Myers].
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Chairman, I hope it will not be necessary for us to take the
full hour here. I hope we can complete this debate in less than an
hour, maybe something even less than a half hour, because we do have a
busy schedule here this afternoon.
I do not know of anyone in this House or anyone in the country who
does not want to help the victims of this earthquake in California.
Unfortunately, some of us have some difficulty about how we are going
to accomplish this without doing more damage to the rest of the country
and the rest of our budget. That is the reason I have to offer this
amendment. I wish I did not have to do it. I wish we had the mechanism
already set up so we would have the means of taking care of disasters
like this and helping the people who need the help so badly without
doing this to our economy, but unfortunately, through the lack of
wisdom of this body, we have not accomplished this through the years.
For that reason, I think today is the day we should start taking action
to make sure that in the future we will pay for these.
Every one of us and everyone else who is familiar with what we are
doing here today has had the experience of having to readjust their
budgets. Every homeowner sometime during the year experiences a
breakdown of the air-conditioning, or the refrigerator or the freezer
or the roof has to be repaired. We do not plan those in our budget, but
we cannot continually go to the bank and borrow more and more money.
The country and the Government ought to run in just exactly the same
way. When we do have these emergencies--and we are going to have them--
I think we should be prepared to make adjustments in our budget.
This is not meant to be mean-spirited. I do not bring this in that
way. I think we have a responsibility or at least a historic
responsibility through tradition to help people who need help, but we
also have an obligation and a responsibility to the hard-hit taxpayers,
many of whom are right now digging down deep to pay their taxes and are
working on those taxes. And there is no hope in sight presently to
balance the budget sometime in the future.
My colleague, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin], with whom I
serve on the Appropriations Committee and for whom I have a high
regard, expressed earlier today that he was going to be catcher of a
task force to find a way to pay for these in the future, and I would
say that I hope one of the first things he considers as he looks for
ways to pay for it is to make certain that future disasters--and we are
going to have them, I am sorry to say; we all recognize this, but I
hope they never amount to this proportion again--I hope that one of the
first things Chairman Durbin does is to look to make sure that if we
have these in the future, we will not mix other things not related to
that particular disaster. We have to very carefully limit the exposure
to the American taxpayers, because it is an emergency and they cannot
crowd everything else into one bill as we have here.
Thirty percent of this bill has nothing to do with the earthquake in
California last month, but in posterity future Congresses are going to
remember, and maybe even this same Congress is going to remember this
supplemental bill as the southern California earthquake bill of 1994,
and they are going to look at it and see the total of $10 billion.
This amendment that I offer will cut $7.4 billion from other spending
programs. We have gone down through the list and we have selected items
that will do the least damage to our spending practices and do the
least damage to the budget, and I think we have a good recommendation.
Some of these will be considered in other resolutions or amendments
this afternoon.
But of that $7.4 billion that we would rescind from planned spending
in 1994, $2,561,000,000 would come from the rescissions that have
already passed this House in H.R. 3400 last year and gone to the
Senate. We have already agreed to take that money out.
We have two exceptions from that, one of which is the toner that our
friend, the gentleman from Michigan, had an interest in, and which is
in that bill, to rescind that toner amendment.
The other amendment would be to provide something we have already
done for the widow of our former Congressman, the late Congressman, Mr.
Henry, for the widow's contribution, as we have always given a 1-year
salary. That was taken out in the rescission in that H.R. 3400. What I
have done would restore that historic obligation that we have. I think
most of us would want to have that.
The second part of my rescission would be the $750 million that we
have already agreed, and the President has agreed that we are going to
use to cut 252,000 out of the work force. I do take one exception to
what we have agreed to, the Defense Department, which has already cut
50,000 people out of its work force, the civilian work force. I would
not give the Defense Department a double hit, but we would provide for
this 250,000 and we would save those 50,000. We may consider buyouts a
little bit later, and that may have some impact on this, but as of this
date we have not, at least as of most recently.
The third part of my cut would be $3.2 billion coming out of the
overhead costs, traditional costs, of the various agencies, again
except defense, because I think all of us recognize we have cut defense
right down to the bear bone.
This morning at breakfast, I talked with the Secretary of Defense
designee. He said we can't cut defense any more. We are marginal right
now. So I would not take the cuts others will take later today of $1
billion out of defense spending. We would cut some in defense, but not
the across-the-board $3.2 billion in defense spending.
Let me give you some of the items here that would be cut. One hundred
and fifty million dollars from the SPR account. That is the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve that has been longstanding. Every recent President
has wanted to delete this. I think at this austere time, we do need to
take $150 million from that program. It probably is not needed today.
We would cut, and this might be controversial with some, but the
community block grants, I would cut $400 million. It takes it back just
about to the level we had last year. We did increase this. We would
only cut those who are the least needy in the communities. I know a lot
of my communities use this. But I also know a lot of them can get along
without it. We are in a hard pinch this year. It is a choice of whether
we help those communities or help the communities in California who are
hurt even worse. So I would cut that program.
We cut ourselves, too. I know most of us say well, we can't cut our
franking privilege any further, but I would take another $2 million
from our own franking. We have to tighten our belts, too. I would cut
$20 million across the board from the legislative, which would be
about, as I think, a little over 1 percent. I know we are talking about
cutting 4.9 percent. That discussion will come up later.
I would cut $20 million from the World Bank. I think most of us
recognize the World Bank has been a good program, but at some point, we
just can't continue to be Santa Claus for every program we think of
around the world.
Another large one I would cut would be to cut defense by $132
million.
Now, there are some additions. I believe there are seven of them
added by the Senate last year in a supplemental appropriations bill. To
my knowledge we didn't have hearings on them in the House. I think
defense needs to take some cuts. I would cut also the MK-19 grenade
launcher, which, as I recall, was maybe $15 million. We could cut some
money from that, for which there has been no great demand.
Madam Chairman, I would say to the members of this committee meeting
today, we have a severe problem in our country, not only the earthquake
in California, but we have not been living within our means. We keep
putting off the inevitable. I am sure this task force is going to work
very hard. But if we have our backs to the wall, and bite the bullet
today, and, yes, we will have to share in that agony of cutting back
some spending we will have to make, we will have to share, in this
House, as we should, and the other body would have to share. We will
have to start today. We just can't put it off, and say this is an
emergency.
And, again, I wanted to emphasize here, by enacting my amendment to
cut $7.4 billion does not slow down the efforts to help the needy in
California. The money would be available immediately after the
President signs this legislation. So what I am doing now would just
require OMB and others to make the adjustments in our spending
practices that we anticipated we would like to make this year. It will
not slow the efforts for California. Absolutely not.
I want to close by saying this. You are going to say, John Myers, you
are attacking California. You are asking California to be the first in
holding the line and to share the responsibility for these cuts.
Not at all. California will not bear unduly on the cuts. Absolutely
not. In fact, I don't think they get quite as many cuts as I would
address elsewhere.
But last year when we had the great floods in the Midwest, I tried to
do exactly this same thing, that we start biting the bullet and say
take it out of the spending programs. So I am not being mean to
California. I am not trying to be mean to any of the victims out there.
We all want to help them. Our hearts go out to them. We want to put our
money out to them. But we don't want to put money out we don't have. We
don't want to drive the national deficit up higher. We don't want to
drive interest rates up higher. This is the way to be responsible, help
people, help every taxpayer in the country.
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Myers] and I seek to control
the time in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Natcher] is recognized
for 30 minutes.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The amendment would impose $5 billion of additional rescissions on top
of the rescissions included in H.R. 3511. The impacts of these
additional rescissions would be major; however, because vast majority
of the cuts in this amendments are across-the-board type reductions,
the specific impacts are not known and cannot be definitely assessed.
These cuts generally apply to personnel and administrative
activities. No one knows how and which agencies will be cut and their
impacts. We do know the cuts are large--so large that there is no way
they won't affect everyone. There will be impacts on law enforcement,
air traffic control, drug enforcement, immigration, IRS, education,
human services, food inspection, and many others.
More detailed impacts will be offered by others as we proceed.
I want everyone to know that when you take a double count reduction
on personnel funding and then restrict travel and other administrative
needs you drastically affect the productivity of the work force. New
employees are not getting training. What good are new FBI agents if
they can't be trained and made productive. What good are new meat
inspectors if they can't be trained? What good is cancer research and
development if new knowledge can't be transferred effectively to those
who need it? What good are researchers if they can't attend seminars to
keep up with the latest technology?
Let's not make mindless reductions without a careful analysis of
impacts. Adoption of this amendment would have major impacts on
Government operations and on the people it serves.
Vote ``no'' and defeat this approach.
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the highly
respected gentleman from Pennsylvania, the ranking Member [Mr. McDade].
(Mr. McDADE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. McDADE. Madam Chairman, I want to take this time to commend my
dear friend, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Myers], for the strong
effort he is making to offer the House an opportunity at deficit
reduction. The gentleman put in the countless hours that were necessary
to develop an alternative that is point specific. He starts with
roughly $3 billion that the House has already identified as
rescissions, and goes up the hill with additional proposals to a total
of over $7 billion, all of them point specific and available for the
House to work its will on on the matter of deficit reduction.
In my view, he has addressed the issue responsibly. He persevered,
went up to the Committee on Rules, and through the courtesy of the
Committee on Rules, was given an opportunity to offer this amendment.
The House has before it the clear choice of whether or not to take
the $3 billion that indeed our friend the gentleman from California
[Mr. Fazio] will offer at some time later in this king-of-the-hill
process under this contorted procedure.
{time} 1530
The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Myers] takes that and builds on it
and builds it to $7.5 billion. It is a responsible act, and I hope that
it will be passed.
Again, I say to my friend from Indiana, he has done a fine job in
being point specific about where he would apply this deficit reduction.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California [Mr. Lewis].
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis].
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis] is recognized
for 3 minutes.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentlemen for
yielding time to me.
I rise with great reluctance to oppose the amendment of my colleague
from Indiana. I oppose it largely for two reasons.
First, this is an urgent bill designed to provide assistance to the
victims of the disaster in southern California. To suggest that, when
we face such a disaster, one can quickly with much policy forethought
effectively offset a sizable number of dollars without having the
appropriate hearings, the analysis by the various committees involved,
and time to deliberate and perfect, is a bewildering thought to me.
In this specific amendment, there are items that I agree with. There
are also items that concern me an awful lot. I'll speak to that later.
To just arbitrarily suggest that we take $400 million out of CDBG's
to our local communities, should give us all pause to reconsider. This
could very well lead to cuts that could have a significant impact upon
towns that I know nothing about. I would be very, very hesitant to just
arbitrarily say $400 million is the appropriate figure.
Beyond that, in the past, we have seen across-the-board cuts that
suggest, we can take administrative overhead out of the bureaucracy. It
is easy to say. Go whack the bureaucracy, but that ignores difficult
economies applied in our Committee on Appropriations.
I strongly urge the House to be very careful about an amendment like
this.
The second point that I would like to make is that if such an
amendment does pass, I am very concerned about what might happen in the
other body to such an offset amendment.
When we start battling over which ox ought to be gored in a cross-
section of cuts and the other body begins to consider such amendments,
that could slow down the process. Indeed, this kind of amendment could
be the very factor that delays enough of the process that we will not
get this bill to the President's desk by the time we leave here on
February 11.
It is critical that we not confuse the issue. I urge a no vote on
this amendment.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from California [Mr. Packard], a gentleman who knows
something about the earthquake.
Mr. PACKARD. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time
to me.
Madam Chairman, I support this amendment offered by our colleague,
John Myers. As one of the senior Republican Members on the
Appropriations Committee, Mr. Myers has demonstrated great leadership
in his efforts to bring sanity to the budget process. This amendment
reflects a responsible, practical approach to this disaster aid bill.
Time after time I hear this Congress talk about how important it is
to practice fiscal responsibility and pay for our spending. We have a
chance here to show that we actually support that policy.
When the House considered emergency disaster aid for the floods last
year, I supported an amendment to offset that spending. I support
offsetting spending for the disaster in my State for the same reason I
supported offsets for the Midwest floods.
We cannot afford to continually fund disaster aid off budget. Every
year this Congress faces a disaster aid bill and every year we try to
do it off budget. Although we don't know what disasters might hit this
year, we do know that a disaster will hit somewhere. We have to start
now to plan for disasters and pay for them as we go.
It's important that aid for this disaster goes forward. I think it's
equally as important that we don't stick our children and our
grandchildren with the bill.
I strongly urge you to support a reasonable, responsible approach to
this bill and support the Myers amendment.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Stokes].
(Mr. STOKES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. STOKES. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Indiana.
The amendment would rescind $750 million of 1994 salary funds from
all Federal agencies, except the Department of Defense. The amendment
would also rescind $3.2 billion in administrative expenses--items other
than salary costs--from all Federal agencies, except the Defense
Department. Both of these rescissions would be distributed by the
administration.
Madam Chairman, this amendment would have a disastrous impact. It
would cause Federal employees to be furloughed or involuntarily
separated--or in a more understandable term, fired. The agencies under
the VA-HUD Subcommittee barely have sufficient salary funds for 19994.
Madam Chairman, because this amendment exempts Defense employees--
about 40 percent of the total Federal civilian employment--the
reduction is applied to a smaller base. Further, because this provision
could not be implemented until the last half of the year, the real
impact is doubled.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has a little over 10 percent of
the total Federal employment. That number becomes closer to 20 percent
when Defense employees are not included. A reduction of this magnitude
will simply mean that fewer veterans will receive necessary medical
care.
I received a letter from VA Secretary Jesse Brown today urging the
Congress to reject any proposal to offset the costs of the
supplemental. He is very concerned about any attempt to reduce funds
for medical personnel which would result in a large number of veterans
not receiving care--both on an inpatient and outpatient basis.
Madam Chairman, we should not be reducing medical care and treatment
for veterans.
I urge Members to vote against the Myers amendment.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
No one has ever said that this would be an easy process. I do not
relish the responsibility I feel I have to come here today to try to
pay for it in some fashion. It did not come off the top of my head this
morning as I was shaving.
We had our staff go through the various subcommittees of
Appropriations to see what priorities were absolutely necessary, what
areas we had had hearings, and the necessity of the various programs.
And what we have selected here are those areas that will do the least
damage, have the lowest priorities.
The suggestion has been made that we are going to deny assistance in
very, very many categories. As an example, the 3.2 funding that the
gentleman was speaking about here.
I have asked OMB to give us an example of that. How much money is
actually going to be affected by this. OMB said someplace between $50
and $110 billion.
Our own Congressional Budget Office says it would be $78 billion. Let
us assume 78, about halfway between.
What we are asking here is a 4-percent reduction. Does anyone deny
that these agencies have the selection, not cutting salaries, not
cutting people, giving benefits to veterans or giving beds to veterans,
patients, we are not asking that at all.
Do Members think that the Veterans' Administration is going to do
this? Do they think there cannot be a 4-percent cut made in many areas?
We are asking most of the taxpayers of this country to pay more in
new taxes this year than 4 percent. How much consideration did this
body give them last year, as we increased gasoline tax more than that
last year? Yet today we are asking our own agencies to tighten the belt
to the tune of 4 percent.
{time} 1540
In many instances, that is not to know what they got in 1993, but
only maybe stabilizing where it was. Let me tell the Members what items
the OMB tells us would be impacted by this: travel and transportation
of persons, we are not going to move some agencies from here to West
Virginia or someplace else. We are going to wait to do that.
Travel of persons. We are not maybe going to make quite as many
visits, so is that going to be cutting anybody, hurting anybody?
Transportation of things. We are going to have to cut down. We are
going to have to economize. We may have to double up, and instead of
making two trips a week, and we will put everybody in one vehicle once
a week.
Rental payment to others. We could close up someplace. The Department
of Agriculture is an example.
One amendment we are going to consider later today takes $13 million
out of reorganization of the Department of Agriculture. Those of us on
that committee have been wanting to consolidate, colocate. I did not
include that, but part of that would be, I think, rental payment to
others that we could consolidate and save rental.
Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous, which covers a
multitude of sins, miscellaneous.
Printing and reproductions. We have printing; pick up the mail this
morning and see the stack of mail there is; printing. We can save 4
percent of that very easily.
Consulting services. That is a catch-all. We have more consultants
around here than anybody ought to have. Most industries cannot afford
what we have, consulting, so I would cut consulting services and other
services, the catchalls.
Supplies and materials. That may be more difficult to reduce, but we
are not saying that we have to take an arbitrary 4-percent cut. We
leave that up to the agency to decide where to make this reduction in
spending, but we are not spending, or at least I have no intentions of
cutting intended, valuable, needed services by any of the agencies that
we have the responsibility of appropriating the funds for,
appropriating the money from our taxpayers.
Let us start thinking about our taxpayers instead of ourselves,
protecting our own fiefdom here, that we do not want any agency to be
pinched a little bit, we do not want to cause them inconvenience, so we
will put it on the backs of the taxpayers.
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Wisconsin [Mr. Obey].
Mr. OBEY. Madam Chairman, I want to say, I think this amendment is
well-intentioned, and some of the cuts I would personally not differ
with, but the fact is if we take it as a whole, what it really does is
repair the damage done to California by the earthquake, and transfer
the shockwaves to the rest of the country.
I want to give the Members some specific examples of the negative
effects this will have. This proposition calls for $3.1 billion in
administrative expense reductions. It sounds harmless, but when we take
it down to the individual agency level, let me give some examples.
What it means for the Social Security Administration is that they
would have to lay off 2,000 FTE equivalents, which, because we are
already halfway into the fiscal year, means they would have to lay off
about 4,000 people. Those are people who are supposed to process all of
the claims under the Social Security Administration.
Do we really want to slow down that process further? Do we really
want to erode the service that we are providing to seniors and disabled
people? Do we really want to see curtailed hours? Do we really want to
increase waiting times to get checks and to get questions answered?
Medicare contractors. Do we really want to slow down that claims
process even more? Do we really want to delay additionally the
oversight that is done for the waste and fraud? I do not think so.
In education, the gentleman says that this is only a 4-percent cut,
but since 1980 the administrative budget for the Department of
Education has already been cut by 30 percent, 30 percent. This
amendment means that we are going to have to postpone the
implementation of the new direct loan program which this Congress just
passed. According to the agency, it will also reduce the effort they
are trying to make on fraud and abuse in existing programs.
If we think that is a good idea, take a look at the two front page
stories in the New York Times the last 2 days, talking about the
billions that are being lost in the existing programs right now because
we have hollowed out our Government and we have hollowed out the
ability of these agencies to oversee the expenditure of the dollars
which we appropriated.
Madam Chairman, this amendment in my view, in many cases, is penny
wise and pound foolish. Do not do it. It is a big mistake.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois [Mr. Durbin].
Mr. DURBIN. Madam Chairman, I would urge my colleagues to vote
against the Myers amendment. Let me give two reasons. We first should
not be dealing with this kind of last-minute attempt to come up with
emergency relief while the people of southern California and those
living in the Midwest are waiting for vital disaster services.
That is unfair to the victims who want to get their lives back in
order, who want to get back in their homes, who want to see some
normalcy in their lives, to be really victimized by our efforts here on
the floor of the House of Representatives.
The Speaker has appointed a bipartisan disaster task force to look to
funding these disasters in a sensible, long-term fashion, not in the
heat of the moment. Cobbling together various cuts in an attempt to try
and find some way to deal with each disaster as it occurs is poor
policy. That is the thoughtful and sensible way to deal with disasters.
This is not.
Second, when we look at the specific things which my friend, the
gentleman from Indiana, suggests we do, I am afraid even he does not
want to do these things. He has sat very patiently and dutifully in my
subcommittee working on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and on the
Food and Drug Administration appropriations.
I would say to my colleague and friend, what he is doing with his
amendment sounds innocuous, but the gentleman will be cutting back the
salaries available to the Farmers Home Administration, which falls in
the category of other expenses under the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. He is reducing the number of personnel who are trying to
help us out of the Midwest flood disaster, when we should be increasing
them.
The gentleman is also cutting back on travel expenses for poultry and
meat inspectors. If those inspectors are not on the job, the workers at
the processing plants cannot go to work each day.
In the Food and Drug Administration, the gentleman is cutting travel
expenses for the people who are inspecting mammography clinics,
inspecting medical clinics, things which the gentleman and I treasure
and value as important for the public health of America.
What appears to be an innocuous amendment is a very dangerous
amendment. Let us rely on this bipartisan task force to give us
direction on a sensible and long-term response.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute to
respond to both my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois, as well as
my other colleague, as far as what we are doing here.
Madam Chairman, other than one section providing for the 252,000,
which we did not assign this subcommittee on this action to cut 252,000
people out of a job, what we are doing is reducing those numbers.
However, OMB will make the final decision, not us, about who is
reduced, what agencies can take the cuts.
I quite agree with the gentleman, the Food and Drug Administration
needs additional people. We do not cut the Food and Drug
Administration. OMB might. There are other areas that can be reduced
where there will not be as great an impact on the safety and security
for our constituents.
To the gentleman from Wisconsin, I would say I do not cut education,
not at all. Yes, we are going to have to make some accommodations for
travel. No doubt about it. However, regarding the programs, it does not
cut one education program. It does not cut any of the loans or grants
for education. It does not touch those whatsoever.
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
New Jersey [Mr. Klein].
Mr. KLEIN. Madam Chairman, my heart goes out to the people of
southern California. We clearly need to act and act quickly to provide
them much-needed relief. As a strong advocate of cutting spending,
ideally I would like to have offsetting cuts for every penny in this
emergency appropriation. For that reason, I will support the so-called
Fazio amendment, which provides $2.5 billion that I know is also
contained in this amendment.
Beyond that, I offered an amendment to the Committee on Rules which
would have provided all of the necessary offsetting cuts, some $21
billion over 5 years, without cutting any domestic program. It would
have done so by cutting European burden sharing, the space station,
helium reserve, the advanced liquid metal reactor, programs such as
that. Unfortunately, the Committee on Rules did not allow that
amendment.
By contrast, this and other amendments cut critical domestic
services. I do not believe we should pay for this disaster by depriving
the people of New Jersey of much needed funds for housing, for economic
development, for seniors, for highway and transportation projects.
{time} 1550
I hope that after this bill is passed we can reconsider my amendment
which will give us the necessary offsetting cuts without cutting any
critical domestic programs.
I oppose the Myers amendment.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume. I apologize for taking this time, but I know everyone who
has spoken against this amendment means well, and I appreciate that
criticism. But many things said here are not quite accurate. There has
been no intent to cut some programs that were described as being cut,
and they will not be cut.
We all want to help the people of California, but we also I feel have
to have an eye on the constituents who are still the taxpayers in the
rest of the country. I think what I am saying this afternoon, most of
the country is in agreement. And there is not a soul today who is aware
of what we are doing here who has not had to change their budget during
the year. The intention is to spend money a certain way, but because an
emergency comes up we have to make adjustments, and that is exactly all
we are asking to do here.
In closing, I want to say the arguments that I have heard here kind
of remind me of years ago back in rural Indiana where I come from,
where things are kind of simple out there and we always reduce them to
things that we can understand, maybe a parable sometimes. I remember
one time making an argument about something I thought ought to happen
in the local community and I said, ``Yes, I know we can't afford it,
but we cannot afford not to.'' And their were various arguments, and
finally a gentleman stood up and said, ``Well, now, what you sound like
is a friend of mine who says everybody wants to go to heaven, but
nobody wants to die.'' And I think that is what we are doing here
today. Everybody wants to do this, but we do not want to pay the price
elsewhere.
Mr. MINETA. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Myers
amendment. It is vague, ill-conceived and onerous.
It is vague because it proposes cuts--nearly $4 billion, for example,
in full-time equivalent positions and administrative expenses--that are
so general in nature that it is unclear how they would be implemented,
and what effect they would have.
It is ill-conceived because it circumvents and prejudges the
legislative process. It addresses issues which have not gone through
the normal committee process. Much of what is included has not
undergone congressional scrutiny, either through hearings or markups.
In addition, the end result as provided for in the amendment prejudges
that very process.
Lastly, the amendment is onerous because it includes reductions over
and above what is contained in H.R. 3511, the rescission bill as passed
by the House.
Let me focus on some of the specifics.
How could we possibly approve a $3.2 billion reduction in agency
administrative expenses or a $750 million reduction in full-time
equivalent positions without knowing what this means? We don't know how
that would affect the efficiency and operation of ongoing Federal
programs and activities. For example, FEMA, the very agency that is
responsible for natural disaster assistance and has people in
California today doing just that, would be subject to this reduction.
What does it mean for FEMA and for the citizens it serves? Certainly we
don't need to exacerbate the current situation by creating inefficiency
where efficiency is critical.
Furthermore, the amendment includes reductions over and above H.R.
3511, some in public works and transportation programs--TVA, $10
million; EDA $25 million; and aviation education, $13 million--which
have no basis in fact and which address areas already targeted for
reductions in H.R. 3511.
Madam Chairman, some have said that expenditure for this disaster
should not be allowed to proceed unless equal cuts are made in the
budget. However, I want to make it absolutely clear that we have never
before required offsetting cuts when making a supplemental
appropriation for a disaster. Never--not for Andrew, not for Iniki, not
for the Midwest floods, not for Hugo, not for Loma Prieta--never. To
now require that we go through that at exercise before providing
assistance in this one case would be highly unfair and discriminatory.
Accordingly, I urge a no vote on the Myers amendment.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I would like to point out the effects of
this amendment in the legislature branch.
The amendment to the disaster supplemental rescinds 1.3 percent of
the funds appropriated in the fiscal year 1994 Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act. Also, House mail is rescinded by $2 million in
another section of the amendment.
Penny-Kasich had a comparable 7.5 percent rescission, but earlier in
the year. At this point in the budget year, the 1.3 percent will
probably equate to close to 3 percent of remaining balances. This
assumes an early to mid-February approval of the bill by the President
and 1 month to develop an employee and administrative cost-reduction
plan to achieve the $34 million savings required.
impact
There are few options in the legislative branch in making reductions
to current operations. The resources of the legislative branch are
basically people and the computers and other administrative machinery
that support the staff.
Our employees are among the lowest in average salary in Federal
service.
For the approximately 30,000 legislative branch staff covered by this
amendment, and assuming an average annual salary and benefit
compensation of $50,000, a $34 million rescission would equate to about
1,360 staff--a 4\1/2\ percent staffing reduction.
A proportionate reduction allocation of 1,360 would work out to be:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total
approximate Reduction
staff required
------------------------------------------------------------------------
House staff................................... 10,000 445
Senate staff.................................. 7,550 310
Library of Congress........................... 4,800 219
General Accounting Office..................... 4,800 219
Architect of the Capitol...................... 2,000 97
Capitol Police................................ 1,300 67
-------------------------
Total................................... 30,450 1,357
------------------------------------------------------------------------
impact on house staff
Such a personnel reduction would be accomplished by reducing: Members
office staff by one per office; committees by an average two to three
per committee; House computer personnel by seven to eight; Doorkeepers,
finance clerks, floor clerks, and so forth, by 35 plus.
Congressional Budget Office: 10 to 220 staff.
Office of Technology Assessment: 7 to 8 of 205.
Congressional Research Service: 40 of 770.
General Accounting Office: 625 of 4,800. In GAO's case, a much higher
proportion of staff will be effected because of the requirements of
their employee rights regulations.
Architect of the Capitol: 97 of 2,000; an alternative would be a 1-
month furlough for each legislative branch employee.
other impacts
Reduction in reading room hours at the Library of Congress.
Either 50 or so depository libraries removed from program or
significant reduction in Federal documents delivery.
Reductions of 3 to 8 percent in braille and audio publications for
700,000 books for blind and physically handicapped patrons of Library
of Congress National Library Service.
Other reductions and delays in resolving Federal contractor bid
protests--GAO; David-Bacon employee settlements--GAO workload; meeting
congressional needs for CBO scorekeeping, GAO audits, CRS services to
members and committees; and an unknown cutback in GPO printing of
Congressional documents such as the Congressional Record, hearings, and
so forth; and further delays in processing copyright registrations and
royalty payments to copyright owners.
Mail Rescission: A $2 million mail rescission will cause termination
of all bulk mailings from Members in about the August timeframe. this
account may even now be underfunded at the current appropriation level
of $40 million.
Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Myers].
The question was taken; and the Chairman announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
recorded vote
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 207,
noes 211, not voting 20, as follows:
[Roll No. 9]
AYES--207
Allard
Archer
Armey
Bacchus (FL)
Bachus (AL)
Baker (CA)
Baker (LA)
Ballenger
Barca
Barcia
Barlow
Barrett (NE)
Bartlett
Barton
Bateman
Bereuter
Bilirakis
Bishop
Bliley
Blute
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Browder
Brown (OH)
Bunning
Burton
Buyer
Callahan
Camp
Canady
Castle
Clinger
Coble
Collins (GA)
Combest
Condit
Cooper
Coppersmith
Cox
Crapo
Cunningham
DeLay
Diaz-Balart
Doolittle
Dornan
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Ehlers
Emerson
English
Everett
Ewing
Fawell
Fields (TX)
Fish
Fowler
Franks (CT)
Franks (NJ)
Furse
Gallegly
Gallo
Gekas
Geren
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gingrich
Goodlatte
Goodling
Goss
Grams
Grandy
Greenwood
Gunderson
Hall (TX)
Hamilton
Hancock
Hansen
Hastert
Hayes
Hefley
Herger
Hoagland
Hobson
Hoekstra
Hoke
Horn
Houghton
Huffington
Hughes
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hutto
Hyde
Inglis
Inhofe
Istook
Jacobs
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, Sam
Kasich
King
Kingston
Klug
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kreidler
Kyl
LaRocco
Leach
Levy
Lightfoot
Linder
Livingston
Lloyd
Long
Machtley
Mann
Manzullo
Margolies-Mezvinsky
McCollum
McCrery
McCurdy
McDade
McHugh
McInnis
McMillan
Meehan
Meyers
Mica
Michel
Miller (FL)
Minge
Molinari
Montgomery
Moorhead
Morella
Myers
Neal (NC)
Nussle
Orton
Oxley
Packard
Paxon
Payne (VA)
Penny
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Pickle
Pombo
Porter
Portman
Poshard
Pryce (OH)
Quillen
Quinn
Ramstad
Ravenel
Regula
Ridge
Roberts
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roth
Roukema
Rowland
Royce
Santorum
Saxton
Schaefer
Schiff
Schroeder
Sensenbrenner
Shaw
Shays
Shuster
Skeen
Slattery
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Solomon
Spence
Stearns
Stenholm
Stump
Sundquist
Swett
Talent
Tanner
Taylor (NC)
Thomas (CA)
Thomas (WY)
Torkildsen
Upton
Valentine
Vucanovich
Walker
Wilson
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Zeliff
Zimmer
NOES--211
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Andrews (ME)
Andrews (NJ)
Applegate
Baesler
Barrett (WI)
Becerra
Beilenson
Berman
Bevill
Bilbray
Blackwell
Bonior
Borski
Boucher
Brewster
Brooks
Brown (CA)
Brown (FL)
Bryant
Byrne
Calvert
Cantwell
Cardin
Carr
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coleman
Collins (MI)
Conyers
Costello
Coyne
Cramer
Danner
Darden
de la Garza
de Lugo (VI)
Deal
DeFazio
DeLauro
Dellums
Derrick
Deutsch
Dickey
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Dooley
Durbin
Edwards (CA)
Edwards (TX)
Engel
Eshoo
Evans
Faleomavaega (AS)
Farr
Fazio
Fields (LA)
Filner
Fingerhut
Flake
Foglietta
Ford (TN)
Frank (MA)
Frost
Gejdenson
Gephardt
Gibbons
Gilman
Glickman
Gonzalez
Gordon
Gutierrez
Hall (OH)
Hamburg
Harman
Hefner
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hochbrueckner
Holden
Hoyer
Inslee
Jefferson
Johnson (SD)
Johnson, E.B.
Johnston
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kennelly
Kildee
Kim
Kleczka
Klein
Klink
Kopetski
LaFalce
Lambert
Lancaster
Lantos
Laughlin
Lazio
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Lowey
Maloney
Manton
Martinez
Matsui
Mazzoli
McCandless
McCloskey
McDermott
McHale
McKeon
McKinney
McNulty
Meek
Menendez
Miller (CA)
Mineta
Mink
Moakley
Mollohan
Moran
Murtha
Nadler
Natcher
Neal (MA)
Norton (DC)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Parker
Pastor
Payne (NJ)
Pelosi
Peterson (FL)
Pickett
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Richardson
Roemer
Romero-Barcelo (PR)
Rose
Rostenkowski
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Sabo
Sanders
Sangmeister
Sarpalius
Sawyer
Schenk
Schumer
Scott
Serrano
Sharp
Sisisky
Skaggs
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (IA)
Snowe
Spratt
Stark
Stokes
Strickland
Studds
Stupak
Swift
Synar
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Tejeda
Thompson
Thornton
Thurman
Torres
Torricelli
Towns
Traficant
Tucker
Unsoeld
Velazquez
Vento
Visclosky
Volkmer
Walsh
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Wheat
Whitten
Williams
Wise
Woolsey
Wyden
Wynn
Yates
NOT VOTING--20
Andrews (TX)
Bentley
Chapman
Collins (IL)
Crane
Ford (MI)
Green
Hastings
Lehman
Lewis (FL)
Markey
Mfume
Murphy
Owens
Reynolds
Shepherd
Smith (OR)
Underwood (GU)
Washington
Weldon
{time} 1614
The Clerk announced the following pair:
On this vote:
Mr. Smith of Oregon for, with Mrs. Collins of Illinois
against.
Messrs. ACKERMAN, FARR of California, and KIM changed their vote from
``aye'' to ``no.''
Messrs. WILSON, McCURDY, SLATTERY, ROWLAND and BISHOP changed their
vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
amendment offered by mr. nussle
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, pursuant to the rule, I offer amendment
No. 2, printed in the Report of the Committee on Rules.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Nussle: Page 1, after line 2,
insert the following:
TITLE I--SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Page 1, line 3, strike ``That the'' and insert ``The''.
Page 19, line 18, strike ``$500,000,000'' and insert
``$400,000,000''.
Page 22, after line 13, add the following new title:
TITLE II--OFFSETTING REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING
Subtitle A--Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies
SEC. 2101. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC LAW 480 FOOD FOR
PEACE PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Public Law
480 Program Account'' in the Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111)--
(1) $69,378,000 is rescinded from the amounts provided for
the cost of direct credit agreements under title I of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 and
the Food for Progress Act of 1985; and
(2) $56,017,000 is rescinded from the amount provided for
commodities supplied in connection with dispositions abroad
pursuant to title III of the Agricultural Trade Development
and Assistance Act of 1954.
SEC. 2102. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR AGRICULTURE BUILDING AND
FACILITIES ACCOUNT.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Cooperative
State Research Service--Buildings and Facilities'' in the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
111), $56,874,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2103. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
Of the funds made available for the Department of
Agriculture in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-111), $13,000,000 is rescinded. The
Secretary of Agriculture shall allocate such rescission among
the appropriate accounts, and shall submit to the Congress a
report setting forth such allocation.
SEC. 2104. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR RURAL HOUSING INSURANCE
FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Farmers
Home Administration--Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program
Account'' in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-111) for the cost of direct section 502
loans, $35,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2105. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOAN
FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Rural
Development Loan Fund Program Account'' in the Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111) for the
cost of direct loans, $20,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2106. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR RURAL WATER AND WASTE
DISPOSAL GRANTS.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Rural Water
and Waste Disposal Grants'' in the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111),
$25,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2107. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL
FOOD PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Food and
Nutrition Service--Commodity Supplemental Food Program'' in
the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-111), $12,600,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2108. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FOOD DONATIONS PROGRAMS
FOR SELECTED GROUPS.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Food
Donations Programs for Selected Groups'' in the Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111),
$6,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2109. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH
SERVICE.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Cooperative
State Research Service'' in the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111),
$30,002,000 is rescinded, including $20,213,000 for contracts
and grants for agricultural research under the Act of August
4, 1965, and $9,789,000 for necessary expenses of Cooperative
State Research Service activities.
SEC. 2110. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR AGRICULTURAL STABILIZATION
AND CONSERVATION SERVICE.
Of the funds made available under the heading
``Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service--
Salaries and Expenses'' in the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111),
$12,167,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2111. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Soil
Conservation Service--Conservation Operations'' in the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
111), $12,167,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2112. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND
TELEPHONE LOANS PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Rural
Electrification Administration--Rural Electrification and
Telephone Loans Program Account'' in the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111) for the
cost of 5 percent rural telephone loans, $6,445,000 is
rescinded.
SEC. 2113. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR HUMAN NUTRITION
INFORMATION SERVICE.
Of the funds made available under the heading
``Agricultural Research Service'' in the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111),
$11,000,000 is rescinded from the Human Nutrition Information
Service.
SEC. 2114. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
SERVICE.
Of the funds made available under the heading
``Agricultural Research Service'' in the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-111),
$16,000,000 is rescinded.
Subtitle B--Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary,
and Related Agencies
SEC. 2151. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR WEATHER OFFICE CLOSURE
CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration--Operations, Research,
and Facilities'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and
State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $20,000,000 is rescinded, to be
derived from the National Weather Service.
SEC. 2152. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR NOAA RESEARCH FLEET.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration--Fleet Modernization,
Shipbuilding and Conversion'' in the Departments of Commerce,
Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $77,064,000 is
rescinded.
SEC. 2153. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR NOAA ADD-ONS.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration'' in the Departments
of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), there
are rescinded the following amounts from the following
accounts:
(1) ``Operations, Research, and Facilities'', $37,800,000.
(2) ``Construction'', $15,800,000.
(3) ``Aircraft Procurement and Modernization'',
$21,400,000.
SEC. 2154. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR EDA.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Economic
Development Administration--Economic Development Assistance
Programs'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and
State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $125,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2155. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FACILITIES.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Telecommunications and Information Administration--Public
Telecommunications Facilities, Planning and Construction'' in
the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the
Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-121), $15,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2156. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR LEGAL SERVICES
CORPORATION.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Legal
Services Corporation--Payment to the Legal Services
Corporation'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and
State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $20,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2158. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Small
Business Administration--Salaries and Expenses'' in the
Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
121), $13,100,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2159. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Department
of Commerce--National Institute of Standards and Technology--
Industrial Technology Services'' in the Departments of
Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121),
$100,000,000 is rescinded from the advanced technology
program.
SEC. 2160. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR UNITED STATES INFORMATION
AGENCY.
(a) Salaries and Expenses.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``United States Information Agency--
Salaries and Expenses'' in the Departments of Commerce,
Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $6,000,000 is
rescinded.
(b) Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs.--Of the
funds made available under the heading ``United States
Information Agency--Educational and Cultural Exchange
Programs'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and
State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $50,000,000 is rescinded.
(c) North/South Center.--Of the funds made available under
the heading ``United States Information Agency--North/South
Center'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State,
the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-121), $8,700,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2161. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR PROGRAMS.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Department
of State--Administration of Foreign Affairs--Diplomatic and
Consular Programs'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice,
and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $600,000 is rescinded.
Subtitle C--Department of Defense and Military Construction
SEC. 2201. RESCISSION OF CERTAIN DEFENSE ADD-ONS.
(a) Military Construction.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``Military Construction, Army Reserve'' in
the Military Construction Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-110), $15,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the
Georgia-Fort McPherson Command Headquarters, Phase I,
project.
(b) Defense Procurement.--Of the funds made available in
the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-139), the following amounts are rescinded from the
following accounts and programs:
(1) ``Other Procurement, Army'', $15,000,000, to be derived
from common hardware and software.
(2) ``Other Procurement, Navy'', $30,000,000, to be derived
from spare and repair parts.
(3) ``Other Procurement, Navy'', $12,000,000, to be derived
from weapons range support equipment.
(4) ``Other Procurement, Army'', $10,000,000, to be derived
from tactical trailers/dolly sets.
(5) ``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy'', $50,000,000, to
be derived from advance procurement of LHD-7.
SEC. 2202. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR MK-19 GRENADE LAUNCHER
PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Procurement
of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army'' in the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
139), $15,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the MK-19
automatic grenade launcher program.
SEC. 2203. RESCISSION OF CERTAIN DEFENSE OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE FUNDS.
Of the funds made available in the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-139), the following
amounts are rescinded from the following accounts:
(1) ``Operation and Maintenance, Army'', $88,020,000 to be
derived from general reduction DBOF, and $15,180,000 to be
derived from inventories.
(2) ``Operation and Maintenance, Navy'', $109,270,000 to be
derived from general reduction DBOF, and $27,555,000 to be
derived from inventories.
(3) ``Operation and Maintenance, Air Force'', $94,140,000
to be derived from general reduction DBOF, and $12,265,000 to
be derived from inventories.
SEC. 2204. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR SPACELIFTER PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Research,
Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide'' in the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
139), $10,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the new
medium lift vehicle (Spacelifter) program.
SEC. 2205. RESCISSION OF CERTAIN DEFENSE MILITARY
CONSTRUCTION FUNDS.
Of the funds made available in the Military Construction
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-110), the following
amounts are rescinded from the following accounts:
(1) ``Military Construction, Army'', $22,319,000.
(2) ``Military Construction, Navy'', $13,969,000.
(3) ``Military Construction, Air Force'', $24,787,000.
(4) ``Military Construction, Defense-Wide'', $13,663,000.
(5) ``Military Construction, Army National Guard'',
$7,568,000.
(6) ``Military Construction, Air National Guard'',
$6,187,000.
(7) ``Military Construction, Army Reserve'', $2,551,000.
(8) ``Military Construction, Naval Reserve'', $626,000.
(9) ``Military Construction, Air Force Reserve'',
$1,862,000.
(10) ``North Atlantic Treaty Organization Infrastructure'',
$70,000,000.
(11) ``Base Realignment and Closure Account, Part III'',
$437,692,000, except that, within funds available for such
account for fiscal year 1994, not less than $200,000,000
shall be available solely for environmental restoration.
Subtitle D--Energy and Water Development
SEC. 2251. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR MODULAR HIGH-TEMPERATURE
GAS-COOLED REACTOR PROJECT.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Department
of Energy--Energy Supply, Research and Development
Activities'' in the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-126), $6,000,000 is
rescinded, to be derived from the gas turbine-modular helium
reactor program.
SEC. 2252. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FUSION ENERGY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Department
of Energy--Energy Supply, Research and Development
Activities'' in the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-126), $70,000,000 is
rescinded, to be derived from the fusion energy program.
SEC. 2253. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FROM SPR PETROLEUM ACCOUNT.
The unobligated balance of the funds in the SPR petroleum
account on the date of the enactment of this Act is
rescinded.
SEC. 2254. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FROM TENNESSEE VALLEY
AUTHORITY FUND.
Of the funds in the Area and Regional Account of the
Tennessee Valley Authority Fund, $23,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2255. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR APPALACHIAN REGIONAL
COMMISSION.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Appalachian
Regional Commission'' in the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-126), $35,000,000 is
rescinded.
SEC. 2256. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR ENERGY SUPPLY, RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Energy
Supply, Research and Development Activities'' in the Energy
and Water Development Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
126), $97,300,000 is rescinded. Such reduction shall be taken
as a general reduction, applied to each program equally, so
as not to eliminate or disproportionately reduce any program,
project, or activity in the Energy Supply, Research and
Development Activities account as included in the reports
accompanying such Act.
SEC. 2257. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR URANIUM SUPPLY AND
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Uranium
Supply and Enrichment Activities'' in Public Law 102-377 and
prior years' Energy and Water Development Appropriations
Acts, $42,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2258. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR LOW-PRIORITY WATER
PROJECTS.
(a) Corps of Engineers General Investigations.--Of the
funds made available under the heading ``Corps of Engineers-
Civil--General Investigations'' in the Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-126),
$24,970,000 is rescinded, to be derived from projects that--
(1) are not continuations of ongoing work under contract;
(2) are not economically justified, or environmentally
beneficial in a manner commensurate with costs;
(3) are not environmentally acceptable;
(4) are not in compliance with standard cost sharing;
(5) do not have available the necessary non-Federal
sponsorship and funding;
(6) represent a Federal assumption of traditionally non-
Federal responsibility; or
(7) have not completed normal executive branch project
review requirements.
(b) Corps of Engineers Construction.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``Corps of Engineers-Civil--
Construction, General'' in the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-126), $97,319,000 is
rescinded, to be derived from projects that--
(1) are not continuations of ongoing work under contract;
(2) are not economically justified, or environmentally
beneficial in a manner commensurate with costs;
(3) are not environmentally acceptable;
(4) are not in compliance with standard cost sharing;
(5) do not have available the necessary non-Federal
sponsorship and funding;
(6) represent a Federal assumption of traditionally non-
Federal responsibility; or
(7) have not completed normal executive branch project
review requirements.
(c) Bureau of Reclamation.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``Department of the Interior--Bureau of
Reclamation--Construction Program'' in the Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-126),
$16,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from projects that--
(1) are not continuations of ongoing work under contract;
(2) in the case of new projects, are inconsistent with the
priorities of the Secretary of the Interior;
(3) are not environmentally beneficial in a manner
commensurate with costs; or
(4) do not have available the necessary non-Federal cost
sharing.
Subtitle E--Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
SEC. 2301. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR WORLD BANK.
Of the funds made available under the heading
``Contribution to the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development'' in the Foreign Operations, Export
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-87)--
(1) $27,910,500 provided for paid-in capital is rescinded;
and
(2) $902,439,500 provided for callable capital is
rescinded.
SEC. 2302. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATION.
Of the funds made available under the heading
``Contribution to the International Development Association''
in the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-87),
$67,189,143 is rescinded.
SEC. 2303. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FOREIGN MILITARY
FINANCING.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Foreign
Military Financing Program'' in the Foreign Operations,
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-87), $25,721,000 is rescinded, to be
derived from grants.
SEC. 2304. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Population Fund for Africa.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``Agency for International
Development--Population Fund for Africa'' in the Foreign
Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-87), $200,000,000 is
rescinded.
(b) Population, Development Assistance.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``Agency for International
Development--Population, Development Assistance'' in the
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-87), $130,000,000 is
rescinded.
(c) Development Assistance Fund.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``Agency for International
Development--Development Assistance Fund'' in appropriations
Acts for fiscal year 1994 and prior fiscal years to carry out
the provisions of sections 103 through 106 of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, $250,000,000 is rescinded.
Subtitle F--Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
SEC. 2351. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR ARTS AND HUMANITIES
PROGRAMS.
Of the funds made available under each of the headings
``National Endowment for the Arts'', ``National Endowment for
the Humanities'', ``Smithsonian Institution'', and ``National
Gallery of Art'' in the Department of the Interior and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-138),
2 percent is rescinded.
SEC. 2352. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR.
Of the funds made available for the Department of the
Interior in the Department of the Interior and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-138), there
are rescinded the following amounts from the following
accounts:
(1) ``Bureau of Land Management--Land Acquisition'',
$6,061,000.
(2) ``United States Fish and Wildlife Service--Land
Acquisition'', $41,327,000.
(3) ``National Park Service--Land Acquisition and State
Assistance'', $30,000,000.
(4) ``United States Geological Survey--Surveys,
Investigations, and Research'', $30,000,000.
(5) ``Minerals Management Service--Leasing and Royalty
Management'', $20,000,000.
(6) ``Bureau of Mines--Mines and Minerals'', $10,000,000.
(7) ``National Biological Survey--Research, Inventories,
and Surveys'', $20,000,000.
SEC. 2353. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FOREST SERVICE.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Department
of Agriculture--Forest Service--Land Acquisition'' in the
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-138), $32,125,000 is
rescinded.
Subtitle G--Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education,
and Related Agencies
SEC. 2371. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT
HAVE LARGELY ACHIEVED THEIR PURPOSE.
(a) Library Construction.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``Department of Education--Libraries'' in
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-112), $11,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived
from public library construction.
(b) School Improvement Programs.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``Department of Education--School
Improvement Programs'' in the Departments of Labor, Health
and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-112)--
(1) $8,300,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the follow
through program; and
(2) $6,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the law-
related education program.
(c) Law School Clinical Experience.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``Department of Education--Higher
Education'' in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-112), $1,800,000 is rescinded, to be
derived from the law school clinical experience program.
SEC. 2372. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR DISLOCATED WORKERS
ASSISTANCE.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Employment
and Training Administration--Training and Employment
Services'' in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-112), $150,000,000 is rescinded, to be
derived from grants to States.
Subtitle H--Legislative Branch
SEC. 2401. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.
(a) In General.--Of the funds made available for each
account in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-69), there is rescinded an amount equal to 2.8
percent of such funds.
(b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to--
(1) funds made available under the heading ``Congressional
Operations--Senate''; or
(2) funds for which amounts are rescinded by section 2402.
SEC. 2402. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR HOUSE FRANKING.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``House of
Representatives--Salaries and Expenses'' in the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-69), $5,000,000
is rescinded, to be derived from ``Official Mail Costs''.
Subtitle I--Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
SEC. 2451. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR MAGLEV PROTOTYPE
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Federal
Railroad Administration--Railroad Research and Development''
in the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-122), $10,000,000 is
rescinded, to be derived from magnetic levitation research
and analysis activities.
SEC. 2452. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR AIRWAY SCIENCE PROGRAM,
COLLEGIATE TRAINING INITIATIVE, AND AIR CARRIER
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN TRAINING FACILITY GRANT
PROGRAM.
(a) FAA Operations.--Of the funds made available under the
heading ``Federal Aviation Administration--Operations'' in
the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-122), $2,750,000 is
rescinded, to be derived from grants to the Mid-American
Aviation Resource Consortium and vocational technical
institutions.
(b) FAA Facilities and Equipment.--Of the unobligated
balance of funds made available under the heading ``Federal
Aviation Administration--Facilities and Equipment'' in
appropriations Acts for fiscal year 1994 and prior fiscal
years, $40,257,111 is rescinded, to be derived from the
airway science program.
SEC. 2453. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR INTERSTATE COMMERCE
COMMISSION.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Interstate
Commerce Commission--Salaries and Expenses'' in the
Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-122), $10,000,000 is
rescinded.
SEC. 2454. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR GRANTS-IN-AID FOR
AIRPORTS.
Of the funds provided under the Airport and Airway
Improvement Act of 1982, for grants-in-aid for airport
planning and development and noise compatibility planning and
programs, there is rescinded $488,200,000 of the amount in
excess of the funds made available for obligation in the
Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-122).
SEC. 2455. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FEDERAL HIGHWAY
ADMINISTRATION.
Of the funds made available for specific highway projects
that are not yet under construction, $85,774,222 are
rescinded, except that no funds shall be rescinded from any
emergency relief project funded under section 125 of title
23, United States Code. For the purposes of this section, a
project shall be deemed to be not under construction unless a
construction contract for physical construction has been
awarded by the State, municipality, or other contracting
authority.
SEC. 2456. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FEDERAL TRANSIT
ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Formula Grants.--Of the funds made available under the
heading ``Federal Transit Administration--Formula Grants'' in
the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-122), $250,000,000 is
rescinded.
(b) Discretionary Grants.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``Federal Transit Administration--
Discretionary Grants'' in the Department of Transportation
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
122), $40,000,000 is rescinded.
Subtitle J--Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government
SEC. 2501. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR BATF.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms--Salaries and Expenses'' in the
Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-123), $2,000,000 is
rescinded.
SEC. 2502. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW
FEDERAL OFFICES AND COURTHOUSES.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``General
Services Administration--Federal Buildings Fund'' in the
Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-123), $160,000,000 is
rescinded.
Subtitle K--Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and Independent Agencies
SEC. 2551. RESCISSION AND TRANSFER OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC
HOUSING NEW CONSTRUCTION.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Department
of Housing and Urban Development--Housing Programs--Annual
Contributions for Assisted Housing'' in the Departments of
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
124)--
(1) $367,000,000 is rescinded from the total amount under
such heading and from the amount specified under such heading
for the development or acquisition cost of public housing;
and
(2) $230,701,000 of the amount specified under such heading
for the development or acquisition cost of public housing
shall be reallocated to and merged with the amount specified
under such heading for the housing voucher program under
section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937.
SEC. 2552. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR NASA.
(a) Research and Development.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``National Aeronautics and Space
Administration--Research and Development'' in the Departments
of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
124), $25,000,000 is rescinded.
(b) Construction of Facilities.--Of the funds made
available under the heading ``National Aeronautics and Space
Administration--Construction of Facilities'' in the
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-124), $25,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2553. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION ACADEMIC RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Science Foundation--Academic Research Infrastructure'' in the
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-124), $10,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. 2555. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
GRANTS.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Community
Planning and Development--Community Development Grants'' in
the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-124) for grants, $400,000,000 is rescinded.
Subtitle L--Government-Wide and Other Programs
SEC. 2601. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FEDERALLY SPONSORED
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--Of the aggregate funds made available for
the accounts specified in subsection (b), $110,000,000 is
rescinded, to be derived from university research and
development programs. The Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall allocate such rescission among
such accounts, and shall submit to the Congress a report
setting forth such allocation.
(b) Affected Accounts.--The funds subject to the rescission
made by subsection (a) are the following:
(1) National Institutes of Health.--The amounts made
available under the heading ``Department of Health and Human
Services--National Institutes of Health'' in the Departments
of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-112),
for the following accounts:
(A) ``National Cancer Institute''.
(B) ``National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute''.
(C) ``National Institute of Dental Research''.
(D) ``National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases''.
(E) ``National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke''.
(F) ``National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases''.
(G) ``National Institute of General Medical Sciences''.
(H) ``National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development''.
(I) ``National Eye Institute''.
(J) ``National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences''.
(K) ``National Institute on Aging''.
(L) ``National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases''.
(M) ``National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders''.
(N) ``National Institute of Nursing Research''.
(O) ``National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism''.
(P) ``National Institute on Drug Abuse''.
(Q) ``National Institute of Mental Health''.
(R) ``National Center for Research Resources''.
(S) ``National Center for Human Genome Research''.
(T) ``John E. Fogarty International Center''.
(U) ``National Library of Medicine''.
(V) ``Office of the Director''.
(2) Independent Agencies.--The amounts made available in
the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-124), for the following accounts:
(A) ``National Science Foundation--Research and Related
Activities''.
(B) ``National Aeronautics and Space Administration--
Research and Development''.
(3) Department of Defense.--The amounts made available in
the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-139), for the following accounts:
(A) ``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army''.
(B) ``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy''.
(C) ``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air
Force''.
(D) ``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-
Wide''.
SEC. 2602. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT.
(a) In General.--Of the funds made available for each
account under the heading ``Executive Office of the President
and Funds Appropriated to the President'' in the Treasury,
Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations Act,
1994 (Pub. L. 103-123), there is rescinded an amount equal to
5 percent of such funds.
(b) Additional Offices.--Of the funds made available for
each account under the heading ``Executive Office of the
President'' in the Departments of Veterans Affairs and
Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-124), there is
rescinded an amount equal to 5 percent of such funds.
SEC. 2603. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD.
(a) In General.--Of the funds made available in
appropriations Acts for fiscal year 1994 to the following
agencies for travel and transportation of persons,
transportation of things, printing and reproduction, other
services, and supplies and materials, the following amounts
are rescinded:
(1) Department of Agriculture, $299,570,000.
(2) Department of Commerce, $32,960,000.
(3) Department of Health and Human Services, $343,600,000.
(4) Department of the Interior, $94,540,000.
(5) Department of Justice, $133,790,000.
(6) Department of Labor, $137,470,000.
(7) Department of State, $43,220,000.
(8) Department of the Treasury, $61,060,000.
(9) Department of Education, $16,160,000.
(10) Department of Energy, $137,160,000.
(11) Environmental Protection Agency, $72,360,000.
(12) Department of Transportation, $265,350,000.
(13) Department of Housing and Urban Development
$18,970,000.
(14) Department of Veterans Affairs, $143,780,000.
(b) Allocation.--The Director of the Office of Management
and Budget shall allocate the rescissions made by subsection
(a) among the appropriate accounts, and shall submit to the
Congress a report setting forth such allocation.
SEC. 2604. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR FEDERAL FULL-TIME
EQUIVALENT POSITIONS.
Of the aggregate funds made available to executive
departments and agencies in appropriations Act for fiscal
year 1994 for purposes of employee compensation,
$1,575,000,000 is rescinded. The Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall allocate such rescission among
the appropriate accounts, except that no reduction shall be
made in Department of Defense accounts and shall submit to
the Congress a report setting forth such allocation.
SEC. 2605. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR APPLICATION OF DAVIS-BACON
ACT.
Of the aggregate funds made available to executive
departments and agencies in appropriations Act for fiscal
year 1994 for purposes of construction activities under the
Act of March 3, 1931 (40 U.S.C. 276a et seq.) (known as the
``Davis-Bacon Act'') or similar prevailing wage requirements
applicable to projects assisted by Federal funds, $62,000,000
is rescinded. The Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall allocate such rescission among the appropriate
accounts, and shall submit to the Congress a report setting
forth such allocation.
SEC. 2606. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR REPORTS ON CONTRACTS
COVERED BY DAVIS-BACON ACT.
Of the aggregate funds made available to executive
departments and agencies in appropriations Act for fiscal
year 1994 for purposes of construction activities submitted
under section 2 of the Act of June 13, 1934 (40 U.S.C. 276c)
(known as the ``Copeland Act''), $55,000,000 is rescinded.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall
allocate such rescission among the appropriate accounts, and
shall submit to the Congress a report setting forth such
allocation.
Subtitle M--Coordination of Provisions
SEC. 2651. INAPPLICABILITY OF EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act to the
contrary, there shall not take effect any proviso or other
provision in this Act that--
(1) designates an amount as an emergency requirement
pursuant to, or for purposes of, the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985; or
(2) restricts the availability of amounts to the extent
designated as such an emergency requirement by the President
in an official budget request or otherwise.
Subtitle N--Related Changes in Law
SEC. 2701. REDUCTION IN PUBLIC LAW 480 FOOD FOR PEACE
PROGRAM.
Section 103 of title I of the Agricultural Trade
Development and Assistance Act of 1954 is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(f) Modification of Terms and Conditions During Certain
Years.--The Secretary shall set the terms and conditions of
agreements entered into under this title after the date of
the enactment of this subsection so that--
``(1) the length of the loan does not exceed 20 years;
``(2) the length of the grace period does not exceed 5
years;
``(3) the interest rate during the grace period is not less
than 3 percent; and
``(4) the interest rate during the payback period is not
less than 5 percent.''.
SEC. 2702. ELIMINATION OF WEATHER OFFICE CLOSURE
CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES.
(a) In General.--Title VII of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 is
repealed.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that the repeal made by subsection (a) will not result in a
degradation of weather forecasting service.
SEC. 2703. REPEAL OF AUTHORIZATIONS FOR THE AIRWAY SCIENCE
PROGRAM, COLLEGIATE TRAINING INITIATIVE, AND
AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN TRAINING
FACILITY GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Airway Science Program.--All authority for--
(1) the Secretary of Transportation to enter into grant
agreements with universities or colleges having an airway
science curriculum recognized by the Federal Aviation
Administration for conducting demonstration projects with
respect to the development, advancement, and expansion of
airway science programs, and
(2) the Federal Aviation Administration to enter into
competitive grant agreements with institutions of higher
education having airway science curricula,
and all authorizations to appropriate funds for such
purposes, including all authorizations for which funds were
appropriated for such purposes under the heading ``Federal
Aviation Administration, Facilities and Equipment'' in the
Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Acts, 1994 are repealed.
(b) Collegiate Training Initiative.--Section 362 of the
Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1993 (106 Stat. 1560) is repealed.
Notwithstanding such repeal, the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration may continue to convert appointment
of persons who have been appointed pursuant to such section
prior to the effective date of this Act from the excepted
service to a career conditional or career appointment in the
competitive civil service, pursuant to subsection (c) of such
section.
(c) Air Carrier Maintenance Technician Training Facility
Grant Program.--Section 119 of the Airport and Airway Safety,
Capacity, Noise Improvement, and Intermodal Transportation
Act of 1992 (49 U.S.C. App. 1354 note; 106 Stat. 4883-4884)
is repealed.
SEC. 2704. ELIMINATION OF FUNDING FOR PUBLIC
TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES.
Subpart A of Part IV of title III of the Communications Act
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 390-393a) is repealed.
SEC. 2705. TERMINATION STATE JUSTICE INSTITUTE.
The State Justice Institute Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10701 et
seq.) is repealed.
SEC. 2706. REDUCTION OF FEDERAL FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT
POSITIONS.
(a) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
``agency'' means an Executive agency as defined under section
105 of title 5, United States Code, but does not include the
General Accounting Office.
(b) Limitations on Full-Time Equivalent Positions.--The
President, through the Office of Management and Budget (in
consultation with the Office of Personnel Management), shall
ensure that the total number of full-time equivalent
positions in all agencies shall not exceed--
(1) 2,053,600 during fiscal year 1994;
(2) 1,999,600 during fiscal year 1995;
(3) 1,945,600 during fiscal year 1996;
(4) 1,895,600 during fiscal year 1997; and
(5) 1,851,600 during fiscal year 1998.
(c) Monitoring and Notification.--The Office of Management
and Budget, after consultation with the Office of Personnel
Management, shall--
(1) continuously monitor all agencies and make a
determination on the first date of each quarter of each
applicable fiscal year of whether the requirements under
subsection (b) are met; and
(2) notify the President and the Congress on the first date
of each quarter of each applicable fiscal year of any
determination that any requirement of subsection (b) is not
met.
(d) Compliance.--If at any time during a fiscal year, the
Office of Management and Budget notifies the President and
the Congress that any requirement under subsection (b) is not
met, no agency may hire any employee for any position in such
agency until the Office of Management and Budget notifies the
President and the Congress that the total number of full-time
equivalent positions for all agencies equals or is less than
the applicable number required under subsection (b).
(e) Waiver.--Any provision of this section may be waived
upon--
(1) a determination by the President of the existence of
war or a national security requirement; or
(2) the enactment of a joint resolution upon an affirmative
vote of three-fifths of the Members of each House of the
Congress duly chosen and sworn.
SEC. 2707. INCREASE IN THRESHOLD FOR APPLICATION OF DAVIS-
BACON ACT.
Subsection (a) of the first section of the Act of March 3,
1931 (40 U.S.C. 276a et seq.) (known as the ``Davis-Bacon
Act'') is amended by striking ``$2,000'' and inserting
``$100,000''.
SEC. 2708. ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN REPORTS REQUIRED ON
CONTRACTS COVERED BY DAVIS-BACON ACT.
The first sentence of section 2 of the Act of June 13,
1934, entitled ``An Act to effectuate the purpose of certain
statutes concerning rates of pay for labor, by making it
unlawful to prevent anyone from receiving the compensation
contracted for thereunder, and for other purposes'' (40
U.S.C. 276c) (known as the ``Copeland Act'') is amended by
striking ``shall furnish weekly a statement with respect to
the wages paid each employee during the preceding week'' and
inserting ``shall furnish, at least once per month, a
statement of compliance with the labor standards provisions
of applicable law, certifying the payroll with respect to the
wages paid employees during the preceding period for which
the statement is furnished, covering each week any contract
work is performed''.
SEC. 2709. SUBSTITUTION OF VOUCHER ASSISTANCE FOR PUBLIC
HOUSING NEW CONSTRUCTION.
(a) Termination of Assistance for Construction of Public
Housing.--
(1) Loan authority.--After the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may
not enter into any new commitment to make loans under section
4 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 to public housing
agencies for the development or acquisition of public housing
projects by such agencies.
(2) Contribution authority.--After the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development may not enter into any new contract to make
contributions under section 5 of the United States Housing
Act of 1937 to public housing agencies for the development or
acquisition of public housing projects by such agencies.
(3) Existing commitments.--After the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
may make contributions and loans for the development or
acquisition of public housing projects only pursuant to
legally binding commitments to make such loans or contracts
for such contributions entered into on or before the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(4) Inapplicability to indian housing.--The provisions of
this section shall not apply to public housing developed
pursuant to a contract between the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development and an Indian housing authority.
(5) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the terms
``Indian housing authority'', ``project'', ``public
housing'', and ``public housing agency'' have the meanings
given the terms in section 3(b) of the United States Housing
Act of 1937.
(b) Permissible Uses.--Vouchers for rental assistance
provided with the amounts made available under this section
may be used for the rental of dwelling units or costs of
residency, as determined by qualified voucher recipients.
SEC. 2710. REFORM OF HUD MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY DISPOSITION.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
(1) the portfolio of multifamily housing project mortgages
insured by the FHA is severely troubled and at risk of
default, requiring the Secretary to increase loss reserves
from $5,500,000,000 in 1991 to $11,900,000,000 in 1992 to
cover estimated future losses;
(2) the inventory of multifamily housing projects owned by
the Secretary has more than tripled since 1989, and, by the
end of 1993, may exceed 75,000 units;
(3) the cost to the Federal Government of owning and
maintaining multifamily housing projects escalated to
approximately $250,000,000 in fiscal year 1992;
(4) the inventory of multifamily housing projects subject
to mortgages held by the Secretary has increased
dramatically, to more than 2,400 mortgages, and approximately
half of these mortgages, with over 230,000 units, are
delinquent;
(5) the inventory of insured and formerly insured
multifamily housing projects is rapidly deteriorating,
endangering tenants and neighborhoods;
(6) over 5 million families today have a critical need for
housing that is affordable and habitable; and
(7) the current statutory framework governing the
disposition of multifamily housing projects effectively
impedes the Government's ability to dispose of properties,
protect tenants, and ensure that projects are maintained over
time.
(b) Management and Disposition of Multifamily Housing
Projects.--Section 203 of the Housing and Community
Development Amendments of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 1701z-11) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 203. MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSITION OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
PROJECTS.
``(a) Goals.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development (in this section referred to as the `Secretary')
shall manage or dispose of multifamily housing projects that
are owned by the Secretary or that are subject to a mortgage
held by the Secretary in a manner that--
``(1) is consistent with the National Housing Act and this
section;
``(2) will protect the financial interests of the Federal
Government; and
``(3) will, in the least costly fashion among reasonable
available alternatives, further the goals of--
``(A) preserving housing so that it can remain available to
and affordable by low-income persons;
``(B) preserving and revitalizing residential
neighborhoods;
``(C) maintaining existing housing stock in a decent, safe,
and sanitary condition;
``(D) minimizing the involuntary displacement of tenants;
``(E) maintaining housing for the purpose of providing
rental housing, cooperative housing, and homeownership
opportunities for low-income persons; and
``(F) minimizing the need to demolish multifamily housing
projects.
The Secretary, in determining the manner in which a project
is to be managed or disposed of, may balance competing goals
relating to individual projects in a manner that will further
the purposes of this section.
``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the
following definitions shall apply:
``(1) Multifamily housing project.--The term `multifamily
housing project' means any multifamily rental housing project
which is, or prior to acquisition by the Secretary was,
assisted or insured under the National Housing Act, or was
subject to a loan under section 202 of the Housing Act of
1959.
``(2) Subsidized project.--The term `subsidized project'
means a multifamily housing project receiving any of the
following types of assistance immediately prior to the
assignment of the mortgage on such project to, or the
acquisition of such mortgage by, the Secretary:
``(A) Below market interest rate mortgage insurance under
the proviso of section 221(d)(5) of the National Housing Act.
``(B) Interest reduction payments made in connection with
mortgages insured under section 236 of the National Housing
Act.
``(C) Direct loans made under section 202 of the Housing
Act of 1959.
``(D) Assistance in the form of--
``(i) rent supplement payments under section 101 of the
Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965;
``(ii) housing assistance payments made under section 23 of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (as in effect before
January 1, 1975); or
``(iii) housing assistance payments made under section 8 of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (excluding payments
made for tenant-based assistance under section 8),
if (except for purposes of section 183(c) of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1987) such assistance payments
are made to more than 50 percent of the units in the project.
``(3) Formerly subsidized project.--The term `formerly
subsidized project' means a multifamily housing project owned
by the Secretary that was a subsidized project immediately
prior to its acquisition by the Secretary.
``(4) Unsubsidized project.--The term `unsubsidized
project' means a multifamily housing project owned by the
Secretary that is not a subsidized project or a formerly
subsidized project.
``(c) Management or Disposition of Property.--
``(1) Disposition to purchasers.--The Secretary is
authorized, in carrying out this section, to dispose of a
multifamily housing project owned by the Secretary on a
negotiated, competitive bid, or other basis, on such terms as
the Secretary deems appropriate considering the low-income
character of the project and the requirements of subsection
(a), to a purchaser determined by the Secretary to be capable
of--
``(A) satisfying the conditions of the disposition;
``(B) implementing a sound financial and physical
management program that is designed to enable the project to
meet anticipated operating and repair expenses to ensure that
the project will remain in decent, safe, and sanitary
condition;
``(C) responding to the needs of the tenants and working
cooperatively with tenant organizations;
``(D) providing adequate organizational staff and financial
resources to the project; and
``(E) meeting such other requirements as the Secretary may
determine.
``(2) Contracting for management services.--The Secretary
is authorized, in carrying out this section--
``(A) to contract for management services for a multifamily
housing project that is owned by the Secretary (or for which
the Secretary is mortgagee in possession), on a negotiated,
competitive bid, or other basis at a price determined by the
Secretary to be reasonable, with a manager the Secretary has
determined is capable of--
``(i) implementing a sound financial and physical
management program that is designed to enable the project to
meet anticipated operating and maintenance expenses to ensure
that the project will remain in decent, safe, and sanitary
condition;
``(ii) responding to the needs of the tenants and working
cooperatively with tenant organizations;
``(iii) providing adequate organizational, staff, and other
resources to implement a management program determined by the
Secretary; and
``(iv) meeting such other requirements as the Secretary may
determine; and
``(B) to require the owner of a multifamily housing project
that is subject to a mortgage held by the Secretary to
contract for management services for the project in the
manner described in subparagraph (A).
``(d) Maintenance of Housing Projects.--
``(1) Housing projects owned by the secretary.--In the case
of multifamily housing projects that are owned by the
Secretary (or for which the Secretary is mortgagee in
possession), the Secretary shall--
``(A) to the greatest extent possible, maintain all such
occupied projects in a decent, safe, and sanitary condition;
``(B) to the greatest extent possible, maintain full
occupancy in all such projects; and
``(C) maintain all such projects for purposes of providing
rental or cooperative housing.
``(2) Housing projects subject to a mortgage held by the
secretary.--In the case of any multifamily housing project
that is subject to a mortgage held by the Secretary, the
Secretary shall require the owner of the project to carry out
the requirements of paragraph (1).
``(e) Required Assistance.--In carrying out the goal
specified in subsection (a)(3)(A), the Secretary shall take
not less than one of the following actions:
``(1) Contract with owner.--Enter into contracts under
section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, to the
extent budget authority is available, with owners of
multifamily housing projects that are acquired by a purchaser
other than the Secretary at foreclosure or after sale by the
Secretary.
``(A) Subsidized or formerly subsidized projects receiving
certain assistance.--In the case of a subsidized or formerly
subsidized project referred to in subparagraphs (A) through
(C) of subsection (b)(2)--
``(i) the contract shall be sufficient to assist at least
all units covered by an assistance contract under any of the
authorities referred to in subsection (b)(2)(D) before
acquisition, unless the Secretary acts pursuant to the
provisions of subparagraph (C);
``(ii) in the case of units requiring project-based rental
assistance pursuant to this paragraph that are occupied by
families who are not eligible for assistance under section 8,
a contract under this subparagraph shall also provide that
when a vacancy occurs, the owner shall lease the available
unit to a family eligible for assistance under section 8; and
``(iii) the Secretary shall take actions to ensure the
availability and affordability, as defined in paragraph
(3)(B), for the remaining useful life of the project, as
defined by the Secretary, of any unit located in any project
referred to in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection
(b)(2) that does not otherwise receive project-based
assistance under this subparagraph. To carry out this clause,
the Secretary may require purchasers to establish use or rent
restrictions maintaining affordability, as defined in
paragraph (3)(B).
``(B) Subsidized or formerly subsidized projects receiving
other assistance.--In the case of a subsidized or formerly
subsidized project referred to in subsection (b)(2)(D)--
``(i) the contract shall be sufficient to assist at least
all units in the project that are covered, or were covered
immediately before foreclosure on or acquisition of the
project by the Secretary, by an assistance contract under any
of the authorities referred to in such subsection, unless the
Secretary acts pursuant to provisions of subparagraph (C);
and
``(ii) in the case of units requiring project-based rental
assistance pursuant to this paragraph that are occupied by
families who are not eligible for assistance under section 8,
a contract under this paragraph shall also provide that when
a vacancy occurs, the owner shall lease the available unit to
a family eligible for assistance under section 8.
``(C) Exceptions to subparagraphs (a) and (b).--In lieu of
providing project-based assistance under subparagraph (A) or
(B), the Secretary may require certain units in unsubsidized
projects to contain use restrictions providing that such
units will be available to and affordable by very low-income
families for the remaining useful life of the project, as
defined by the Secretary, if--
``(i) the Secretary matches any reduction in units
otherwise required to be assisted with project-based
assistance under subparagraph (A) or (B) with at least an
equivalent increase in units made affordable to very low-
income persons within unsubsidized projects;
``(ii) low-income tenants residing in units otherwise
requiring project-based assistance under subparagraph (A) or
(B) upon disposition receive section 8 tenant-based
assistance; and
``(iii) the units described in clause (i) are located
within the same market area.
``(D) Contract requirements for unsubsidized projects.--
Notwithstanding actions taken pursuant to subparagraph (C),
in unsubsidized projects, the contract shall at least be
sufficient to provide--
``(i) project-based rental assistance for all units that
are covered or were covered immediately before foreclosure or
acquisition by an assistance contract under--
``(I) section 8(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (as such section existed before October 1, 1983) (new
construction and substantial rehabilitation); section 8(b) of
such Act (property disposition); section 8(d)(2) of such Act
(project-based certificates); section 8(e)(2) of such Act
(moderate rehabilitation); section 23 of such Act (as in
effect before January 1, 1975); or section 101 of the Housing
and Urban Development Act of 1965 (rent supplements); or
``(II) section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937,
following conversion from section 101 of the Housing and
Urban Development Act of 1965; and
``(ii) tenant-based assistance under section 8 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 for tenants currently
residing in units that were covered by an assistance contract
under the Loan Management Set-Aside program under section
8(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 immediately
before foreclosure or acquisition of the project by the
Secretary.
``(2) Annual contribution contracts.--In the case of
multifamily housing projects that are acquired by a purchaser
other than the Secretary at foreclosure or after sale by the
Secretary, enter into annual contribution contracts with
public housing agencies to provide tenant-based assistance
under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 to
all low-income families who are eligible for such assistance
on the date that the project is acquired by the purchaser.
The Secretary shall take action under this paragraph only
after making a determination that there is available in the
area an adequate supply of habitable affordable housing for
low-income families. Actions taken pursuant to this paragraph
may be taken in connection with not more than 10 percent of
the aggregate number of units in subsidized or formerly
subsidized projects disposed of by the Secretary annually.
``(3) Other assistance.--
``(A) In general.--In accordance with the authority
provided under the National Housing Act, reduce the selling
price, apply use or rent restrictions on certain units, or
provide other financial assistance to the owners of
multifamily housing projects that are acquired by a purchaser
other than the Secretary at foreclosure, or after sale by the
Secretary, on terms which will ensure that--
``(i) at least those units otherwise required to receive
project-based section 8 assistance pursuant to subparagraphs
(A), (B), or (D) of paragraph (1) are available to and
affordable by low-income persons; and
``(ii) for the remaining useful life of the project, as
defined by the Secretary, there shall be in force such use or
rent restrictions as the Secretary may prescribe.
``(B) Definition.--A unit shall be considered affordable
under this paragraph if--
``(i) for very low-income tenants, the rent for such unit
does not exceed 30 percent of 50 percent of the area median
income, as determined by the Secretary, with adjustments for
family size; and
``(ii) for low-income tenants other than very low-income
tenants, the rent for such unit does not exceed 30 percent of
80 percent of the area median income, as determined by the
Secretary, with adjustments for family size.
``(C) Very low-income tenants.--The Secretary shall provide
assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 to any very low-income tenant currently residing in a
unit otherwise required to receive project-based assistance
under section 8, pursuant to subparagraph (A), (B), or (D) of
paragraph (1), if the rents charged such tenants as a result
of actions taken pursuant to this paragraph exceed the amount
payable as rent under section 3(a) of the United States
Housing Act of 1937.
``(4) Transfer for use under other programs of the
secretary.--
``(A) In general.--Enter into an agreement providing for
the transfer of a multifamily housing project--
``(i) to a public housing agency for use of the project as
public housing; or
``(ii) to an owner or another appropriate entity for use of
the project under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 or
under section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National
Affordable Housing Act.
``(B) Requirements for agreement.--The agreement described
in subparagraph (A) shall--
``(i) contain such terms, conditions, and limitations as
the Secretary determines appropriate, including requirements
to assure use of the project under the public housing,
section 202, and section 811 programs; and
``(ii) ensure that no current tenant will be displaced as a
result of actions taken under this paragraph.
``(f) Other Assistance.--In addition to the actions
authorized by subsection (e), the Secretary may take any of
the following actions:
``(1) Short-term loans.--Provide short-term loans to
facilitate the sale of multifamily housing projects to
nonprofit organizations or to public agencies if--
``(A) authority for such loans is provided in advance in an
appropriations Act;
``(B) such loans are for a term of not more than 5 years;
``(C) the Secretary is presented with satisfactory
documentation, evidencing a commitment of permanent financing
to replace such short-term loan, from a lender who meets
standards set forth by the Secretary; and
``(D) the terms of such loans are consistent with
prevailing practices in the marketplace or the provision of
such loans results in no cost to the Government, as defined
in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act.
``(2) Tenant-based assistance.--In connection with projects
referred to in subsection (e), make available tenant-based
assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 to very low-income families (as defined in section
3(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937) that do not
otherwise qualify for project-based assistance.
``(3) Alternative uses.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, and subject to notice to and comment from existing
tenants, allow not more than--
``(i) 5 percent of the total number of units in multifamily
housing projects that are disposed of by the Secretary during
any 1-year period to be made available for uses other than
rental or cooperative uses, including low-income
homeownership opportunities, or in any particular project,
community space, office space for tenant or housing-related
service providers or security programs, or small business
uses, if such uses benefit the tenants of the project; and
``(ii) 5 percent of the total number of units in
multifamily housing projects that are disposed of by the
Secretary during any 1-year period to be used in any manner,
if the Secretary and the unit of general local government or
area-wide governing body determine that such use will further
fair housing, community development, or neighborhood
revitalization goals.
``(B) Displacement protection.--The Secretary shall make
available tenant-based rental assistance under section 8 of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 to any tenant displaced
as a result of actions taken by the Secretary pursuant to
subparagraph (A), and the Secretary shall take such actions
as the Secretary determines necessary to ensure the
successful use of any tenant-based assistance.
``(g) Authorization of Use or Rent Restrictions in
Unsubsidized Projects.--In carrying out the goals specified
in subsection (a), the Secretary may require certain units in
unsubsidized projects to contain use or rent restrictions
providing that such units will be available to and affordable
by very low-income persons for the remaining useful life of
the property, as defined by the Secretary.
``(h) Contract Requirements.--
``(1) Contract term.--
``(A) In general.--Contracts for project-based rental
assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 provided pursuant to this section shall be for a term
of not more than 15 years; and
``(B) Contract term of less than 15 years.--Notwithstanding
subparagraph (A), to the extent that units receive project-
based assistance for a contract term of less than 15 years,
the Secretary shall require that rents charged to tenants for
such units not exceed the amount payable for rent under
section 3(a) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 for a
period of at least 15 years.
``(2) Contract rent.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall set contract rents
for section 8 project-based rental contracts issued under
this section at levels that, in conjunction with other
resources available to the purchaser, provide for the
necessary costs of rehabilitation of such project and do not
exceed the percentage of the existing housing fair market
rents for the area (as determined by the Secretary under
section 8(c) of the United States Housing Act of 1937) as the
Secretary may prescribe.
``(B) Up-front grants and loans.--If such an approach is
determined to be more cost-effective, the Secretary may
utilize the budget authority provided for project-based
section 8 contracts issued under this section to--
``(i) provide project-based section 8 rental assistance;
and
``(ii)(I) provide up-front grants for the necessary cost of
rehabilitation; or
``(II) pay for any cost to the Government, as defined in
section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act, for loans made
pursuant to subsection (f)(1).
``(i) Disposition Plan.--
``(1) In general.--Prior to the sale of a multifamily
housing project that is owned by the Secretary, the Secretary
shall develop a disposition plan for the project that
specifies the minimum terms and conditions of the Secretary
for disposition of the project, the initial sales price that
is acceptable to the Secretary, and the assistance that the
Secretary plans to make available to a prospective purchaser
in accordance with this section. The initial sales price
shall reflect the intended use of the property after sale.
``(2) Community and tenant input into disposition plans and
sales.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall develop procedures to obtain appropriate and
timely input into disposition plans from officials of the
unit of general local government affected, the community in
which the project is situated, and the tenants of the
project.
``(B) Tenant organizations.--The Secretary shall develop
procedures to facilitate, where feasible and appropriate, the
sale of multifamily housing projects to existing tenant
organizations with demonstrated capacity or to public or
nonprofit entities which represent or are affiliated with
existing tenant organizations.
``(C) Technical assistance.--
``(i) Use of funds.--To carry out the procedures developed
under subparagraphs (A) and (B), the Secretary is authorized
to provide technical assistance, directly or indirectly, and
to use amounts appropriated for technical assistance under
the Emergency Low Income Housing Preservation Act of 1987,
the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident
Homeownership Act of 1990, subtitle B of title IV of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, or under
this section for the provision of technical assistance under
this section.
``(ii) Source of funds.--Recipients of technical assistance
funding under the Emergency Low Income Housing Preservation
Act of 1987, the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident
Homeownership Act of 1990, subtitle B of title IV of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, or under
this section shall be permitted to provide technical
assistance to the extent of such funding under any of such
programs or under this section, notwithstanding the source of
funding.
``(j) Right of First Refusal.--
``(1) Procedure.--
``(A) Notification by secretary of the acquisition of
title.--Not later than 30 days after acquiring title to a
project, the Secretary shall notify the unit of general local
government and the State agency or agencies designated by the
Governor of the acquisition of such title.
``(B) Expression of interest.--Not later than 45 days after
receiving notification from the Secretary under subparagraph
(A), the unit of general local government or designated State
agency may submit to the Secretary a preliminary expression
of interest in the project. The Secretary may take such
actions as may be necessary to require the unit of general
local government or designated State agency to substantiate
such interest.
``(C) Timely expression of interest.--If the unit of
general local government or designated State agency has
expressed interest in the project before the expiration of
the 45-day period referred to in subparagraph (B), and has
substantiated such interest if requested, the Secretary, upon
approval of a disposition plan for a project, shall notify
the unit of general local government and designated State
agency of the terms and conditions of the disposition plan
and give the unit of general local government or designated
State agency not more than 90 days after the date of such
notification to make an offer to purchase the project.
``(D) No timely expression of interest.--If the unit of
general local government or designated State agency does not
express interest before the expiration of the 45-day period
referred to in subparagraph (B), or does not substantiate an
expressed interest if requested, the Secretary, upon approval
of a disposition plan, may offer the project for sale to any
interested person or entity.
``(2) Acceptance of offers.--Where the Secretary has given
the unit of general local government or designated State
agency 90 days to make an offer to purchase the project, the
Secretary shall accept an offer that complies with the terms
and conditions of the disposition plan. The Secretary may
accept an offer that does not comply with the terms and
conditions of the disposition plan if the Secretary
determines that the offer will further the goals specified in
subsection (a) by actions that include extension of the
duration of low-income affordability restrictions or
otherwise restructuring the transaction in a manner that
enhances the long-term affordability for low-income persons.
The Secretary shall, in particular, have discretion to reduce
the initial sales price in exchange for the extension of low-
income affordability restrictions beyond the period of
assistance contemplated by the attachment of assistance
pursuant to subsection (e). If the Secretary and the unit of
general local government or designated State agency cannot
reach agreement within 90 days, the Secretary may offer the
project for sale to the general public.
``(3) Purchase by unit of general local government or
designated state agency.--Notwithstanding any other provision
of law, a unit of general local government (including a
public housing agency) or designated State agency may
purchase a subsidized or formerly subsidized project in
accordance with this subsection.
``(4) Applicability.--This subsection shall apply to
projects that are acquired on or after the effective date of
this subsection. With respect to projects acquired before
such effective date, the Secretary may apply--
``(A) the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3) of section
203(e) as such paragraphs existed immediately before the
effective date of this subsection; or
``(B) the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this
subsection, if the Secretary gives the unit of general local
government or designated State agency--
``(i) 45 days to express interest in the project; and
``(ii) if the unit of general local government or
designated State agency expresses interest in the project
before the expiration of the 45-day period, and substantiates
such interest if requested, 90 days from the date of
notification of the terms and conditions of the disposition
plan to make an offer to purchase the project.
``(k) Displacement of Tenants and Relocation Assistance.--
``(1) In general.--Whenever tenants will be displaced as a
result of the disposition of, or repairs to, a multifamily
housing project that is owned by the Secretary (or for which
the Secretary is mortgagee in possession), the Secretary
shall identify tenants who will be displaced, and shall
notify all such tenants of their pending displacement and of
any relocation assistance which may be available. In the case
of a multifamily housing project that is not owned by the
Secretary (and for which the Secretary is not mortgagee in
possession), the Secretary shall require the owner of the
project to carry out the requirements of this paragraph.
``(2) Rights of displaced tenants.--The Secretary shall
assure for any such tenant (who continues to meet applicable
qualification standards) the right--
``(A) to return, whenever possible, to a repaired unit;
``(B) to occupy a unit in another multifamily housing
project owned by the Secretary;
``(C) to obtain housing assistance under the United States
Housing Act of 1937; or
``(D) to receive any other available relocation assistance
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
``(l) Mortgage and Project Sales.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may not approve the sale
of any loan or mortgage held by the Secretary (including any
loan or mortgage owned by the Government National Mortgage
Association) on any subsidized project or formerly subsidized
project, unless such sale is made as part of a transaction
that will ensure that such project will continue to operate
at least until the maturity date of such loan or mortgage, in
a manner that will provide rental housing on terms at least
as advantageous to existing and future tenants as the terms
required by the program under which the loan or mortgage was
made or insured prior to the assignment of the loan or
mortgage on such project to the Secretary.
``(2) Sale of certain projects.--The Secretary may not
approve the sale of any subsidized project--
``(A) that is subject to a mortgage held by the Secretary;
or
``(B) if the sale transaction involves the provision of any
additional subsidy funds by the Secretary or a recasting of
the mortgage, unless such sale is made as part of a
transaction that will ensure that such project will continue
to operate at least until the maturity date of the loan or
mortgage, in a manner that will provide rental housing on
terms at least as advantageous to existing and future tenants
as the terms required by the program under which the loan or
mortgage was made or insured prior to the proposed sale of
the project.
``(3) Mortgage sales to state and local governments.--
Notwithstanding any provision of law that may require
competitive sales or bidding, the Secretary may carry out
negotiated sales of subsidized or formerly subsidized
mortgages held by the Secretary, without the competitive
selection of purchasers or intermediaries, to units of
general local government or State agencies, or groups of
investors that include at least one such unit of general
local government or State agency, if the negotiations are
conducted with such agencies, except that--
``(A) the terms of any such sale shall include the
agreement of the purchasing agency or unit of local
government or State agency to act as mortgagee or owner of a
beneficial interest in such mortgages, in a manner consistent
with maintaining the projects that are subject to such
mortgages for occupancy by the general tenant group intended
to be served by the applicable mortgage insurance program,
including, to the extent the Secretary determines
appropriate, authorizing such unit of local government or
State agency to enforce the provisions of any regulatory
agreement or other program requirements applicable to the
related projects; and
``(B) the sales prices for such mortgages shall be, in the
determination of the Secretary, the best prices that may be
obtained for such mortgages from a unit of general local
government or State agency, consistent with the expectation
and intention that the projects financed will be retained for
use under the applicable mortgage insurance program for the
life of the initial mortgage insurance contract.
``(4) Sale of mortgages covering unsubsidized projects.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may
sell mortgages held on unsubsidized projects on such terms
and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe.
``(m) Report to Congress.--Not later than June 1 of each
year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of the House of
Representatives, a report describing the status of
multifamily housing projects owned by or subject to mortgages
held by the Secretary, which report shall include--
``(1) the name, address, and size of each project;
``(2) the nature and date of assignment;
``(3) the status of the mortgage;
``(4) the physical condition of the project;
``(5) an occupancy profile of the project, including the
income, family size, and race of current residents as well as
the rents paid by such residents;
``(6) the proportion of units in a project that are vacant;
``(7) the date on which the Secretary became mortgagee in
possession;
``(8) the date and conditions of any foreclosure sale;
``(9) the date of acquisition by the Secretary;
``(10) the date and conditions of any property disposition
sale;
``(11) a description of actions undertaken pursuant to this
section, including--
``(A) a comparison of results between actions taken after
enactment of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1993 and actions taken in years prior to such enactment;
``(B) a description of any impediments to the disposition
or management of multifamily housing projects, together with
a recommendation of proposed legislative or regulatory
changes designed to ameliorate such impediments;
``(C) a description of actions taken to restructure or
commence foreclosure on delinquent multifamily mortgages held
by the Department; and
``(D) a description of actions taken to monitor and prevent
the default of multifamily housing mortgages held by the
Federal Housing Administration;
``(12) a description of any of the functions performed in
connection with this section that are contracted out to
public or private entities or to States, including--
``(A) the costs associated with such delegation;
``(B) the implications of contracting out or delegating
such functions for current Department field or regional
personnel, including anticipated personnel or work load
reductions;
``(C) necessary oversight required by Department personnel,
including anticipated personnel hours devoted to such
oversight;
``(D) a description of any authority granted to such public
or private entities or States in conjunction with the
functions that have been delegated or contracted out or that
are not otherwise available for use by Department personnel;
and
``(E) the extent to which such public or private entities
or States include tenants of multifamily housing projects in
the disposition planning for such projects;
``(13) a description of the activities carried out under
subsection (j) during the preceding year; and
``(14) a description and assessment of the rules,
guidelines, and practices governing the Department's
management of multifamily housing projects that are owned by
the Secretary (or for which the Secretary is mortgagee in
possession) as well as the steps that the Secretary has taken
or plans to take to improve the management performance of the
Department.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The Secretary shall, by notice
published in the Federal Register, which shall take effect
upon publication, establish such requirements as may be
necessary to implement the amendments made by this section.
The notice shall invite public comments, and the Secretary
shall issue final regulations based on the initial notice,
taking into account any public comments received.
SEC. 2711. ELIMINATION OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT HAVE
LARGELY ACHIEVED THEIR PURPOSE.
(a) Public Library Construction.--
(1) Repeal.--Title II of the Library Services and
Construction Act (20 U.S.C. 355a et seq.) is repealed.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 4(a)(2) of such Act (20
U.S.C. 351b(a)(2)) is repealed.
(b) Follow Through Program.--The Follow Through Act (42
U.S.C. 9861 et seq.) is repealed.
(c) Law-Related Education.--Section 1565 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2965) is
repealed.
(d) Law School Clinical Experience Program.--Part G of
title IX of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1132u
et seq.) is repealed.
SEC. 2712. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REORGANIZATION.
(a) Closure and Consolidation of Offices.--During the
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and
ending on September 30, 1998, the Secretary of Agriculture
shall close or consolidate not less than 1,200 field offices
of the agencies of the Department of Agriculture described in
subsection (d).
(b) Purpose of Closure and Consolidation.--In addition to
reducing expenditures of the Department of Agriculture, the
closure and consolidation of field offices pursuant to this
section is intended to improve services provided to
agricultural producers in the United States through the
greater use of multipurpose field offices combining the
services of more than one of the agencies described in
subsection (d).
(c) Corresponding Reductions and Reorganization.--As part
of the closure and consolidation of field offices under
subsection (a), the Secretary of Agriculture shall--
(1) eliminate not less than 7,500 full-time employment
positions in the Department of Agriculture; and
(2) reorganize the headquarters corresponding to the
agencies described in subsection (d).
(d) Field Offices Described.--The field offices to be
closed and consolidated under this section shall be selected
from among the field offices of the Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, the Soil Conservation
Service, the Farmers Home Administration, and the Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Iowa [Mr.
Nussle] will be recognized for 30 minutes, and a Member opposed will be
recognized for 30 minutes.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Natcher] will be
recognized for 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Nussle].
Mr. NUSSLE. First, Madam Chairman, I would ask unanimous consent that
half of my time, 15 minutes, be given to the gentleman from Minnesota
[Mr. Penny], to be controlled by him.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from
Iowa?
There was no objection.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I yield myself 4 minutes.
Madam Chairman, first I would like to thank my staff, and I would
like to thank Bill Warfield, from the staff of the Committee on
Appropriations, and the Budget staff. Madam Chairman, it is very
difficult to put together amendments like this with all the specifics
we have tried to incorporate in this bill. It takes a lot of good
people to put that together, and I want to thank them for their efforts
in that regard.
Madam Chairman, I also would like to thank the gentleman from
Minnesota [Mr. Penny], the gentleman from California [Mr. Condit], and
the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Kasich] for their help in a bipartisan
fashion to try to come up with some ideas about consideration of
spending cuts.
Madam Chairman, the issue today is consideration of how to pay for
the emergency. There is not anyone in this building who would disagree
with the fact that we have an emergency, that we have a situation in
this country where victims need our help. I believe that, everybody in
this Chamber believes that, I believe. But we have come together in a
bipartisan fashion to do one thing, to try to find a way to pay for
this now as opposed to putting this onto the backs of our kids and
grandkids.
Now, I listened with quite a lot of interest during the Myers of
Indiana amendment and listened to the wild charges, ``You are taking
bread from children,'' ``Mothers will be out on the street,'' and,
``Employees will be thrown out on the welfare lines.'' What ridiculous
charges you are coming up with.
Now, you can try, but there is not a person in this Chamber or
listening to this debate who believes, who believes any of these wild
charges about cutting a little bit out of our humongous Federal budget.
Just a little bit, to set a priority, to make a statement, to say we
believe this emergency is more important than a few other lower
priority items in the budget, which is all we are saying.
We are saying that Jim Nussle should not be able to send to his
children, Sarah and Mark, the bill that I incur today. That Bill
Clinton, President of the United States, should not be allowed to send
to Chelsea Clinton, the bill he incurs today on our behalf.
There is not anyone here that does not agree with us we have an
emergency, the flood victims in the Midwest, the earthquake victims in
Los Angeles. All we are suggesting is we set a priority. This is our
priority.
All of the cuts considered under the Nussle-Kasich-Condit-Penny
amendment, have been voted on before. All of these cuts you have voted
on. You are on record. We know where you are. And the organizations
such as National Taxpayers, Citizens Against Government Waste, and many
others, suggest that you also support this amendment.
Madam Chairman, I want to reemphasize this point. There are no hidden
bombs inside this language. These are all cuts that are quite
innocuous. It is a big bill. But so is the emergency. And should we not
come up with the money? We have tried to do just that.
The National Taxpayers Union, the Concord Association, Citizens for a
Sound Economy, Citizens Against Government Waste, the Committee for a
Sound Federal Budget, have all endorsed the Nussle budget, for this
reason: It is time to start the process we know we are going to have to
go through. Instead of putting this on our kids and grandkids to come
up with the cuts, do it today. It is very simple.
I wanted to reemphasize one other point, and that is it is our debt
that matters in this instance. We are adding to the debt when we pay
for these things off budget. And I can tell you that in 1 year, the
price per person in this country of that national debt, listen to these
figures, on February 3, 1993, the amount of debt per person in this
country, if you divide the national debt by each man, woman and child,
not even taxpayers, was $16,091. It has now grown until today, 1 year
later, to $17,080. One thousand dollars you have added to the backs of
my kids, your kids, and your grandkids, because we can't answer a
simple question: How must does it cost, and how are we going to pay for
it?
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. This amendment
would rescind over $9 billion. This amendment has much more serious
impacts than the one offered by Mr. Penny and Mr. Kasich that we
already defeated in the House when we considered H.R. 3400 only last
November.
This amendment, like the one we just considered, makes double count
reductions on personnel funding and other across-the-board type cuts
for overhead activities in amounts in excess of $2.3 billion. The same
impacts associated with this type cut that were in the Myers amendment
would occur because of this proposal, as well.
Additionally, the amendment proposes specific cuts to programs that
make our economy grow, like EDA, TVA, and ARC. It also cuts our
investment programs in areas like highways, airports, mass transit, and
community development grants. It cuts our research, on which the future
depends, in areas like NASA, agriculture, NOAA, NIST, nuclear and other
energy research as well as the broader research spectrum in the
National Science Foundation program.
Others will address the specific impacts of these cuts as we proceed.
I want all Members to know that these cuts are large and significant
and their impacts have not been fully analyzed or understood.
Madam Chairman, this amendment should be rejected.
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute.
Madam Chairman, we rise to offer this amendment to offset all of the
costs of disaster aid. When part of America suffers, all of America
ought to come to their aid. That is the premise of this amendment. I am
reminded of the movie Dave in which a stand-in president sat down with
his own accountant to try and find room in the Federal budget for a
needed homeless shelter for families in the metropolitan regions of our
country. They suggested to the cabinet the following morning a series
of spending cuts to make room for that higher priority. As you might
expect, the cabinet members began to gripe and grumble.
Dave motioned to one cabinet member and said, ``Are you saying that
your program is more important than this emerging need?'' And the
cabinet member said, ``No, well, I wasn't saying that.'' Dave said,
``Well, in that case, the decision has been made. We put the money in
the new priority.''
That is all we are talking about here. These are familiar cuts. We
have dealt with this issue in the past. Many of these cuts have been
voted on previously. In the past, we have proposed these cuts to reduce
the deficit. All we are asking this time around is that we stop
increasing the deficit by implementing these offsetting cuts. It is a
reasonable plan and one that ought to be adopted.
Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Iowa [Mr. Smith].
Mr. SMITH of Iowa. Madam Chairman, I am opposed to this amendment. As
I said before, I am not opposed to having a reserve fund for disaster
assistance, and we had a reserve fund before 1990. But the Credit
Reform Act of 1990 terminated all revolving loan funds. If we are going
to reestablish these revolving loan funds, it ought to be done in
authorizing legislation, rather than in appropriations bills.
Now, I am going to put in the Record under the unanimous consent
request the chairman got earlier, a table that shows specifically what
is in this amendment that affects departments and agencies under the
jurisdiction of my Appropriations subcommittee. But I want to highlight
just a few things, because consistency has never been a virtue in this
place, but rarely has inconsistency been so great as it is on some of
the items that are in this proposal.
Madam Chairman, if this were to be adopted, the FBI would lose 1,493
people; INS would lose 1,188 and Federal prisons, 1,636. SBA could lose
as many as 240 for 3 months, right at a time when the agency needs them
to deal with the California earthquake. The amendment would also
eliminate a plane that tracks hurricanes that is needed very badly.
With respect to the Border Patrol, we had an argument here last fall
and added 600 new Border Patrol personnel and they couldn't be added if
this amendment passes.
{time} 1630
The Californians were the ones that wanted them added the worst, and
some of them, I understand, are now for not adding these Border
Patrols. It is pretty difficult to say that one is really for doing
something about crime and for doing more about crime and still do it,
take it out in this way.
So I say again, it is not that I am against the reserve fund, because
I am for a reserve fund. But it ought to be established, we established
the way we had it in authorizing legislation and not do it after the
fact on an appropriations bill.
I am opposed to this amendment.
Madam Chairman, I submit this table for the Record.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE SUBCOMMITTEE--IMPACT OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO EARTHQUAKE SUPPLEMENTAL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommended by
Dept./Agency/Item Sec. No./Prop. resc. Penny-Kasich President Impact
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of State/Diplomatic and Consular Sec. 2161/-$600,000...... Yes........... Yes........... This reduction was reflected in the FY 1994 budget request and taken in the FY 1994
Program. Appropriations Act. The reduction would reduce State Dept. Marine guard and other
security programs at diplomatic missions overseas.
United States Information Agency:
Salaries and Expenses.................... Sec. 2160(a)/-$6,000,000. Yes (-$3M).... Yes (-$3M).... The House has approved a rescission of $2.2 million of USIA's FY 1994 Salaries and
Expenses account in H.R. 3400. A further rescission of $6 million in 1994 S&E would
greatly disrupt this operating account. In addition to $24 million in program cuts
reflected in the FY 1994 Appropriations Act, USIA must absorb $6.4 million in
unbudgeted locality pay costs. The agency will also incur substantial unbudgeted
costs related to planned consolidation of broadcasting activities and a major
restructuring of domestic activities. A furlough of all employees for three days
would have to be implemented and systems modernization, equipment replacement,
overseas cultural and information programs, and publications and other program
support would have to be curtailed if an additional rescission of $6 million were
enacted.
North/South Center....................... Sec. 2160(c)/-$8,700,000. Yes........... Yes........... This reduction would eliminate all funding for the North/South Center provided for FY
'94 and terminate the program. The cut would eliminate the only research, public
policy studies, and information center which carries out a full complement of
programs and grants exclusively allocated to finding practical solutions to the major
problems confronting Western Hemisphere nations such as: immigration, drug-
trafficking, hemispheric economic integration and democratization.
Educational and Cultural Exchange Sec. 2160(b)/-$50,000,000 No............ No............ This proposed rescission would reduce the FY 1994 appropriation by 21 percent for
Programs. USIA's and result in a funding level $30 million below the FY 1993 appropriation. The
rescission would result in elimination of 2400 grants from the 9800 funded for FY
1994 and would affect all programs, including Fulbright exchanges, International
Visitor and Citizen Exchanges and Congressionally earmarked projects. The rescission
would be exceedingly harmful to USIA's efforts in the former Soviet Union, the new
democracies of Eastern Europe, and in developing countries in Asia and Africa to
promote democracy and understanding of American culture and institutions.
Legal Services Corporation................... Sec. 2156/-$20,000,000... Yes........... No............ The reduction would cut deeply into the Congressional objective of equalizing funding
among local programs to address the 16% growth in the poverty population during the
1980's. Local programs experienced huge increases in eligible client population in
Texas, California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, and many other states. The cut would
also: completely eliminate the cost of living adjustment provided all programs in the
FY '94 Act; and freeze funding for 105 programs (37 percent of the total).
Small Business Administration................ Sec. 2158/-$13,100,000... No............ Yes........... This provision would rescind all FY 1994 funds appropriated to SBA for Congressional
add-ons to enhance small business development and job creation at specific
localities. Of the $13.1 million proposed for rescission, $2.3 million is for
ongoing, multi-year projects which would be seriously disrupted if the rescission
were enacted. The total list of projects is:
$175,000 for a grant to the Ben Franklin Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to
assist small businesses to qualify for and participate in the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) program;
$750,000 for a grant to the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center for the
North Carolina Small Business Capital Access Program to provide financial development
assistance to small businesses;
$500,000 for a grant to the Van Emmons Population, Marketing Analysis Center in
Towanda, Pennsylvania, for continuation of an integrated small business data base to
aid Appalachian Region small businesses;
$1,000,000 for a grant to the City of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, for small business
development assistance;
$680,000 for a grant to the State of Nebraska for a statewide small business data base
to facilitate the development of small businesses in rural communities;
$100,000 for a grant to the Institute for Economic Development, Western Kentucky
University to provide small business consulting services for senior citizens;
$5,000,000 for a grant for a National Center for Genome Resources in New Mexico to
provide consulting assistance, information and related activities to small
businesses;
$1,000,000 for a grant to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the
Genesis small business incubator facility;
$1,000,000 for a grant to the WVHTC Foundation in West Virginia for build out,
equipment and operations costs for a small business incubator facility;
$300,000 for a grant to the Economic Development Council of Paducah, Kentucky, to
assist in the development of a small business incubator facility;
$250,000 for a grant to Grant County, West Virginia, to establish a small business
development fund to provide financial assistance to small businesses and grants; and
Grants for the following continuing activities at the level designated for these
activities under the heading in Public Law 102-395: Hazard Community College in
Hazard, Kentucky, to assist in the development of a small business consulting,
information and assistance facility; Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pennsylvania,
to provide for a small business consulting and assistance center for entrepreneurial
opportunity; the University of Central Arkansas to assist the Small Business
Institute Program of the Small Business Administration to establish and operate a
National Data Center; and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center, University of Northern
Iowa for a demonstration program to assist small business in complying with Federal
regulatory requirements (Total, $2,345,000.)
Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration:
1. Elimination of Weather Office Closure Sec. 2151/-$20,000,000... Yes........... No............ The proposed rescission and the accompanying repeal of NWS certification would delay
Certification Procedures. ongoing National Weather Service modernization efforts. In FY 1994 only $1M would be
saved by eliminating the office certification requirement. The Weather Service would
either: (1) furlough all staff for up to 22 days--clearly unacceptable to public
safety; or (2) delay opening up to 19 weather forecasting offices currently planned
for staffing in FY 1994 in: Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Wyoming, California, Washington and Hawaii.
However, DOC estimates that the legislative repeal could result in outyear savings of
$50 million (BA) during 1995-2001.
2. Privatize NOAA Research Fleet......... Sec. 2152/-$77,064,000... Yes........... No............ Proposal eliminates all FY '94 funds for NOAA fleet maintenance, repair (including
emergency repair) and modernization. This rescission eliminates funding for
construction of a new ship in Louisiana and Mississippi, and all additional funds for
planning and monitoring NOAA's fleet requirements and/or privatization efforts. Some
vessels would be laid up and their crews furloughed. Depending on the availability of
FY 1995 funding, the entire fleet could be tied up at a loss of 4000 days at sea,
seriously impacting the production of navigational charts, fisheries management and
ocean research.
3. Rescind Funds for NOAA Add-Ons........ Sec. 2153/(1) NOAA Yes (-$71.3M). Yes (-$6M).... This proposal would eliminate funding provided over the budget request for certain
Operations, Research and NOAA line items, possibly including: Elimination of expanded Coastal Zone Management
Facilities, -$37.8 program; curtail Non-point pollution monitoring; and termination of National Undersea
million. Research Center Program (NURP). RIFs of personnel associated with these various
programs and activities could also occur.
(2) NOAA Construction, - Yes (-$29.8M). Yes (-$4M).... This rescission reduces NOAA support for Columbia River fish hatchery maintenance,
$15.8 million. delays acquisition of land for National Estuarine Research Reserves, and reduces
maintenance and facility repairs at fishery laboratories.
(3) Aircraft Procurement, Yes (-$43M)... No............ Reduces by half funding for new hurricane reconnaissance aircraft. Delaying the
-$21.4 million. acquisition of this aircraft will result in additional outyear spending since the
existing P-3 ``hurricane hunters'' built in 1973 will require replacement aircraft
before the turn of the century based on current rate of operations.
Economic Development Administration/EDA...... Sec. 2154/-$125 million.. Yes (-$159.9M) No............ This rescission would eliminate all remaining funds for Public Works grants, thus
shutting down the program until next year. Up to 250 grants for projects designed to
relieve unemployment (average grant amount: $500K) would not be made. Also, $15
million in Title IX Economic Adjustment grants would not be made.
National Telecommunications and Information Sec. 2155/-$15 million... Yes (-$24M)... No............ This rescission and the accompanying repeal PTFP authorization would result in a
Administration/Public Telecommunications reduction of 60 percent of the program for FY 1994 and essentially shut down the
Facilities Grants. program for the rest of the year, eliminating funding for new-to-service coverage for
Public TV and radio as well as the replacement and modernization of public
telecommunications facilities.
National Institute of Standards and Tech./ Sec. 2159/-$100 million.. No............ No............ Approximately 100 grants to private sector and academic consortia would not be made.
Advanced Technology Program. Only 89 of 1000 applications have been funded to date. This program is a major
Administration and Congressional initiative to support economic recovery and
competitiveness of U.S industry abroad.
Rescission of Funds for Administrative Sec. 2603.
Overhead.
(2) Dept. of Commerce.................... -$32,960,000............. No............ No............ A cut of this amount would result in the inability of various Commerce agencies to
carry out their duties and activities required by statute. Specific impacts would
include: no additional printing and distribution of Census materials from the 1990
decennial census and ongoing periodic censuses; reduced monthly and quarterly
economic and statistical reports; severe reductions in field maintenance of Weather
Service equipment; reduced commerce participation in international trade
negotiations; and reduced enforcement of export controls. Also, a reduction of this
magnitude from these object classes will severely impact the Department's ability to
reprogram funds to cover locality pay requirements.
(5) Dept. of Justice..................... -$133,790,000............ No............ No............ A $133.8 million reduction in administrative overhead for the Department of Justice
would have a significant effect on the Department's ability to perform its important
criminal justice functions. The Justice Department is already being forced to reduce
programs by $162 million in order to absorb unfunded locality pay increases in FY
1994. This rescission will further impact critical Justice programs, as follows:
Travel and transportation cuts will halt the hiring of the 66 new Border Patrol agents
since the Department will be unable to train the new agents; will reduce the ability
of the Marshals Service to transport criminals and illegal aliens, and will
effectively halt the FBI's initiative to move Washington headquarters agents back to
field offices;
Cuts in contract services will reduce the availability of contract detention space
resulting in unacceptable and unsafe overcrowding of prisoners;
Cuts in supplies and contract services will reduce the availability of medical care to
Federal prisoners, and supply/material cuts would reduce the funds available for
gasoline and maintenance of FBI/DEA vehicles and for ammunition for all law
enforcement personnel.
(7) Dept. of State....................... -$43,220,000............. No............ No............ This rescission would cut 15 percent of the funds appropriated for these activities
for FY 1994. This proposal, if enacted, would have a devastating impact on the
Department's ability to maintain vital post operations, particularly in remote and
undeveloped areas of the world; to conduct travel of the President and the Secretary
of State and supporting staff; to conduct international negotiations; to deliver
passport services to American citizens; to meet statutory requirements to publish and
distribute foreign policy and international treaty information; and to manage the
Department's conduct of diplomatic activities.
Specifically, the rescission would significantly delay printing and issuing of
passports for American citizens; curtail travel by the President and the Secretary of
State necessary for the conduct of our foreign relations as well as all other State
Department official travel necessary for the conduct of international negotiations on
nuclear non-proliferation and other vital issues; eliminate supplies and materials
required for overseas post operations, including vital security and medical supplies
to maintain the health and safety of U.S. Government employees, and fuel, repair
parts, and generating equipment required at various posts in ``hardship areas''. In
addition, cuts of this magnitude in these administrative areas would have a major
impact on the Department's ability to absorb its locality pay requirements.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE AND STATE SUBCOMMITTEE: ACCOUNTS AND AMOUNTS IN THE AMENDMENT PACKAGE THAT WERE IN H.R. 3511--NONE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois [Mr. Yates].
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, may I ask the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Kasich] or the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Penny], is it their
intention to do away completely with the Strategic petroleum Reserve
account?
Mr. KASICH. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. YATES. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. KASICH. Madam Chairman, the answer is no.
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, with their amendment, they are doing away
with it. This amendment would rescind all unobligated balances,
approximately $323 million, from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
account.
This would end all oil acquisition. It would take away the money
necessary to withdraw oil in the event of an emergency.
Mr. KASICH. Madam Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield,
all this does is rescind the unobligated balance of this account as of
the date of enactment. That does not do away with the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve. It just said that that we have not obligated yet we
do not need to spend at this point.
We are not giving away the whole project, Madam Chairman.
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, they have the oil in the ground, but they
do not have any money, if this amendment goes through, to take that oil
out of the ground.
Mr. KASICH. Madam Chairman, we are not. The Strategic Petroleum
Reserve will still continue to exist. What we are saying is, and it is
filled, we are filling it on a regular basis. We are saying, those
monies that have been appropriated but not yet obligated for more oil
does not need to be used at this point. We can get back to doing more
filling come next year to help us pay. We are not doing away with it.
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, I point out to the gentleman that he is
eliminating a source of money that would be necessary to be able to
withdraw the oil from the ground, as was the situation that existed
during the gulf war. He is going to do away with the money that is
necessary to deal with the question of high temperatures, which is
jeopardizing the oil in the ground and has to be corrected.
We will not have the money for that. He is doing away with the money
that is necessary to extend the life of existing storage facilities.
I do not think that was the intention of his amendment, but that is
going to be the effect of his amendment.
This amendment is created by guess and by gosh. It hits the Interior
and Related Agencies appropriation particularly hard. Out of the $13
billion 1994 appropriation, at least $617 million would be eliminated,
or nearly 5 percent. And for the most part it comes in areas where the
Congress has already made significant reductions or in areas where
programmatically it makes no sense.
reduction to overhead accounts
The amendment reduces so called overhead accounts in the Department
of the Interior by $94,450,000. While it seems simple, lets look at
what this money buys.
Travel money allows Minerals Management Services auditors to travel
to make audits to assure that royalty payments are accurately paid. A
travel reduction will ultimately reduce revenues for the Federal
treasury.
Office of Surface Mining inspectors must travel to enforce the
Surface Mining Act. Does this mean we don't want the law enforced?
If printing is reduced, the National Park Service would have to limit
the availability of park brochures for visitors, brochures which have
vital information for visitor safety and resource protection in the
parks. Cutting printing also hurts the agencies ability to communicate
their research to the public. Here I include Geological Survey maps and
the results of earthquake and volcano research.
The amendment would reduce supplies and materials but many of the
Department's program responsibilities are heavily dependent on supplies
and materials. For example, school supplies for Indian children, and
materials necessary to operate and maintain public facilities and roads
in parks and other recreation areas.
I would also point out, that for fiscal year 1994 the President
proposed and the Congress agreed to a $42 million reduction in these
areas.
strategic petroleum reserve petroleum account
The amendment would rescind all unobligated balances, approximately
323 million. This would end all oil acquisition and take away the money
necessary to withdraw oil in the event of an emergency. It would also
eliminate a source of money to alleviate problems with high
temperatures and gas in currently stored oil and for upgrading and
extending the life of existing storage facilities.
land and water conservation fund rescissions
This amendment proposes a 50 percent reduction to the fiscal year
1994 appropriation for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Why? To
bow to the god of deficit reduction. But let us look at why we are in
the business of land acquisition.
First of all, there are individual citizens who own land within
authorized boundaries of our parks, our forests, and our refuges. If
these people want to sell, the Federal Government is the only buyer. If
the Federal Government can't buy, for lack of money, we are punishing
these private landowners who want or have to sell.
Another reason we buy and exchange land is to consolidate holdings to
improve management of our Federal lands. In some cases, through the
exchange process, land management agencies are able to obtain lands
which are adjacent to existing holdings in exchange for lands that are
isolated parcels. As a result there are efficiencies gained which help
us protect resource values.
We also buy land to protect critical habitat for endangered species;
to preserve wetlands; to preserve cultural resources and to preserve
natural resources.
Of the $900 million authorized for the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, less than 30 percent was appropriated, or $254,277,000 for fiscal
year 1994. And the 1994 appropriation is less than the 1993
appropriation of $286,084,000, an 11 percent reduction.
U.S. Geological Survey
The amendment would reduce the U.S. Geological Survey by $30 million
in a supplemental which is providing up to $15 million in additional
funds for this agency which plays the predominant role in research and
investigation of earthquakes such as the very one which is the main
reason for this supplemental appropriation. What sense does it make to
give with one hand and take away with the other? The reduction will
also result in delays in the recently begun national water quality
assessment, modernization of mapping systems which could reduce the
time and manpower necessary to provide the Government's mapping needs,
and hazards reduction programs related to earthquakes, landslides, and
volcanic eruptions.
Minerals Management Service
The amendment would decrease the Minerals Management Service by $20
million which amounts to over 10 percent of the $193 million
appropriation for the MMS in fiscal year 1994.
The MMS is responsible for the royalty management program within the
Department of the Interior. What this means is the MMS manages the
collection and auditing of all the rents and royalties associated with
onshore and offshore oil and gas and other minerals development on
Federal lands. This program is expected to generate $6 billion in
revenues to the Federal Treasury and to the States and Indian tribes in
fiscal year 1994.
A decrease in the MMS budget will not save money, it will cost the
Federal Treasury and the States in the lost revenue. A decrease of $20
million would result in severe downsizing of the royalty collection and
auditing programs. There is a statute of limitations on the length of
time the MMS can wait before it initiates an audit. If the audit
program is downsized, less audits will be initiated. Revenues not only
will be lost in the short term, audits that are not begun before the
statute of limitations runs out will result in the permanent loss of
revenues, not only to the Federal Government but also to the States and
the Indian tribes.
For each $1 million reduction to the MMS royalty management program,
at least $20 million would be lost in revenues. Thus, a reduction of
$20 million in the MMS Program would result in lost revenues of $400
million.
National Biological Survey
The amendment proposes to rescind $20 million from the new National
Biological Survey, 12 percent of this agency's budget. This new agency
was formed in an effort to solve natural resource problems before they
reach a crisis stage such as we are experiencing in the Pacific
Northwest. The northern spotted owl and various salmon species are in
trouble there and have caused economic disruption because we were slow
to recognize the danger signs. With the National Biological Survey we
want to take steps to mitigate these problems before the economic
confrontation stage is reached. It is short-sighted to take away a
minimal investment to avoid economic problems similar to those we face
in the Pacific Northwest.
Smithsonian Institution
The amendment provides for a rescission of $6.8 million to an
appropriation already at the 1993 level. The Smithsonian receives $76
million from private sources with little opportunity to expand income.
The amendment would lead to the closing of museum galleries or
reduction in hours open to the public and closing of the National Zoo
to the public 1 day a week.
National Gallery of Art
The amendment also provides for a rescission of $1 million to the
National Gallery of Art. Under the terms of the gift to the United
States of the National Gallery buildings and its original collections,
the National Gallery cannot charge entrance fees and would have
difficulty in adding to the $12 million in private funds it already
receives on an annual basis.
national endowment for the arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is everyone's favorite whipping
boy when it comes to reductions. But, not everyone realizes the degree
to which the Arts Endowment has already taken budget reductions. The
fiscal year 1994 appropriation is already $4,365,000 below the
President's request for the National Endowment for the Arts; it is
$4,365,000 below the amount this House authorized for 1994; it is
already $4,232,000 below the fiscal year 1993 level; and if the
Congress had kept pace with inflation since 1981, the appropriation for
the arts would have been $261 million. But the Congress has not done
that. The fiscal year 1994 appropriation is $170 million, $91 million
below what would be needed to deliver the same program level as was
available in 1981. This means that the Arts Endowment's ability to
provide grants to States and local jurisdictions is already reduced by
more than one-third of what it was in 1981.
EMERGENCY EARTHQUAKE SUPPLEMENTAL PENNY/KASICH OFFSET INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 1994 Proposed Percent
Agency/account enacted rescission reduction
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau of Land Management:
Land acquisition....................................... 12,122,000 6,061,000 50
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Land acquisition....................................... 82,655,000 41,327,000 50
National Biological Survey:
Research, inventories, and surveys..................... 163,519,000 20,000,000 12
National Park Service:
Land acquisition and State assistance.................. 95,250,000 30,000,000 31
U.S. Geological Survey:
Surveys, investigations, and research.................. 584,685,000 30,000,000 5
Minerals Management Service:
Leasing and royalty management......................... 193,197,000 20,000,000 10
Bureau of Mines:
Mines and Minerals..................................... 169,436,000 10,000,000 6
Department of the Interior:
General Reduction...................................... 0 94,450,000 ...........
----------------------------------------------------
Total, Department of the Interior.................. .................. 251,838,000 ...........
====================================================
Forest Service:
Land acquisition....................................... 64,250,000 32,125,000 50
Department of Energy:
SPR Petroleum Account.................................. .................. 318,800,000 100
Smithsonian Institution:
Salaries and Expenses.................................. 302,349,000 6,047,000 2
Construction & Improvements, Zoo....................... 5,400,000 108,000 2
Repair and Restoration of Buildings.................... 24,000,000 480,000 2
Construction........................................... 10,400,000 208,000 2
----------------------------------------------------
Total, Smithsonian................................. 342,149,000 6,843,000 ...........
====================================================
National Gallery of Art:
Salaries and Expenses.................................. 51,908,000 1,038,000 2
Repair and Restoration of Buildings.................... 2,831,000 57,000 2
----------------------------------------------------
Total, National Gallery............................ 54,739,000 1,095,000 ...........
====================================================
National Endowment for the Arts:
Grants and Administration.............................. 140,836,000 2,817,000 2
Matching Grants........................................ 29,392,000 588,000 2
----------------------------------------------------
Total, NEA......................................... 170,228,000 3,405,000 ...........
====================================================
National Endowment for the Humanities:
Grants and Administration.............................. 151,300,000 3,026,000 2
Matching Grants........................................ 26,191,000 524,000 2
----------------------------------------------------
Total, NEH......................................... 177,491,000 3,550,000 ...........
====================================================
Grand total........................................ .................. 617,656,000 ...........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California [Mr. Condit].
Mr. CONDIT. Madam Chairman, no matter what the outcome of this is
today, I come from California. And I think it is the responsible thing
for us to do, is to vote to give funds for relief to California and the
victims of the earthquake.
I think that is the responsible position, and the four of us who
coauthored this amendment today intend to do just that.
There is really no good choice here today. There is no perfect
solution to this. But what we are proposing here today is a responsible
solution, and the solution that we are proposing simply means that we
pay as we go.
We have heard a lot of discussion today about, we are going to take
programs away from other States or we are going to eliminate certain
amounts of money from a program and other people are going to get hurt
from other areas. Well, the choice we have is to either do the
responsible thing by making the cut in the Federal budget or deferring
to the national debt, putting that off to a later date. And we have
done that plenty around here.
It is sort of ``out of sight, out of mind,'' just add it to the debt.
We believe what we are proposing today is a responsible approach to
disaster relief funds.
Let me tell Members, everything on that list they have voted either
for or against in Penny-Kasich, with the exception of the cuts to
foreign aid. There is nothing new on that list.
For those Members who supported Penny-Kasich, they ought to be able
to support this in a breeze. Should be no work for them at all.
The process is flawed. We need to do something different about
disaster relief. We need to make changes.
One thing we have done today is to focus on that, that we need to pay
as we go. We need to have set-asides, because it is inevitable, we are
going to continue to have disasters around the country. That is
unfortunate, but that is going to occur. We need to have a process that
we can pay for it as we go, and that is what we are doing today.
I ask Members to support this amendment.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Stokes].
Mr. STOKES. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the
offsetting amendment.
This amendment would adversely affect a number of programs under the
VA-HUD Subcommittee's jurisdiction.
Part of the amendment would reduce the funds available for salary
costs in 1994 by $1.575 billion. The amendment would also reduce
administrative expenses by $1.8 billion--including $143 million from
VA.
This part of the amendment is similar to the one offered by Mr.
Myers. But it is really more devastating because the reduction in
salary funds proposed for rescission more than doubles--from $750
million to $1.575 billion.
The agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction--and I think this
is true for most of the Federal agencies--did not receive any
additional 1994 funds for the so-called locality pay increase. Those
costs are being absorbed. In the VA's medical care account, for
instance, the cost of locality pay is approximately $130 million.
I received a letter this morning from VA Secretary Jessie Brown--and
I mentioned this during debate on the Myers amendment--stating that an
amendment of this impact would have a disastrous impact. He indicated
that a proportional reduction in the salary rescission would equate to
$160 million and that would result in a reduction of 3,300 FTE. Since
the Defense Department is now exempted--and it was not exempted in an
early version--the reduction for VA would exceed $300 million equating
to over 6,000 employees. By the time this would be implemented we would
be halfway through the year, that would equate to a reduction of more
than 12,000 employees. That will result in 20,000 fewer inpatients
receiving treatment and 400,000 fewer outpatient visits.
Madam Chairman, it is not fair to reduce medical treatment for
veterans to help pay for the much needed assistance in southern
California.
I urge the defeat of the amendment.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, here we go again, with all the wild
charges Members put out on the street. Just to give an example of one
comment made earlier, all we are doing with the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve is reducing it from 20,000 barrels a day to 13,000 barrels a
day. All of a sudden, everybody feels all sorts of pain over that. I
cannot believe it.
Madam Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to my friend and colleague, the
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Kasich].
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. KASICH. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, the gentleman's figures are correct,
except that that was done by our Committee on Appropriations. It will
not be done by the gentleman.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. KASICH. I yield to the gentleman from Iowa.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, then it should not hurt at all.
Mr. YATES. Madam Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield,
on the contrary. The gentleman is eliminating funding for taking the
oil out of the ground, should an emergency arise, and also he will do
away with the funding to correct the heating conditions.
Mr. KASICH. Madam Chairman, let me, first of all, again, compliment
my colleagues on the Democrat side, the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr.
Penny] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Condit], who have taken
some heat on this, and the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Nussle], who
basically was tied to a bumper on the back of a car and dragged around
his district because he decided that we needed to be responsible, when
he had a flood that affected his district.
Now we have come back, and we have got the gentleman from California
[Mr. Condit] involved. He is not having a good day either.
But I want to tell Members that the vote we are going to have is
nothing new. First of all, none of the entitlement programs that were
in Penny-Kasich are contained in here. We use discretionary cuts or
slow the increase in discretionary spending to offset the earthquake
aid.
We hear about this $180 billion deficit that the President talked
about. The deficit for this fiscal year is coming in at $235 billion.
The 180 billion is a projection. I hope that is where we end up.
But even if we get to 180 billion in deficits, that is not a reason
to pop the champagne corks, because the national debt is going up 38
percent.
{time} 1640
There is a 38-percent increase in the national debt, and we all know
it is future generations that will pay for this. Let us kind of get to
the bottom line in terms of this amendment. We are not devastating any
programs. Penny-Kasich, in and of itself, only cut a penny on a dollar
over 5 years. This is a tiny little nick. This is a tiny little nick in
the massive increase in Federal spending.
I want to tell the Members what I am most concerned about here today.
It is kind of a constant murmur that is going on throughout the House.
I think we have to think about it as we are headed over here to cast
our vote on paying for this program.
Let me tell the Members what it is. The murmur goes something like
this: ``I am not going to vote. I am not going to vote to nick any
spending in my district, to send to those people out there in
California.''
I say to my colleague, the gentleman from California and I say this
not for the purpose of debate, but to make the point to him, can he
imagine that there is a murmur among some of our colleagues who say,
``Hey, I am not going to let my district be affected to send anything
to help those people out there in California.''
Let me say, that may be human nature, but that is not the American
spirit. Do the Members know what the American spirit is? When
somebody's barn blows down, we do not go and plow our own fields the
next day. We saddle up the horse, and we go over to their barn. Do the
Members know what we do? We raise their barn, together with our
neighbors.
When the flood wiped my mother's family out, many years ago in McKees
Rocks, PA, the neighbors came in and said, ``What can we do to help
you?''
In my neighborhood of Westerville, when a neighbor gets sick or when
somebody dies in the neighborhood, do the Members know what we do? We
stop our routine, we tighten our belt, and we say to those neighbors,
``What can we do to help you?'' That is what we are talking about here
on this vote.
We are not talking about anything other than saying, all of America
saying to the people in California, the son of the gentleman from
California [Mr. Dellums], his condo was wiped out in California. What I
want to say to my colleague, Mr. Dellums, I want to say, ``I am ready
to stand up with the people from central Ohio and all over this country
in the time of your tragedy, and I am willing to nick, I am willing to
nick some of the programs that we have out there to slow the increase
in growth of these programs, to help you, because that is the American
way. We tighten our belts, we hike up our pants, and we say to those
who have been bit by tragedy, ``We want to pitch in to help you.'' That
is what this vote is all about. It is part of what may be wrong a
little bit with our country.
They say that out in California when the earthquake hit, the people
left their homes and they went to run next door to their neighbors, to
visit their neighbors, and they found out that they did not know who
their neighbors were.
This is the beginning of leadership by this Congress, to say to the
American people, ``We want to pitch in and help you. We don't want to
saddle future generations with a bigger national debt and make somebody
else pay.''
I would say to the Members, come on, let us come to the floor. Let us
come up with the $10 billion that we have provided in a package that
Members have already voted for, either in the so-called Penny-Kasich
amendment or in the so-called Sabo amendment. The only difference is
some foreign aid we have cut back, and slowing some Federal land
acquisition.
Come to the floor and let us make a good decision here to help the
people of California, a vote that helps future generations, and one
that provides some leadership for the way we ought to be to our
neighbors, no matter where they live in this country.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Pennsylvania [Ms. Margolies-Mezvinsky].
Ms. MARGOLIES-MEZVINSKY. Madam Chairman, this has been a difficult
winter for many people, from the citizens of California whose lives
were devastated by the California earthquake to people who, for lack of
money, cannot afford to heat their homes during the cold snap in the
East.
Fornuately, Americans are generous.
Today, we are debating how our Government can help. And we should
help. But, just as many people are facing a catastrophe because of
these natural causes, the American people face another type of
catastrophe, a budget catastrophe.
The natural catastrophe we cannot control; the budget catastrophe we
not only control, but we have created. Unless we make the difficult
decisions today, we only hasten the onset of something far worse
tomorrow.
For that reason, I ask all of my colleagues to support this
amendment. Let us help the victims of this winter's natural disasters,
while also supporting our children and our grandchildren by not
burdening them with additional debt.
Let us pass this important aid, but do it in a fiscally responsible
manner. Support the Penny-Kasich amendment.
Mr. NATCHER. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama [Mr.
Bevill].
(Mr. BEVILL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BEVILL. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this
amendment. This amendment makes significant reductions to many existing
programs and activities throughout the Government.
Most of the provisions in this amendment have not had the benefit of
public hearings. We have seen no testimony, heard no witnesses, and
have had no discussions among the members of the impact on many of
these programs.
This amendment contains a number of items under the jurisdiction of
my Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. For example, the
amendment includes a proposal to reduce the Department of Energy's
magnetic fusion program by $70 million. A reduction of that size would
paralyze the domestic fusion research and development program and
seriously jeopardize the international program involving Russia,
Europe, Japan, and the United States. The proposed reduction would be a
serious threat to this program's ability to provide a safe,
environmentally attractive, inexhaustible and competitively priced
source of energy for our future.
This amendment also includes a proposed rescission of $138,289,000
for Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation projects which would
jeopardize funding for any project in the corps' general investigations
and construction, general programs and the Bureau's construction
program that did not meet the criteria established by the amendment.
The criteria would have the effect of removing the Congress from the
decision making process on individual Corps of Engineers and Bureau of
Reclamation projects, and permit the executive branch to make the
determination if a project will move forward or stop. The criteria is
written so broadly that it would permit the administration to withhold
funding for a project even if that project is underway, is authorized,
is economically justified, and is being cost-shared as required by law
simply because it does not meet certain policies of the corps and/or
OMB.
While the amendment does not specify which projects will be
terminated, it could jeopardize funding for almost 100 projects
included in our fiscal year 1994 appropriations bill.
Madam Chairman, we rejected these proposals last November and we
should reject them again. I urge all my colleagues to vote ``no'' on
this amendment.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Tennessee [Mr. Duncan].
Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Chairwoman, this amendment has many good features.
It reduces funds going to the World Bank by $28 million.
It reduces foreign military aid by $26 million.
It reduces the ICC by $10 million. I do not know anyone the ICC
helps, other than those who work for it.
It reduces land acquisition funds by $189 million. The Federal
Government owns almost one third of our land already, and cannot even
take good care of what it now has.
Most of the savings, over $1.5 billion, come from the 252,000
reduction in Federal employees which has been advocated by President
Clinton himself.
Almost all of these reductions are things that the overwhelming
majority of our constituents would reduce or cut if given the chance to
do so.
However, I need to mention one specific reduction.
The amendment reduces the amount for new Federal buildings by $160
million.
Former Mayor Koch of New York said this in a recent column:
The federal government is nutty. Given the collapse of the
commercial real estate market, vacancy rates are in the
double digits in many cities, as high as 25 percent in New
York City. So why is the federal government building new
federal office buildings in Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York
and elsewhere to house government agencies instead of renting
or purchasing existing space? It brings to mind the old line,
``I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.
This is a relatively small cut percentagewise.
We need to build some buildings--but we do not need some of the
lavish ones we are building.
{time} 1650
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan [Mr. Carr].
(Mr. CARR of Michigan asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. CARR of Michigan. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for
yielding the time.
Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. I was
interested in the remarks of the gentleman from Ohio, and I have been
listening to his speeches for a long time, and the more he talks the
better he gets. But in this particular case, rather than giving a good
speech, which he did, I think we ought to examine the content.
We all that Americans are very charitable, and to help our neighbors
who are in distress we do in fact suck it up, tighten our belt and
voluntarily sacrifice so that they can be made whole. That, however, is
not what this amendment is all about. This amendment is about requiring
the Congress and the Federal Government to tell people not that they
are going to volunteer their resources to help someone else, but they
are going to be forced to sacrifice for someone else.
In the Department of Transportation, this amendment has some dire
consequences for the average working American in this country. For
example, it includes $250 million from the transit operating expenses.
That equates to 46 percent of the unobligated balance remaining in the
operating subsidy account. Los Angeles has requested $57 million from
the transit administration for operating assistance, and if that is
approved, the remaining operating assistance not yet obligated would
have to be cut by 52 percent.
Further, cities like Boston and Minneapolis, which have already
received their operating assistance funding for the year, would be
exempt from the cuts. So Minneapolis and Boston would not be in the
mode of forced sacrifice.
But there are other cities that are not so fortunate.
Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The amendment would reduce funding available to agencies and
activities funded in the Transportation Appropriations Act by more than
$1 billion. Of that amount, nearly $700 million has already been
rescinded by H.R. 3511. That legislation will be offered as an
amendment to this bill by Mr. Fazio. I support those reductions. It is
the additional $500 to $600 million of the Nussle amendment that is so
troublesome.
It includes $250 million from transit operating expenses. This
equates to 46 percent of the unobligated balance remaining in the
operating subsidy account. Los Angeles has requested $57 million from
the Federal Transit Administration for operating assistance. If that is
approved, the remaining operating assistance not yet obligated would
have to be cut by 52 percent. Cities like Boston and Minneapolis that
have already received all their operating assistance funding for the
year would be exempt from cuts. Others would not be so fortunate. The
Chicago area could lose $26 million. Detroit could lose $11 million.
San Francisco, $6 million. I have a list that shows the effect of the
$250 million reduction for all affected communities. And it is not just
large cities. Tucson would lose nearly $1 million. Davenport-Rock
Island would lose more than $500,000.
In areas under 200,000 in population where Federal operating
assistance averages 20 percent of the total operating expenses, a 52-
percent cut would probably result in at least a 20-percent reduction in
service. Some systems might be forced to close totally for a period of
time. The economic and social disruptions caused by such a cut in
service would be enormous.
The amendment would also reduce administrative expenses of the
Department of Transportation by $265 million. But the wording of the
amendment would cut much more than just true administrative expenses.
Major acquisition programs of the Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation
Administration would be included. Items that could be reduced or
eliminated include aids to navigation, aircraft parts and weather
observation equipment. Other items that would be subject to reduction
include communications contracts of the FAA, which would directly
affect the safety and efficiency of the air traffic control system.
Throughout the government, I am sure there would be many more such
instances. I can't believe that is the intent of the gentleman's
amendment.
The gentleman's amendment also would reduce funding for civilian
personnel expenses by $1.6 billion. Apparently, this is supposed to
represent the 1994 part of the 252,000 employee reduction. For fiscal
year 1994, however, those cuts have already been made. Thus, the
gentleman's amendment would take that money twice, resulting in further
personnel reductions. For the Department of Transportation, this would
mean an additional reduction of approximately $90 million. Coming at
this time in the year, such a reduction would be extremely disruptive,
probably necessitating a major reduction in force.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Indiana [Mr. Roemer].
(Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ROEMER. Madam Chairman, this is a tough choice. This is a very
difficult vote. This is a $20 billion problem since I was elected in
1991, and if this passes, we will have had $20 billion roughly go for
disaster assistance, drought assistance, Midwest flood, L.A. riots,
Chicago flood, hurricanes in Florida, Louisiana, and Hawaii. It could
be another $20 billion in the next 4 years. So I encourage the Members
to carefully consider the importance of this vote.
I have worked diligently with the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr.
Penny] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Kasich], and I respect them
both deeply. I have worked against rules to defeat budgets that I think
are over budget, worked against the advanced solid rocket motor, and
the space station, and I will continue to do so because we have done
much on the deficit, but much much more needs to be done.
But I hear my colleagues, when I voted for Penny-Kasich of $90
billion in cuts, say this is the same thing. It is not the same thing.
it is not close to the same thing. It is not close to the same thing.
This is very different, and it is different in a simple way. Penny-
Kasich had a shared sacrifice, a shared benefit for deficit reduction
which was good for everybody. This is targeted sacrifice, it is
targeted benefit, and it will create other disasters if we set this
precedent for policy.
If we cut billions of dollars from Chicago, which is not in my
district, for community development block grants and education, and we
vote for, and I will vote for a tough crime bill, we will be taking the
preventive measures away from these children.
I encourage Members before they vote today to look at the third page
of the Washington Post and the Chicago papers and see that in America,
not Calcutta, 19 children were fighting for food with rats and lice.
This is a tough choice. But make sure that we keep our money in for
prevention. Do not vote for this amendment. Let us look for a long-term
solution.
I have not been happy with the Speaker's lack of progress on
appointing a committee. He finally appointed the gentleman from
Illinois [Mr. Durbin], and the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Emerson].
And I hope he appoints the rest of the committee today. I hope we look
not just at FEMA, but at a long-term solution for the budget, and a
long-term solution for making ways that we pay for this.
I have asked the Speaker for a letter, and he has given me his
assurances on many of these things. But politics, ladies and gentlemen,
is about tough choices. Do not let anybody tell you that the tough
choice is Penny-Kasich. The tough choice is making sure that we come up
with a just solution for this very difficult problem.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Fingerhut].
(Mr. FINGERHUT asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FINGERHUT. Madam Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman yielding
the time. The gentleman from Indiana, my good friend, is right. This is
a very difficult vote and a tough choice, but the good news is that
Members do not need to have a long-term memory to understand what is
happening here. They can act on their short-term memory, because this
is the third time in just three years that we have had massive
emergencies that have required us to break our commitments with respect
to spending caps.
I was not happy when I went through the list of cuts that are on this
amendment. Some of them made me smile because I agree with them. Some
of them made me flinch a little bit, and some of them, frankly, made my
stomach tight, understanding that they were on the list. But that is
the essence of tough choices. That is the essence of bipartisanship.
But I think my friend, the gentleman from California [Mr. Condit] had
it right at the beginning when he said that there are no good choices
here today. But the final choice is whether we pay for this emergency
ourselves, or whether we pay for it by asking our children to do so.
I choose to pay for it ourselves.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Florida [Mr. Johnston].
(Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition
to the Penny-Kasich amendment. This amendment would unfairly and
drastically cut U.S. development assistance to Africa, the poorest
continent on Earth. U.S. aid to Africa is already disproportionately
low compared to other parts of the world. To cut assistance further
would be seriously detrimental to all we seek to achieve, both
politically and economically, in Africa.
The proposed $200 million cut in the development fund for Africa, a
25-percent cut, would force termination of many desperately needed
programs such as poverty reduction, child survival, basic education,
and nutrition. I emphasize to Members that this most basic level of
program is at issue. Do we truly want to cut this type of assistance to
a continent stricken by famine, disease, and civil war?
To quote from AID Administrator Brian Atwood's testimony this
morning, Penny-Kasich would be ``devastating for South Africa.'' The
South African election, scheduled for late April, will cap a remarkable
transition from apartheid to nonracial democracy. Yet South Africa will
need immediate assistance to ensure that the enormous transition is
successful. Does this House really want to endanger the future of
nonracial democracy in South Africa?
The American people, even in this anti-foreign-aid atmosphere, know
right from wrong. The American people know morality from its opposite.
The right vote, the moral vote, is to defeat Penny-Kasich. I implore
Members not to inflict yet more suffering on Africa.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my good friend and
colleague, the gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle].
Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Chairman, as a Californian I support the need
for earthquake relief. But as an American, I believe that we must
provide this relief by making offsetting cuts, not by piling on further
debt onto the backs of every man, woman, and child in California and in
the rest of the United States.
{time} 1700
Our national debt is destroying our children's future, and that
threat is a much bigger threat than any of the proposed cuts in the
list offered by our colleagues in the amendment before us. This
amendment starts us off in a new direction by making offsetting cuts.
If we cannot sacrifice by cutting $10 billion in order to provide
earthquake relief, we do not deserve to be here. We need to control our
spending, Madam Chairman. Let us begin here.
I urge approval of this amendment.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois [Mr. Durbin].
Mr. DURBIN. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me
this time.
Madam Chairman, the disasters which we have witnessed in America in
the last 12 months have demonstrated extraordinary acts of courage by
Americans and extraordinary acts of political perfidy by this House of
Representatives.
Today we are debating whether or not we are going to make substantial
cuts in essential services in the Federal Government so that the
victims of the California earthquake, who are looking for shelter and
food, will receive our assistance. Those who argue that they are
showing courage today by putting the fate of these victims on the line,
I think, overstate the case. I think what they are suggesting in terms
of cuts, in terms of essential services, are wrong, dead wrong. To cut
581 employees from the Food and Drugs Administration means, for every
American family within the sound of my voice, we will not see drug
approvals coming through as they should; approvals of medical devices
to help people who are suffering; the inspection of mammography
clinics, and inspection of those laboratories which are life and death
in terms of the future of America's health. That is what we will
sacrifice if the Penny-Kasich amendment passes.
To do that in the name of helping earthquake victims, I think, is
dead wrong. It is morally wrong for us to create this choice. The best
choice is to say that we are going to look at this problem in a
serious, long-term fashion, to take the bipartisan task force which the
Speaker has appointed to deal with disasters and come up with honest
solutions.
The Penny-Kasich approach cuts those agencies in the U.S. Department
of Agriculture which are responsible for helping today's flood victims.
That makes no sense whatsoever.
Please, keep in mind that somewhere in southern California in some
shelter there sits a homeless person watching this debate wondering if
this Congress will ever finish all of this hot air in time to deliver
the kind of assistance they need to put their lives back in order.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield myself 1\1/2\ minutes.
Madam Chairman, I appreciate the observation made by the gentleman
from Illinois. He made a similar observation last summer when he
accused those who wanted to pay for Midwest flood relief with budget
cuts of slowing down flood assistance. In reality, it did not slow down
flood assistance for a single day. Flood assistance money was already
in the pipeline just as earthquake aid. Money is now already on the
ground in California.
This debate will consume only another 20 minutes and will not slow
down by 1 day the needed relief for California victims.
I am also encouraged that the gentleman from Illinois has been named
as a cochairman of the commission to review disaster aid for the
future. But, you know, we have dealt with disasters year after year,
and we always borrow the money. We put it on the national credit card.
This last summer I am convinced that much of the talk about a task
force to deal with disaster assistance was designed to get enough votes
to borrow the money for one more disaster. Now, another disaster is
upon us, and the best we have done is to name cochairmen of a task
force. Evidently, this is designed to get us past one more disaster
package without paying for it.
Sometime in the near future there will be a third disaster. We will
be told at that time that there is an ongoing study by the task force,
and we should not preempt the study, and we will borrow the money one
more time for another disaster.
And somewhere not too much farther down the line, we will have
another disaster, and we will be told that the study is near
completion. And so now is not the time to pay for aid. Wait for the
study to be completed.
My colleagues, now is the time to pay for aid. We have already put
too much on the national credit card.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California [Mr. Berman].
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Chairman, I thank you and I thank the chairman of
the Committee on Appropriations for bringing a bill which has a massive
impact on my district and is the basis on which we who represent the
most impacted congressional districts can turn this terrible disaster
around. I thank you so much. I thank everyone in this House who is
contemplating supporting this bill for helping us at a time of need.
You know, I listened to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] and
others during the floods and the earlier disaster, and I empathized
with what they were going through. I had no idea, I had no idea of the
kind of devastation these things can cause to the people, to the homes,
and to the businesses of a community.
But in 2 short weeks since this event happened, I have seen it in so
many parts of my district impacting so many people who were struggling
at the margins in any event, and I thank all of you, and I have a great
feeling of appreciation for the incredible voluntary movements that
exist in the Red Cross and Salvation Army and the massive help that
FEMA has been.
Anyone who wants to dump on Federal employees and dismiss bureaucrats
ought to watch this operation in action with Federal people coming from
all over the country to provide this assistance.
But I just want to say we have to be accountable for our actions, and
if this amendment were to pass, we are then asking Members of this
body, Congressmen from New York City who are facing a $2 billion
deficit in their city budget, or the Congressman from Cleveland or
Chicago or from any of the rural areas to cut the lifeblood of their
districts, the operating subsidies to their transit systems, the
community development block grants, the rural electrification programs,
the public works projects in their districts to help us. And we cannot
be asking our Members to commit political suicide.
The support for this bill will evaporate if this amendment passes.
You have to look at the consequences of your conduct.
If you care about providing this relief, you must oppose and defeat
this amendment. I urge a no vote.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Kasich].
Mr. KASICH. Madam Chairman, I am trying to remain optimistic about
the institution's ability to someday control spending. But I have got
to tell you that sometimes that optimism tends to fade, because I have
heard just a litany of people talking about how devastating these cuts
are to all of these programs of the Federal Government.
Let us put it in perspective. $10 billion in cuts out of a year's
worth of $500 billion in discretionary spending. Do you know what that
is? Two percent. We are trying to cut discretionary spending over this
fiscal year 2 percent. Do you know what the cut is out of the total
budget of the United States? it is less than 1 percent.
I mean, people are running around here saying, ``The sky is going to
fall. We are not going to have oil. We are not going to be able to have
any crops.''
Hey, folks, are you kidding me? Are you kidding me about what you are
saying on the floor today?
We are going to vote on a balanced-budget amendment, and you are
telling me we cannot cut 1 percent? It is not a cut, a slowdown in the
increase by 1 percent to pay for people who have been hit in an
earthquake.
Man, somebody is not getting the message about what they are saying
out across this country. They want us to act like a family, make some
choices. I mean, you would think we were cutting this budget by 50
percent. We are talking about less than a 1-percent reduction in the
increase in Federal spending to pay for people who got hit by an
earthquake.
That is common sense to pay as you go. This message is depressing to
me, because it brings into question a commitment to even set up an
emergency fund, because an emergency fund would have to set probably 1
percent aside of the whole Federal budget. This is less than 1 percent,
and you are saying no.
I mean, if we are going to set up a fund, we had better be prepared
to step up to the plate and say we want to do something that makes some
good fiscal sense for our country.
Support the Nussle amendment.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California [Mr. Lewis].
Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Chairman, I would like to comment for
just a moment in reflection of the enthusiasm of my colleague who just
spoke.
I cannot help but bring to the attention of the House that we find
ourselves often stumbling over the law of unintended consequences.
That's exactly what we are about to do here.
The Penny-Kasich package of last year was discussed by all of us. It
was a very close vote.
To presume that we can now revisit that in the $9 billion Nussle-
Kasich amendment and do what was intended then is a big mistake. Often,
unintended consequences get in the way.
{time} 1710
For example, in an area that is of great concern to a lot of my
colleagues--controlling our borders--within the proposal that is before
us there is a cut of $45.1 million which was appropriated for the
Border Patrol in the 1994 appropriations budget process. That would
have filled 581 new positions on the Border Patrol. The combination of
new and redeployed agents will result in the presence of 620 additional
Border Patrol agents on the line. INS plans to deploy 350 new agents as
a result of that process. Attorney General Reno intends to announce
tomorrow an enhancement of $368 million in the same area, and $300
million will be used to strengthen the Border Patrol.
If the Nussle-Kasich package is implemented, the rescissions proposed
in that package will result in at least the following additional FTE
cuts above and beyond those already planned: FBI agents, 329 positions
gone; DEA, 91 positions; INS, 174 positions. Because the rescission
will come 6 months into the fiscal year, reductions-in-force will be
impractical. In order to achieve this level of FTE reductions, the
Justice Department will be forced to implement massive furloughs,
resulting in disruption in the whole process regarding Border Patrol
efforts. The Department of Justice will be unable to implement any of
the enhancements provided for them in this Border Patrol planning.
The whole point is that the way you implement this does the wrong
thing in the wrong place at the wrong time. While we speak of innocuous
cuts, this unintended consequence is anything but. This is an emergency
bill, not a time to balance the budget.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
South Carolina [Mr. Inglis].
Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman for yielding this
time to me.
Madam Chairman, this whole debate reminds me of something that a
family does not do; and that is, a family, when it is presented with a
crisis, must figure out a reprioritization of their needs.
Unfortunately, this is not what we are doing here. What we are doing
here reminds me of something that happens in dysfunctional families,
and that is, we have got an alcoholic in the family and we are
supporting that alcoholic's habit by allowing him to continue to drink.
In fact, we are buying the liquor for him.
What we need to do in this House today is end the codependent
relationship with the alcoholic uncle we have got and say to him that
the time has come for us to make the choices. The time is today to cut
spending so that we can afford to pay for the crisis that we have got
in California. We support that crisis aid, we want to offer it, but we
have got to cut the uncle off of the bottle.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California, [Ms. Waters].
Ms. WATERS. I thank the chairman for yielding this time to me.
Madam Chairman, I thank the chairman and all of my colleagues who
have worked so very hard to put this supplemental appropriation
together.
For those of you who speak about the earthquake, you do not really
understand the devastation. Let me point out to you that I spent 3 days
there, 2 days at the epicenter of the earthquake where the building has
fallen one full floor, where lives were lost, where apartment buildings
split, where people are standing on the sidewalks with their children
and their furniture, stunned; where hospitals are evacuated; where
freeways are down. They are hurting.
Some people have lost everything they have. People who thought they
had a home, they did not have insurance, and it is gone. They have no
place to live, and they do not understand why we in Congress would
stand here and blow a lot of smoke about cutting the budget at this
time when they are in crisis.
They expect you to debate that at budget time. They do not mind a
debate about cutting back the budget, but they really are going to
think you are rather mean-spirited to use this crisis as a time to hold
up an appropriation that could help them.
I beg you not to do that. We have had some wonderful help from our
Secretaries Cisneros and Pena, who have been out in California working
hard; let us rise to the occasion and do what they have done, do what
the people need desperately.
Madam Chairman, I ask for an ``aye'' vote.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania [Mr. Foglietta].
Mr. FOGLIETTA. I thank the committee chairman for yielding this time
to me.
Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to the Nussle-
Penny-Kasich amendment.
Madam Chairman, as chairman of the Congressional Urban Caucus, I have
to ask my colleagues offering this amendment today one question. Why?
Why are the majority of proposed offsets targeted at big-city
America?
Mass transit operating funds, transit capital grants, community
development block grants, airport grants, vouchers for new public
housing, and aid to assist communities with defense cutbacks and base
closures. The list goes on.
These are important programs. They provide job training. They provide
housing. The transportation funds move people, goods and services, and
employ thousands.
The legislation we are debating today will help the city of Los
Angeles cope the most costly tragedy America has ever experienced. This
amendment would cripple Los Angeles' recovery even further. And it
would send shock waves to cities across the country.
Let's look at one example: Mass transit funding. Los Angeles has
never been a mass transit city. The terms traffic jam and Los Angeles
are synonyms. L.A.'s commuting times are legendary.
Since the earthquake, people who would have been immobilized by
damage to roads and highways, are able to move with the use of public
transit. Ridership on L.A.'s Metrolink has grown to 30,000 additional
riders daily. The same dependence on mass transit was seen in my city
of Philadelphia and the entire Northeast when we froze because of the
recent cold, snow, and ice. All cities need transit operating help,
now, more than ever.
So, why are the sponsors of the bill proposing to cut transit
funding? And all the other programs that will help L.A.'s residents get
back on their feet?
And what good will this emergency funding really achieve if we create
emergencies in other cities across America?
We all want to reduce the budget deficit. But we must reduce it in a
way that does not hurt cities like L.A. and cripple the programs that
serve them.
Let us reduce the budget in a thoughtful and rational manner.
Let us pass the earthquake aid package without creating aftershocks
in the rest of Urban America.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my friend and
colleague, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Boehner].
Mr. BOEHNER. I thank the gentleman for yielding this time to me.
Madam Chairman and my colleagues, I think it is time to refocus this
debate. This debate is not about whether we are going to give the
compassionate aid which is needed in Los Angeles; it is going to
happen. It is going to happen regardless of what happens on this
amendment.
The aid is going to flow.
This amendment is about whether Congress is going to kick the habit
of giving out aid around America for disasters and then passing the
bill on to our children and our grandchildren. The debate on this
amendment is about whether we are willing to stand up and finally pay
the bill.
For the last 5 years Congress has passed over $20 billion in disaster
assistance, most of that paid for, but simply added to the debt.
There is a lot of talk today about cutting spending, you hear it all
across America, from Members of Congress, that we need to cut
spending--until it comes time to do it. Then we can never find it. We
can never muster up the energy or the courage to say, ``I will take my
share of the cuts.''
Let me remind my colleagues, Christmas is past, it is now time to pay
the bills.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, at this time I yield such time as she
may consume to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Waters].
(Ms. WATERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. WATERS. Madam Chairman, I concluded my previous remarks by asking
for a ``yes'' vote. I did not mean that. I would like to correct that
and ask for a ``no'' vote.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi].
(Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Penny-Kasich
amendment and commend our chairman, the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr.
Natcher, for his swift action and tireless effort on behalf of the
people who are affected by this disaster.
Madam Chairman, I urge a ``no'' vote on Penny-Kasich.
Mr. PENNY. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chairman, this is a familiar debate. We have been down this
road before. We have faced other disaster situations in other regions
of the country. And time and time again we convince ourselves that the
responsible vote is to borrow more money.
For once, we need to challenge ourselves to do what all of America
must do when faced with a crisis within their own family, within their
own community; to do what all charitable groups within America do when
there is a crisis in any part of America. And that is to pay as we go.
In our own family budget, when a crisis hits, we tighten our belts,
we make some choices, and we eliminate some of the niceties in our
family budget so we can focus on the necessity of the current crisis.
When a disaster hits in our community, we stop everything, and all of
us join hands to fight that disaster and to help our neighbors in need.
We make the sacrifice.
When a hurricane hits in Florida, or an earthquake hits in
California, or a flood hits in the Midwest, collectively, as Americans,
we join together and provide the support needed to bring relief to
those who are suffering.
We send contributions to the Red Cross and to the Salvation Army and
to the other private relief organizations. They don't rush in on a
credit card. They rush in to help, and they challenge all of America to
send money so we can finance the needed aid. That is the way America
operates, but that is not the way we operate here in Washington, DC.
Church groups all across America, including my own church, sent
relief groups down to hurricane-stricken southern Florida. My own sons
and I traveled there last Easter break, to spend a week helping to
rebuild that storm-ravaged region. That is the spirit of America.
But that is no longer the spirit that prevails here in the seat of
our National Government. When it comes to a disaster here in America,
we say,
By gosh, send them the money. But don't ask me to
sacrifice. These programs are under my committee's
jurisdiction. I don't want to cut them. Let me provide aid by
borrowing the money. Don't tell me to sacrifice something
within my committee's jurisdiction.
Or we come to the floor and say,
These programs are important to Chicago or New York or
southern Minnesota or Nebraska, and I don't want to tell my
constituents that there is any part of the Federal budget
affecting my district that I am going to cut in order to
provide much needed assistance to a region of the country
that is devastated and suffering severely.
Madam Chairman, this is nonsense to most Americans. They want to see
real leadership. They don't want to see this kind of irresponsible
behavior.
Responsible leadership means making some tough choices. Borrowing
money is never a tough choice. We found that out in the 1980's. We
borrowed too much in the corporate sector; we borrowed too much on
consumer debt. We borrowed ourselves into a recession. And we are now
beginning to build back. This Government of America must strive to set
an example for the rest of America.
This is a small proposition. This aid package is not tremendously
expensive in the context of a $1.5 trillion national budget, and we are
only proposing 70 modest cuts in 70 relatively inconsequential programs
to pay for this earthquake aid.
This is a familiar list of cuts. We have voted on these before, and
many we have adopted before, but they have not yet become the law of
the land.
In the past we have talked about these spending cuts as a way to
reduce the deficit. Today the very least we can do is adopt these
spending cuts as a way of avoiding an addition to the deficit.
Madam Chairman, today is a moment of truth in many respects. The
challenge is whether we will provide the right kind of leadership for
America. When part of America is suffering, all of America is willing
to share the sacrifice. Will we reflect that American spirit here on
the floor of the House? yes or no? I think the answer should be yes. In
order to do that, we must vote for the Nussle amendment.
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia [Mr. Moran].
Mr. MORAN. Madam Chairman, the only way that this amendment can pass
is if the Members of this body don't understand what they are doing. We
have had no hearings about these cuts. We just received the most
current, most precise, analysis of what this amendment will do.
At a time when we are about to pass a tough crime bill, do the
Members of this body really want to eliminate 1,493 FBI agents? Do you
really want to cut out 1,636 Bureau of Prison guards? When we are
trying to deal with illegal immigrants, do you really want to eliminate
1,108 INS agents? When the American people are trying to struggle with
a brand new tax act, brand new tax forms, do you really want to
eliminate 7,200 Internal Revenue Service personnel? And do you really
want to go home and explain to your veterans why you voted to
eliminate, 13,586 people out of our VA hospitals? Do you really want to
do that?
You need to know what is in this bill.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. MORAN. I yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, this is another example of the law of
unintended consequences. This is a Congress that came back here to pass
a crime bill and crack down on illegal immigration, and our first act
is totally counterproductive. I know every Member wants to inflect cuts
on the legislative branch to show just how far we are willing to go to
help these victims. What do we do? If we pass this amendment, we leave
the Senate totally unscathed. Seventy-five hundred people would have
been cut in the Senate had the amendment of the gentleman from Indiana
[Mr. Myers], been adopted. None of them will be if this Penny-Kasich-
Nussle-Condit amendment is adopted.
So this is not what people portray it to be. It is a
counterproductive and mistaken effort to make a gesture which I think
is inappropriate at this time.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I want to point out the effects of this
amendment on the legislative branch.
Section 2401 of the amendment to the disaster supplemental rescinds
2.8 percent of the funds appropriated in the fiscal year 1994
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, except for funds for Senate
operations and House official mail. House mail is rescinded by $5
million in section 2402.
Penny-Kasich had a comparable 7.5-percent rescission, but earlier in
the year. At this point in the budget year, the section 2401--2.8
percent will probably equate to close to 6 percent of remaining
balances. This assumes an early to mid-February approval of the bill by
the President and one month to develop an employee and administrative
cost reduction plan to achieve the $50 million savings required.
impact
There are few options in the legislative branch in making reductions
to current operations. The resources of the legislative branch are
basically people and the computers and other administrative machinery
that support the staff.
Our employees are among the lowest in average salary in Federal
service.
For the approximately 23,000 legislative branch staff covered by this
amendment, and assuming an average annual salary and benefit
compensation of $50,000, a $50 million rescission would equate to about
2,000 staff at this time of the year--a 9 percent staffing reduction.
A proportionate reduction allocation of 2,000 would work out to be:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total
approximate Reduction
staff required
------------------------------------------------------------------------
House staff................................... 10,000 870
Library of Congress........................... 4,800 417
General Accounting Office..................... 4,800 417
Architect of the Capitol...................... 2,000 174
Capitol Police................................ 1,300 113
-------------------------
Total................................... 22,900 1,991
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Such a personnel reduction would be accomplished by reducing:
Members office staff by 1 to 2 per office.
Committees by an average 4 to 5 per committee.
House computer personnel by 15.
Doorkeepers, finance clerks, floor clerks, etc., by 70 plus.
Congressional Budget Office: 20 of 220 staff.
Office of Technology Assessment: 15 of 205.
Congressional Research Service: 80 of 770.
General Accounting Office: 1250 of 4,800. In GAO's case, a much
higher proportion of staff will be effected because of the requirements
of their employee rights regulations.
Architect of the Capitol: 174 of 2000.
An alternative would be a one-month furlough for each legislative
branch employee.
other impacts
Reduction in reading room hours at the Library of Congress.
Either 100 or so depository libraries removed from program or
significant reduction in Federal documents delivery.
Reductions of 7 to 15 in braille and audio publications for 700,000
books for blind and physically handicapped patrons of Library of
Congress National Library Service.
Other reductions and delays in resolving Federal contractor bid
protests [GAO]: Davis-Bacon employee settlements--GAO workload; meeting
congressional needs for CBO scorekeeping, GAO audits, CRS services to
Members and Committees; and an unknown cutback in GPO printing of
congressional documents such as the Congressional Record, hearings, et
cetera; and further delays in processing copyright registrations and
royalty payments to copyright owners.
section 2402
A $5 million mail rescission will cause termination of all bulk
mailings from Members in about the June to July timeframe. This account
may even now be underfunded at the current appropriation level of $40
million.
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.
We have talked a lot about the family here today. I just want to put
this in perspective a little bit. If the family budget was compared
with the Federal budget, what this would mean if a family faced a
crisis, they would have to come up with two hundred bucks. You would
say to some families, on a $30,000 joint income, two hundred bucks is a
lot of money. But you know what? If it was an emergency, they would
figure it out. The wouldn't go borrow two hundred bucks. They would
figure out ways here and there to cut their own family budgets. They
wouldn't wait until the end of the year and save it for the budgeteers.
They would not say we are going to cut people and throw them out on the
street. They wouldn't say their kids are not going to be able to get
shoes and starve.
Come on, don't be ridiculous. There is nobody out there that believes
that for one second that this giant Federal budget cannot be cut 1
percent to fit this in for victims of an earthquake. In an emergency.
I think it is unconscionable to tell people from the well specifics
that are not true, that are not in any way intended in this bill or
even facts within the language.
There is no way that that is the case. The budget loophole that this
came under says that we need emergencies in order to find this kind of
a situation where we want to spend money off budget. It is an
emergency.
But is this the emergency intended by the budgeteers? Is this the big
earthquake in California? Is this the war where we are going to have to
come up with hundreds of billions of dollars?
No. This is an emergency that we can fit into our family budget, our
national budget. We can tighten our belt one little loop. This is all
it takes. And do the right thing, so we don't have to pass this on to
our children and our grandchildren.
The Fazio amendment is up next. It is going to cut a little bit,
everybody is going to feel good. But let me tell you, it doesn't cut
the mustard. We need to vote for the Nussle amendment in order to do
the job and do the job right.
{time} 1730
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the
distinguished gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt], our majority
leader, to close debate.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt] is
recognized for 2 minutes.
(Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GEPHARDT. Madam Chairman, in the past few days, there has been a
lot of discussion about the best way to help the earthquake victims in
southern California--how to write the legislation, how to foot the
bill.
But what is really important in this discussion is not the process or
the procedures we know so well--but a kind of human tragedy that is
hard for any of us to know.
Imagine what it is like to work hard all your life, to save up to buy
your own home--only to have that home slide off its foundation--and to
know you've got to start all over again.
Imagine what it is like to wake up one day, living a comfortable
middle-class life--and to wake up the next day sleeping on the street,
and carrying your belongings in a plastic bag.
Imagine what it's like, living paycheck to paycheck, and being struck
by a crisis that's just too big for your bank account.
Imagine what it is like to see the roads, the highways, the
buildings, and businesses that have been a part of your everyday life,
crumble to the ground like a house of cards.
And imagine what it is like for a city and a State--still mired in a
deep, painful recession--to be dealt a devastating economic blow.
I am not going to pretend that I know what that is like. But I feel
very deeply for the people of Los Angeles, because my district suffered
that kind of devastation during last year's floods--when the tides of
disaster washed away people's homes and cars and dreams.
I stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Missouri, working to
rebuild the damage caused by those floods. And there is a lot more
rebuilding to do.
So I know the difference that Government aid can make--giving shelter
and food and help with the rent, while our people get back on their
feet.
It is not some kind of welfare. It is not even an act of charity. It
is our profound obligation, born of extraordinary circumstance.
I'll never forget the words of one woman in Los Angeles, who has been
sleeping with her family in a parking lot for the past few weeks. She
told a newspaper reporter: ``I've never asked the Government for a
penny. We've always worked very hard. But I'm hoping now that they can
help us.''
When you look at the human suffering--when you look at the misery and
tragedy caused by these disasters--and when you look at our ability to
really help these people, to help them put their lives back together--
then all the parliamentary rules and debates just pale by comparison.
Federal relief workers have done an outstanding job in Los Angeles--
just as they did an outstanding job in my own community.
It is time for us to move past the discussion about earthquake aid,
and to get the job done. It is time for us to sit down, and work out a
solution--as quickly and as thoroughly as we can.
And it just doesn't make sense for that solution to come from our
regular budget. After 12 years, we finally have an economic and budget
policy that is working for American families. We are creating jobs,
we're reducing the deficit, and we are doing more to meet the needs of
our people.
The only way to keep us on that path to prosperity is by helping the
Los Angeles area--which generates 7 percent of the entire Nation's
gross national product--more than almost any other city in America.
But if every dollar of disaster aid must aid matched by a dollar of
painful cuts in day-to-day programs--beyond the tough cuts the
President is about to propose--then we'll throw this modest recovery
right off its course. And that certainly will not help the people of
southern California.
That's not to say that I'm not concerned about the money this will
cost. I am. That's why the Speaker, the minority leader, and I have
appointed a special bipartisan task force, to look at ways to minimize
the financial impact of these kinds of disasters, without compromising
the effectiveness of our Government's response.
I think this task force will help us come up with some long-term
answers. But we cannot change the rules in the middle of the game.
Until we come up with a real, long-term approach that works, how can we
treat the families of southern California any differently than the
families of Florida, South Carolina, or the Midwest?
So let's act with the reason and compassion we have always
demonstrated in times of national crisis--and let us do it today.
Let us say to the people of southern California: this is not business
as usual. We'll help you get back on your feet. And the promise of
America will be fulfilled.
Mr. FORD of Michigan. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the
amendment.
The authors of the amendment, the gentleman from Iowa, Minnesota,
Ohio, and California, have an admirable aim: to maintain discipline in
the budget and prevent increases in the deficit as we provide emergency
aid to the victims of the Los Angeles earthquake. But some of the
spending cuts they have targeted, already authorized and appropriated
by Congress, are ill-considered. I want bring to my colleagues'
attention three items within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Education and Labor, which I have the honor to chair.
First, the amendment would raise the threshold for application of the
Davis-Bacon Act from $2,000 to $100,000. The Davis-Bacon Act, as my
colleagues know, requires contractors to pay prevailing wages on
Federal and federally assisted construction projects. The act ensures
fair competition among contractors and promotes quality work by
requiring a wage structure that encourages the use of skilled
employees.
So-called reform of David-Bacon is not relevant to this
appropriations bill. The House has repeatedly opposed attempts to alter
Davis-Bacon in the context of unrelated legislation. It has
consistently supported legislative reform reported by the Committee on
Education and Labor.
Chairman Murphy, whose subcommittee has jurisdiction over Davis-
Bacon, and I have introduced a reform bill, H.R. 1231, which would
raise the application threshold, but only in the context of other
reforms that ensure that changes are carefully balanced. For example,
our bill would prohibit contractors from dividing their contracts into
pieces to avoid the threshold.
H.R. 1231 is similar to bills that passed the House in recent
Congresses. Chairman Murphy and I intend to move it.
For these reasons, we should reject the piecemeal change proposed
here.
Second, the amendment would cut $150 million from the Dislocated
Worker Assistance Program, which helps people who have permanently lost
their jobs learn new skills and get new jobs. The Congressional Budget
Office and the Labor Department estimate that 2.2 million Americans
will permanently lose their jobs this year. The money that has been
appropriated will serve only a fraction of those in need. The amendment
proposes to cut more than 10 percent of the program this year. It is
unfair and illogical to make one group of Americans--who also need
their Government's help to remain productive, taxpaying citizens--pay
for desperately needed assistance to victims of the earthquake.
Again, this amendment would cripple our efforts to improve the
dislocated worker program. Job training is a top priority of the
Clinton administration this year. It is expected to be emphasized in
the President's 1995 budget. The Labor Department has been working with
my committee for months to reform our training programs. Yesterday,
Secretary Reich and the President held a conference to discuss models
of their proposed reforms from across the country. The committee looks
forward to considering the administration's reform proposal
encompassing those and other ideas.
Third, the amendment would cut $110 million in federally sponsored
university research and development. The amendment would leave it to
the Office of Management and Budget to make the cuts from among 28
accounts administered by agencies ranging from the National Institutes
of Health to NASA to the Army.
The authors of the amendment have termed this a reduction in
overhead, or in indirect research costs. There is nothing indirect
about the effect reductions in reimbursements would have on research
and the institutions that undertake these projects. These are valid
costs as determined by OMB. They cover things like the cost of lighting
or heating a research building. If these accounts were reduced, and OMB
already has reduced them by about $100 million annually since 1991, the
costs will have to be recovered elsewhere--in either research cutbacks
or tuition hikes.
Again, this is a reduction in areas that the administration and
Congress agree we need to promote: investment in our children's
education and research that will increase our living standards.
This item has grave implications for the Nation's research centers,
including the University of Michigan, one of or leading institutions.
The University of Michigan, which is in my district, received $253
million in federally sponsored research in a wide range of scientific
endeavors in fiscal 1993. No one knows what this amendment would mean
for my school. I would like us to know what the full ramifications are
before we act.
It is appropriate for Congress to set a budget for Federal support
for research and development. Let us do it by the front door, by
letting appropriate authorities decide what projects to fund, not by
the back door, where we make arbitrary cuts whose implications are not
fully understood.
I urge my colleagues to defeat the amendment.
Mr. SWIFT. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment,
and in particular to take $10 million from the Interstate Commerce
Commission. There are only two problems with this approach; it won't
save any money, and it won't work.
First of all, the annual payroll of the ICC is $30 million. This
amendment would cut this by a third. To RIF one-third of the
Commission's employees would statutorily require 90 days advance time,
and then statutory requirements for severance pay and lump-sum annual
leave payments. But with the fiscal year half over, by the time you
instituted a RIF you would likely have to let all your employees go
when the money ran out.
Or you could offer a mix of involuntary retirement payments and
unemployment compensation. Or you could require involuntary furloughs
and pay out for unemployment compensation. But the end result of any of
these approaches is that you achieve no savings and the work of
independent agencies comes to a screeching halt.
And that is the second point. This amendment doesn't pass on the work
of the ICC to the Department of Transportation--as other sunset
amendments have at least attempted to do--it just tells the last
employee to turn out the lights as they leave.
Ongoing cases, problems with shippers, or community concerns with
rail abandonments, and the myriad of other day-in, day-out regulatory
functions of the agency would stop in their tracks. That's not hard-
nosed, prudent paring of Government waste. That's irresponsible
grandstanding. This amendment hasn't been thought through; it will not
save money, but it will do damage to communities and shippers who
deserve better.
My friends, there is no free lunch; no savings, no sense in this kind
of slash-and-burn amendment. I urge its defeat.
Mr. MINETA. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the son of Penny-
Kasich. As with their original amendment from last November to H.R.
3400, Reinventing Government, this amendment is short-sighted,
undermines the emergency process of the Budget Act and includes major
policy changes that have not received proper scrutiny. There are a
number of reasons to vote against Penny-Kasich.
First of all, the Penny-Kasich cuts are too deep and are not
equitable. Many of these, such as eliminating $150 million for the
dislocated worker assistance program, are ill-conceived and unfair.
Second, it represents an impractical attempt at rewriting the Federal
budget. We have never before required offsetting cuts when making a
supplemental appropriation for a disaster. Never--not for Andrew, not
for Iniki, not for the Midwest floods, not for Hugo, not for Loma
Prieta--never. To now require that we go through that exercise before
providing assistance in this one case would be highly unfair and
discriminatory.
The budget we adopt after long and tortuous debate is a planning
document. Disasters cannot be planned and we know that at the time we
adopt the budget. We know that major disasters might happen which would
require us, in the urgency of that situation, to spend additional
dollars on disaster relief. We cannot, when disaster strikes, tell the
people suffering from it that we will be sending aid just as soon as we
redebate and refigure the entire Federal budget--look how long it takes
us to adopt a budget in the first place. It simply is not practical to
say we will rewrite the Federal budget before we aid anyone in a major
disaster. This is exactly the kind of redtape runaround and delay we
have been trying to get away from in disaster relief.
Third, Penny-Kasich includes major policy changes that have not
received the benefit of proper legislative scrutiny.
This is no way to legislate. A proposal like this should not simply
be slapped together over a weekend and then be brought up for a vote.
It is very easy, and often very valuable, for people to throw out
ideas for consideration without all the details worked out. However, it
is part of the job of the Congress to work out those with no
opportunity to measure and weigh in detail the changes it would bring,
would, in my opinion, be an abrogation of our responsibility as
legislators.
Mr. Speaker, for me and many other Members, Penny-Kasich brings back
bad memories. In 1981, the Reagan administration submitted an omnibus
reconciliation bill. That bill was over 4,000 pages and included
proposed savings of $43 billion. Like Penny-Kasich, it, too, involved
complex issues; it, too, was railroaded through the Congress; and it,
too, was not understood in terms of its ramifications. As Members may
recall, that effort turned out to be a disaster--a disaster for the
economy and for the legislative process.
We don't need a repeat of that today. Vote no on Penny-Kasich--Penny-
Kasich 1 was wrong; Penny-Kasich 2 is no better.
The CHAIRMAN. All time has expired.
The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Iowa
[Mr. Nussle].
The question was taken; and the Chairman announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
recorded vote
Mr. NUSSLE. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 178,
noes 240, not voting 21, as follows:
[Roll No. 10]
AYES--178
Allard
Andrews (NJ)
Archer
Armey
Bachus (AL)
Baesler
Baker (CA)
Baker (LA)
Ballenger
Barca
Barlow
Barrett (NE)
Bartlett
Barton
Bateman
Bilirakis
Bliley
Blute
Boehner
Bonilla
Brown (OH)
Bunning
Burton
Buyer
Callahan
Camp
Canady
Castle
Clinger
Coble
Collins (GA)
Combest
Condit
Cooper
Coppersmith
Cox
Crapo
Cunningham
Deal
DeLay
Dickey
Doolittle
Dornan
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
English
Everett
Ewing
Fawell
Fields (TX)
Fingerhut
Fish
Fowler
Franks (CT)
Franks (NJ)
Gallo
Gilchrest
Gingrich
Goodlatte
Goodling
Gordon
Goss
Grams
Grandy
Greenwood
Gunderson
Hancock
Hansen
Hastert
Hayes
Hefley
Herger
Hobson
Hoekstra
Hoke
Houghton
Huffington
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hyde
Inglis
Inhofe
Inslee
Istook
Johnson (CT)
Johnson, Sam
Kasich
Kim
Kingston
Klug
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kyl
Lambert
Leach
Levy
Lightfoot
Linder
Livingston
Long
Mann
Manzullo
Margolies-Mezvinsky
Mazzoli
McCollum
McCrery
McCurdy
McDade
McHugh
McInnis
McMillan
Meehan
Meyers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Minge
Molinari
Moorhead
Myers
Nussle
Orton
Oxley
Packard
Paxon
Payne (VA)
Penny
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Pombo
Porter
Portman
Poshard
Pryce (OH)
Quinn
Ramstad
Ravenel
Regula
Ridge
Roberts
Rohrabacher
Roth
Roukema
Royce
Santorum
Sarpalius
Saxton
Schiff
Sensenbrenner
Shaw
Shays
Shuster
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Solomon
Spence
Stearns
Stenholm
Stump
Sundquist
Swett
Talent
Tanner
Tauzin
Thomas (CA)
Thomas (WY)
Torkildsen
Upton
Valentine
Vucanovich
Walker
Weldon
Wolf
Zeliff
Zimmer
NOES--240
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Andrews (ME)
Applegate
Bacchus (FL)
Barcia
Barrett (WI)
Becerra
Beilenson
Bereuter
Berman
Bevill
Bilbray
Bishop
Blackwell
Boehlert
Bonior
Borski
Boucher
Brewster
Browder
Brown (CA)
Brown (FL)
Bryant
Byrne
Calvert
Cantwell
Cardin
Carr
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coleman
Collins (MI)
Conyers
Costello
Coyne
Cramer
Danner
Darden
de la Garza
de Lugo (VI)
DeFazio
DeLauro
Dellums
Derrick
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Dooley
Durbin
Edwards (CA)
Emerson
Engel
Eshoo
Evans
Faleomavaega (AS)
Farr
Fazio
Fields (LA)
Filner
Flake
Foglietta
Foley
Ford (MI)
Ford (TN)
Frank (MA)
Frost
Furse
Gallegly
Gejdenson
Gekas
Gephardt
Geren
Gibbons
Gillmor
Gilman
Glickman
Gonzalez
Gutierrez
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hamburg
Hamilton
Harman
Hefner
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hoagland
Hochbrueckner
Holden
Horn
Hoyer
Hughes
Hutto
Jacobs
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson, E.B.
Johnston
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kennelly
Kildee
Kleczka
Klein
Klink
Kopetski
Kreidler
LaFalce
Lancaster
Lantos
LaRocco
Laughlin
Lazio
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Lloyd
Lowey
Machtley
Maloney
Manton
Martinez
Matsui
McCandless
McCloskey
McDermott
McHale
McKeon
McKinney
McNulty
Meek
Menendez
Mfume
Miller (CA)
Mineta
Mink
Moakley
Mollohan
Montgomery
Moran
Morella
Murtha
Nadler
Natcher
Neal (NC)
Norton (DC)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Parker
Pastor
Payne (NJ)
Pelosi
Peterson (FL)
Pickett
Pickle
Price (NC)
Quillen
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Richardson
Roemer
Rogers
Romero-Barcelo (PR)
Ros-Lehtinen
Rose
Rostenkowski
Rowland
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Sabo
Sanders
Sangmeister
Sawyer
Schaefer
Schenk
Schroeder
Schumer
Scott
Serrano
Sharp
Sisisky
Skaggs
Skeen
Skelton
Slattery
Slaughter
Smith (IA)
Snowe
Spratt
Stark
Stokes
Strickland
Studds
Stupak
Swift
Synar
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Tejeda
Thompson
Thornton
Thurman
Torres
Torricelli
Towns
Traficant
Tucker
Underwood (GU)
Unsoeld
Velazquez
Vento
Visclosky
Volkmer
Walsh
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Wheat
Whitten
Williams
Wilson
Wise
Woolsey
Wyden
Wynn
Yates
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOT VOTING--21
Andrews (TX)
Bentley
Brooks
Chapman
Collins (IL)
Crane
Green
Hastings
King
Lehman
Lewis (FL)
Markey
Michel
Murphy
Neal (MA)
Owens
Pomeroy
Reynolds
Shepherd
Smith (OR)
Washington
{time} 1753
The Clerk announced the following pairs:
On this vote:
Mr. King for, with Mrs. Collins of Illinois against.
Mr. Smith of Oregon for, with Mr. Neal of Massachusetts
against.
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The CHAIRMAN. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed
in part 2 of House Report 103-416.
amendment offered by mr. fazio
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Fazio: at the end of the bill
insert the following:
``TITLE II--RESCISSIONS OF BUDGET AUTHORITY
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Fiscal Year 1994
Rescission Act''.
Chapter 1--Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
(rescission and transfer of funds)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111 and subsequently transferred to the Human
Nutrition Information Service pursuant to Secretary's
Memorandum No. 1020-39, dated September 30, 1993, $1,000,000
are rescinded and the remaining funds are transferred to the
Agricultural Research Service: Provided, That funds
appropriated by Public Law 103-111 for the functions of the
former Human Nutrition Information Service shall be made
available only to the Agricultural Research Service.
Cooperative State Research Service
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111, $14,279,000 are rescinded, including $4,375,000
for contracts and grants for agricultural research under the
Act of August 4, 1965, as amended; $7,000,000 for competitive
research grants; and $2,904,000 for necessary expenses of the
Cooperative State Research Service.
building and facilities
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111, $2,897,000 are rescinded.
Agricultural Marketing Service
marketing services
(rescission and transfer of funds)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111 and subsequently transferred to the Agricultural
Cooperative Service pursuant to Secretary's Memorandum No.
1020-39, dated September 30, 1993, $100,000 are rescinded and
the remaining funds are transferred to the Rural Development
Administration.
payments to states and possessions
(transfer of funds)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111 and subsequently transferred to the Agriculture
Cooperative Service pursuant to Secretary's Memorandum No.
1020-39, dated September 30, 1993, $435,000 are transferred
to the Rural Development Administration.
Farmers Home Administration
rural housing insurance fund program account
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111 for the cost of direct section 502 loans,
$35,000,000 are rescinded.
rural development loan fund program account
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111 for the cost of direct loans, $20,000,000 are
rescinded.
rural water and waste disposal grants
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111, $25,000,000 are rescinded.
salaries and expenses
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111, $12,167,000 are rescinded.
Food and Nutrition Service
commodity supplemental food program
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-341, $12,600,000 are rescinded.
food donations programs for selected groups
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-341, $6,000,000 are rescinded.
Public Law 480 Program Account
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-111 for commodities supplied in connection with title
III, $20,000,000 are rescinded.
Chapter 2--Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary,
and Related Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
economic development revolving fund
(rescission)
Of the unobligated balances in the Economic Development
Revolving Fund, $29,000,000 are rescinded.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
construction
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-121, $3,000,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Administrative Provision
For fiscal year 1994 only, the Director of the Bureau of
Justice Assistance, upon good cause shown, may waive the
provisions of section 504(f) of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 for projects located in communities
covered under a Presidentially declared disaster pursuant to
the Robert T. Safford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Administration of Foreign Affairs
buying power maintenance
(rescission)
Of the balances in the Buying Power Maintenance account,
$8,800,000 are rescinded
new diplomatic posts
(rescission)
Of the funds made available for the United States
Information Agency under this heading in Public Law 102-395,
$1,000,000 are rescinded.
Administrative Provision
Subject to enactment of legislation authorizing the
Secretary of State to charge a fee or surcharge for
processing machine readable non-immigrant visas and machine
readable combined border crossing identification cards and
no-immigrant visas, the Secretary of State may collect not to
exceed $20,000,000 in additional fees or surcharges during
fiscal year 1994 pursuant to such authority: Provided, That
such additional fees shall be deposited as an offsetting
collection to the Department of State, Administration of
Foreign Affairs, ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs''
appropriation account and such fees shall remain available
until expended: Provided further, That such collections shall
be available only to modernize, automate, and enhance
consular services and counterterrorism activities of the
Department of State, to include the development and
installation of automated visa and namecheck information
systems, secure travel documents, worldwide
telecommunications systems, and management systems to permit
sharing of critical information regarding visa applicants and
help secure America's borders.
THE JUDICIARY
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services
defender services
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-121, $3,000,000 are rescinded.
RELATED AGENCIES
Board for International Broadcasting
israel relay station
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading, $1,700,000
are rescinded.
United States Information Agency
salaries and expenses
(including rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-121, $1,177,000 are rescinded.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this or any other Act,
not to exceed $2,000,000 of the funds made available under
this heading in Public Law 103-121 may be used to carry out
projects involving security construction and related
improvements for Agency facilities not physically located
together with Department of State facilities abroad:
Provided, That such funds may remain available until
expended.
educational and cultural exchange programs
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-121, $850,000 are rescinded.
radio construction
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-121, $2,000,000 are rescinded.
Chapter 3--Energy and Water Development
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--CIVIL
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Corps of Engineers--Civil
general investigations
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available this heading in Public Law
102-377 and prior years' Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Acts, $24,970,000 are rescinded.
construction, general
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-377 and prior years' Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Acts, $97,319,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
construction program
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-377 and prior years' Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Acts, $16,000,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Supply, Research and Development Activites
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-126, $97,300,000 are rescinded: Provided, That the
reduction shall be taken as a general reduction, applied to
each program equally, so as not to eliminate or
disproportionately reduce any program, project, or activity
in the Energy Supply, Research and Development Activities
account as included in the reports accompanying Public Law
103-126.
Uranium Supply and Enrichment Activities
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-377 and prior years' Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Acts, $42,000,000 are rescinded.
Chapter 4--Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Agencies
MULTILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
funds appropriated to the president
International Financial Institutions
internatonal bank for reconstruction and development
(rescission)
Of the unexpended or unobligated balances made available
for payment to the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development for the United States share of the paid-in share
portion of the increases in capital stock for the General
Capital Increase, $27,910,500 is rescinded.
limitation on callable capital subscriptions
Notwithstanding Public Law 103-87, the United States
Governor of the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development may subscribe without fiscal year limitation to
the callable capital portion of the United States share of
the increases in capital stock in an amount not to exceed
$902,439,500.
contribution to the inter-american development bank
(rescission)
Of the unexpended or unobligated balances made available
for payment to the Inter-American Development Bank by the
Secretary of the Treasury, for the paid-in share portion of
the United States share of the increase in capital stock
$16,063,134 is rescinded.
limitation on callable capital subscriptions
Notwithstanding Public Law 103-87, the United States
Governor of the Inter-American Development Bank may subscribe
without fiscal year limitation to the callable capital
portion of the United States share of the increases in
capital stock in an amount not to exceed $1,563,875,725.
contribution to the asian development bank
(rescission)
Of the unexpended or unobligated balances made available
for payment to the Asian Development Bank by the Secretary of
the Treasury, for the paid-in share portion of the United
States share of the increase in capital stock $13,026,366 is
rescinded.
limitation on callable capital subscriptions
Notwithstanding Public Law 103-87, the United States
Governor of the Asian Development Bank may not subscribe in
fiscal year 1994 to the callable capital portion of the
United States share of any increases in capital stock.
BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
funds appropriated to the president
Agency for International Development
development assistance
(rescission)
Of the unexpended or unobligated balances (including
earmarked funds) made available for fiscal years 1987 through
1993 to carry out the provisions of sections 103 through 106
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended,
$160,000,000 is rescinded: Provided, That funds rescinded
under this paragraph are to be derived from the following
countries in the following amounts: Guatemala, $8,000,000;
Honduras, $5,000,000; India, $10,000,000; Indonesia,
$15,000,000; Morocco, $10,000,000; Pakistan, $15,000,000;
Peru, $5,000,000; Philippines, $10,000,000; Thailand,
$10,000,000; and Yemen, $5,000,000: Provided further, That
$10,000,000 of the funds rescinded under this paragraph are
to be derived from non- country specific, centrally funded
activities: Provided further, That $57,000,000 of the funds
rescinded under this paragraph are to be derived from prior
year deobligated funds.
economic support fund
(rescission)
Of the unexpended or unobligated balances of funds
(including earmarked funds) made available for fiscal years
1987 through 1993 to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of
part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended,
$90,000,000 is rescinded: Provided, That funds rescinded
under this paragraph are to be derived from the following
countries in the following amounts: Kenya, $2,000,000;
Liberia, $797,000; Oman, $18,000,000; Peru, $11,000,000;
Philippines, $10,200,000; and Somalia, $3,003,000: Provided
further, That $45,000,000 of the funds rescinded under this
paragraph are to be derived from the Private Sector Power
Project (No. 391-0494) for Pakistan.
MILITARY ASSISTANCE
funds appropriated to the president
foreign military financing program
(rescission)
Of the grant funds made available (including earmarked
funds) under this heading in Public Law 102-391 and prior
appropriations Acts, $66,000,000 is rescinded: Provided, That
funds rescinded under this paragraph are to be derived from
the following countries in the following amounts: Benin,
$3,000; Cameroon, $161,000; Central African Republic,
$59,000; Congo, $7,000; Cote D'Ivoire, $128,000; Equatorial
Guinea, $86,000; Gabon, $3,000; Ghana, $600,000; Guatemala,
$1,563,000; Guinea, $499,000; Kenya, $9,000,000; Liberia,
$15,000; Madagascar, $505,000; Mali, $3,000; Malawi,
$326,000; Mauritania, $300,000; Morocco, $8,000,000;
Organization of American States, $6,000; Oman, $3,100,000;
Pakistan, $8,108,000; Peru, $6,533,000; Philippines,
$5,000,000; Rwanda, $250,000; Sao Tome & Principe, $228,000;
Somalia, $4,349,000; Sudan, $8,609,000; Thailand, $1,384,000;
Togo, $19,000; Tunisia, $4,100,000; Uganda, $100,000; Yemen,
$2,241,000; Zambia, $100,000; Zaire, $455,000; and Zimbabwe,
$160,000.
Chapter 5--Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
construction and anadromous fish
(rescission)
Of the funds appropriated under this head in Public Law
100-466 and Public Law 102-154, $3,874,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
biomass energy development
(rescission)
Of the funds available under this head, $16,275,000 are
rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
administrative provisions, department of energy
Section 303 of Public Law 97-257, as amended, is repealed.
The seventh proviso under the head ``Clean Coal
Technology'' in Public Law 101-512, and the seventh proviso
under the head ``Clean Coal Technology'' in Public Law 102-
154, both concerning Federal employment, are repealed.
Chapter 6--Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education,
and Related Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
(rescission)
Of the amounts appropriated in Public Law 103-112 for
salaries and expenses and administrative costs of the
Department of Labor, $4,000,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
(rescission)
Of the amounts appropriated in Public Law 103-112 for
salaries and expenses and administrative costs of the
Department of Health and Human Services (except the Social
Security Administration), $37,500,000 are rescinded.
Social Security Administration
supplemental security income program
(rescission)
Of the amounts appropriated in the first paragraph under
this heading in Public Law 103-112, $10,909,000 are
rescinded.
limitation on administrative expenses
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-112 to invest in a state-of-the-art computing
network, $80,000,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Departmental Management
program administration
(rescission)
Of the amounts appropriated under this heading in Public
Law 103-112 for salaries and expenses and administrative
costs of the Department of Education, $8,500,000 are
rescinded.
Chapter 7--Legistlative Branch
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Salaries and Expenses
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 101-520, $633,000 are rescinded in the amounts specified
for the following headings and accounts:
``Allowances and expenses'', $633,000, as follows:
``Official Expenses of Members'', $128,000; ``supplies,
materials, administrative costs and Federal tort claims'',
$125,000; ``net expenses of purchase, lease and maintenance
of office equipment'', $364,000; and ``Government
contributions to employees' life insurance fund, retirement
funds, Social Security fund, Medicare fund, health benefits
fund, and worker's and unemployment compensation'', $16,000.
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-90 $2,352,000 are rescinded in the amounts specified
for the following headings and accounts:
``house leadership offices'', $253,000; ``committee on the
budget (studies)'', $4,000; ``standing committees, special
and select'', $378,000;
``allowances and expenses'', $943,000, as follows:
``Official Expenses of Members'', $876,000; and
``stenographic reporting of committee hearings'', $67,000;
``committee on appropriations (studies and investigations)'',
$595,000;
``salaries, officers and employees'', $179,000, as follows:
``Office of the Postmaster'', $19,000; ``for salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Historian'', $26,000; ``the
House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and the
Democratic Caucus'', $73,000; and ``the House Republican
Conference'', $61,000.
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
Capitol Buildings and Grounds
capitol buildings
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-392 and Public Law 103-69, $1,000,000 and $2,000,000,
respectively, both made available until expended, are
rescinded: Provided, That the Architect of the Capitol shall
be considered the agency for purposes of the election in
section 801(b)(2)(B) of the National Energy Conservation
Policy Act and the head of the agency for purposes of
subsection (b)(2)(C) of such section.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-69 and Public Law 98-396, $900,000 are rescinded.
GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
(rescission)
Of the amounts made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-69, $1,300,000 are rescinded.
Chapter 8--Department of Defense-Military
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
(rescissions)
Of the funds appropriated under Public Law 103-110, the
following funds are hereby rescinded from the following
accounts in the specified amounts:
Military Construction, Army, $22,319,000;
Military Construction, Navy, $13,969,000;
Military Construction, Air Force, $24,787,000;
Military Construction, Defense-Wide, $13,663,000;
Military Construction, Army National Guard, $7,568,000;
Military Construction, Air National Guard, $6,187,000;
Military Construction, Army Reserve, $2,551,000;
Military Construction, Naval Reserve, $626,000;
Military Construction, Air Force Reserve, $1,862,000;
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Infrastructure,
$70,000,000; and
Base Realignment and Closure Account, Part III,
$437,692,000:
Provided, That, within funds available for ``Base Realignment
and Closure Account, Part III'' for fiscal year 1994, not
less than $200,000,000 shall be available solely for
environmental restoration.
Chapter 9--Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Payments to Air Carriers
(airport and airway trust fund)
(rescission)
The funds provided for ``Small community air service''
under section 419 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as
amended, in excess of the funds made available for obligation
in Public Law 103-122 are rescinded.
COAST GUARD
Operating Expenses
(rescission)
Of the funds provided under this heading in Public Law 102-
368, $5,000,000 are rescinded.
Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements
(rescission)
Of the funds provided under this heading in Public Law 102-
368, $2,000,000 are rescinded.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Operations
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-122, $750,000 are rescinded.
Facilities and Equipment
(airport and airway trust fund)
(rescission)
Of the available balances (including earmarked funds) under
this heading, $29,451,111 are rescinded.
Grants-In-Aid for Airports
(airport and airway trust fund)
(rescission)
Of the funds provided under the Airport and Airway
Improvement Act of 1982, as amended, for grants-in-aid for
airport planning and development and noise compatibility
planning and programs, $488,200,000 of the amount in excess
of the funds made available for obligation in Public Law 103-
122 are rescinded.
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
(rescission)
Of the funds made available for specific highway projects
that are not yet under construction, $85,774,222 are
rescinded: Provided, That no funds shall be rescinded from
any emergency relief project funded under section 125 of
title 23, United States Code: Provided further, That for the
purposes of this paragraph, a project shall be deemed to
be not under construction unless a construction contract
for physical construction has been awarded by the State,
municipality, or other contracting authority.
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
Operations and Research
(rescission)
Of the amounts provided under this heading in Public Law
102-388, $3,476,000 are rescinded.
Of the amounts provided under this heading in Public Law
101-516, $1,075,000 are rescinded.
Of the amounts provided under this heading in Public Law
101-164, $2,505,000 are rescinded.
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION
Discretionary Grants
(highway trust fund)
(rescission)
Any unobligated balances of funds made available for fiscal
year 1991 and prior fiscal years under section 3 of the
Federal Transit Act, as amended, and allocated to specific
projects for the replacement, rehabilitation, and purchase of
buses and related equipment, for construction of bus-related
facilities, and for new fixed guideway systems are rescinded:
Provided, That no funds provided for the Miami Metromover
project shall be rescinded: Provided further, That of the
funds provided under this heading in Public Law 103-122,
$2,500,000 are rescinded.
Chapter 10--Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
federal buildings fund
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-123, $126,022,000, are rescinded and are not
available in fiscal year 1994: Provided, That no individual
prospectus-level new construction project may be reduced by
more than 5 percent.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION
Section 630 of the Treasury, Postal Service, and General
Government Appropriations Act, 1993 (Public Law 102-393), and
the amendment made by that section, are repealed.
Chapter 11--Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban
Development, and Independent Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Departmental Administration
construction, major projects
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $26,000,000 are rescinded.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Housing Programs
homeownership and opportunity for people everywhere grants (hope
grants)
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-389 and Public Law 102-139, $66,000,000 are
rescinded: Provided, That of the foregoing amount,
$34,000,000 shall be deducted from the amounts earmarked for
the HOPE for Public and Indian Housing Homeownership Program
and $32,000,000 shall be deducted from the amounts earmarked
for the HOPE for Homeownership of Multifamily Units Program.
annual contributions for assisted housing
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-389 and prior years, and earmarked for amendments to
section 8 contracts other than contracts for projects
developed under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959,
$25,000,000 are rescinded.
assistance for the renewal of expiring section 8 subsidy contracts
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 102-389 and prior years, $20,000,000 are rescinded.
administrative provision
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the City of
Slidell, Louisiana, is authorized to submit not later than 10
days following the enactment of this Act, and the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development shall consider, the final
statement of community development objectives and projected
use of funds required by section 104(a)(1) of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(a)(1)) in
connection with a grant to the City of Slidell under title I
of such Act for fiscal year 1994.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
Environmental Protection Agency
water infrastructure/state revolving funds
(including rescission of funds)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $22,000,000 are rescinded: Provided, That the
$500,000,000 earmarked under this heading in Public Law 103-
124 to not become available until May 31, 1994, shall instead
not become available until September 30, 1994.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
emergency management planning and assistance
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $2,000,000 are rescinded.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
research and development
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $25,000,000 are rescinded.
construction of facilities
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $25,000,000 are rescinded.
National Science Foundation
academic research infrastructure
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $10,000,000 are rescinded.
National Service Initiative
corporation for national community service
(rescission)
Of the funds made available under this heading in Public
Law 103-124, $5,000,000 are rescinded.
Executive Office of the President
office of science and technology policy
The proviso under this heading in Public Law 103-124 is
repealed.''.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California
[Mr. Fazio], and a Member opposed, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr.
McDade] will each be recognized for 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio].
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. FAZIO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, we have had a long debate on this. I think
the next amendment that I intended to offer would be broadly supported
on both sides of the aisle, and I would like to engage my Republican
colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. McDade], in a
discussion of how much time we may need to debate this issue.
Mr. McDADE. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. FAZIO. I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. McDADE. Madam Chairman, let me say to my friend that in my
opinion what we ought to do is to accept this and then move to the
recommittal motion, and we ought to do it as quickly as we can for the
convenience of the House. That is my opinion.
Mr. FAZIO. I appreciate the gentleman's comments. I only have one
request for a colloquy on our side that is not related to the merits of
the passage of the bill. Does the gentleman have others who wish to
speak?
Mr. McDADE. I would say to my friend the mood of the committee on
this side is to move this amendment and be done with it. If the
gentleman has a colloquy in which to engage, move to the colloquy and
we will yield back our time and vote.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, it is with reluctance that I offer this
amendment today, not because the $2.5 billion in cuts I am offering are
not important--I support them--but because I think it is inappropriate
to be debating deficits at a time of national emergency.
it's not the time to debate the deficit
People are hurting in Los Angeles as a result of the Northridge
earthquake: 57 people died; 6,500 were injured; 25,000 homes have been
destroyed or severely damaged, another 29,000 homes received minor
damage; 100 public schools were severely damaged along with many other
important public facilities, including miles of freeways and roads.
Nearly 230,000 people have applied for disaster assistance. And, the
Los Angeles area is still suffering from major aftershocks which have
caused further damage.
In the face of this crisis, try telling the people of Los Angeles
that you want to debate the deficit today.
Tell it to the thousands of families--mothers, fathers, children,
grandparents--who lost one of the most basic necessities of life--a
roof over their heads.
Go to the tent parks in Los Angeles and tell them you want to debate
the deficit today.
Go to the unemployment offices and tell it to the additional 10,000
workers who filed for unemployment in Los Angeles last week.
Go to the school yards and tell the children who lost their homes and
classrooms and whose parents are standing in food lines. Tell them you
want to debate the deficit today.
How can we reduce this debate to a question of deficit numbers when
human suffering and tragedy are unfolding before our eyes?
The Constitution clearly states that ``Congress shall have power * *
* to borrow money on the credit of the United States.'' This borrowing
authority was granted by our Founding Fathers precisely to respond to
national emergencies, such as the Los Angeles earthquake, the Midwest
floods, and the Florida and Hawaii hurricanes.
This is not the time to debate the budget deficit.
deficit already cut, more cuts to come
The fact of the matter is we have an annual budget process to follow
in this body which is where we deal with the deficit. What's ore, we
already passed the largest deficit reduction plan in our Nation's
history last year and it is working. Clearly, we need to do more, but
the deficit is going down.
The projected deficit for fiscal year 1995 will be $180 billion, 40
percent lower than originally projected, and the lowest deficit in 5
years.
Next week, President Clinton will present the fiscal year 1995 budget
which will eliminate 100 specific programs and make specific cuts in
300 additional areas. This President and this Congress are addressing
the deficit in a constructive and very real way. And the markets are
responding with the lowest interest rates in modern history.
don't single out california
It is unfortunate that the citizens of southern California must be
held hostage to a budget debate here in Congress at a time when their
needs are the greatest.
California is only asking to have its emergency treated like all
others that came before the Northridge earthquake. This Congress and
this country responded to the real human crises that resulted from
major natural disasters in the past. Seven times in the last 16 years
Congress has passed emergency appropriations bills in response to major
disasters. All of these bills have been off-budget and without offsets.
We cannot and should not try to balance the budget on the backs of the
people who are hurting in California.
penny-kasich hurts the most vulnerable
It is extremely disconcerting that we are having this debate today.
But even more disconcerting is how the Penny-Kasich amendment proposes
to pay for the emergency assistance for Los Angeles. Penny-Kasich would
take money from veterans medicine and surgical supplies. It cuts Social
Security and Medicare. It cuts funding for dislocated workers. In
short, Penny-Kasich attacks programs that help many of the most
vulnerable people in society to pay for disaster assistance for people
who are also vulnerable.
Further, Penny-Kasich would cut highway funding, housing funding, and
economic development funding in other parts of the country to help
those who are hurting in Los Angeles. In essence, the Penny-Kasich
amendment simply robs Peter to pay Paul. It just doesn't make sense.
fazio amendment as the alternative
Today I am offering an amendment that will offset $2.5 billion of
this emergency spending package. I present this amendment as the only
responsible effort to offset the costs. My amendment is identical to
the rescission package this House adopted last year, by a 429 to 1
vote, as part of the reinventing government bill (H.R. 3400). The
Senate has never acted on this proposal so the rescission savings are
still available to be captured.
Unlikely Penny-Kasich, though, my amendment does not hurt veterans or
Social Security recipients. It does not cut highway and housing
programs in other parts of the country to pay for highway and housing
programs in Los Angeles. Rather, this amendment contains $2.5 billion
in real spending cuts which have been carefully considered by the
Appropriations Committee and which have been overwhelmingly approved by
the House.
I would also point out to my colleagues that on Monday, President
Clinton will present his fiscal year 1995 budget which will include
another $5 billion in fiscal year 1994 rescissions. We all know that
the Appropriations Committee has a long history of exceeding all
Presidential rescission requests. Therefore, it is safe to assume that
as part of the fiscal year 1995 appropriations process, this Congress
will rescind more than $5 billion in fiscal year 1994 funds.
Coupled with my amendment, that will bring total fiscal year 1994
rescissions to over $7.5 billion. So I encourage my colleagues to take
this into consideration.
for the future
Clearly, Congress and the country need to enter into a constructive
debate about how we should respond to disasters in the future. We
should develop a disaster response policy that sets up a separate
account to deal with such emergencies and will enable us to address the
critical needs of Americans during a crisis without having to resort to
this acrimonious debate time after time.
But, we should not try to debate this policy in the middle of an
emergency, nor use this disaster assistance legislation today as a
vehicle for Members' pet initiatives. We should not use this bill to
debate immigration policy or Davis-Bacon reform or to debate the
deficit.
It is time to help the people of Los Angeles and to respond to their
needs.
I urge my colleagues to support the Fazio amendment. Let's not do
harm to others as we try to help the citizens of Los Angeles. Let us
concentrate on the crisis at hand and debate these other issues in a
more appropriate forum. Support the Fazio amendment and pass this
emergency relief bill now.
Madam Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Natcher].
Mr. NATCHER. Madam Chairman, This amendment would have the effect of
including rescissions in this bill that were already approved by the
House last November. The origin of these rescissions is H.R. 3511, that
was reported by the Committee on Appropriations last November. The
amount of these specific rescissions is $2.5 billion in nearly all
areas of Government. We recommended them to the House at that time, and
we do so again.
Including these rescissions in this bill will help move action in
deficit reduction along. We will be able to conference these
rescissions with the Senate and include them in this emergency bill
that needs to be enacted quickly.
I urge adoption of this amendment.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Stokes] for purposes of engaging in a colloquy
with the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Scott].
Mr. SCOTT. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman from Ohio please yield
for a question?
Mr. STOKES. Yes; I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. SCOTT. Madam Chairman, on August 6, 1993, Petersburg, VA, the
second most fiscally stressed city in the State, was hit by a series of
tornadoes. Two sections of the city critical to its economy were the
hardest hit, Old Towne and Pocahontas Island.
The city had commenced its effort to revitalize its tax base by
purchasing property in Old Towne.
In addition, the city had acquired property on Pocahontas Island as a
beginning step to stabilize the area. Pocahontas Island was originally
settled by free blacks before the Civil War. These early residents of
the island were a vital link in the Underground Railroad.
Recognizing the revenue potential of Old Towne and Pocahontas Island,
the city had invested nearly $9.2 million over the past 5 years to
improve these areas. On August 31, 1993, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency denied the Governor's request for disaster area
designation. Following a reconsideration request, President Clinton
granted a major disaster declaration on December 22, 1993, for
individual assistance only. Unfortunately, there are no Federal
provisions for assisting commercial areas.
City officials in Petersburg estimate conservatively that the
cleanup, restoration, and rehabilitation of Old Towne and Pocahontas
Island will cost the city $3.35 million, 7\1/2\ percent of the city's
$44.7 million operating budget. Los Angeles County estimates that its
ultimate disaster-associated costs will total 6.3 percent of its budget
and Los Angeles City estimates that the costs will equal 5.5 percent of
its budget.
The impact of the disaster on the economy of Petersburg while lesser
in dollar amount is no less significant on the economy of the
jurisdiction than the earthquake on the financial condition of Los
Angeles. Both areas need Federal assistance to overcome the disaster.
Assuming that the President and FEMA approve the request, are there
sufficient funds to cover the eligible activities?
Mr. STOKES. In answer to the gentleman's question, at this time,
there is sufficient funding in FEMA's disaster relief fund for other
disasters.
Currently, $700 million remains unallocated for the disaster relief
fund and available for disaster assistance.
Mr. SCOTT. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for the colloquy.
Mr. TORRES. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of the bill H.R.
3759 which provides emergency supplemental appropriations for disaster
assistance for the victims of the recent Los Angeles earthquake, and I
rise in support of the Fazio amendment.
As a Californian who has lived through and endured the earthquakes
that have rocked my beautiful State, I cannot fully express how
important disaster assistance truly is.
Our Nation has truly been tested in the last several years--from
torrential floods in the Midwest, devastating hurricanes that have hit
the east coast, Hawaii, and our Territories, to the fire storms that
have raged through both northern and southern California. All of these
disasters required emergency assistance and the quick response of FEMA.
Our response to the Los Angeles earthquake should not be treated any
differently from these other disasters. Our response should be quick
and it should be compassionate for all of those affected.
We have sent emergency aid all over the world. We have relieved
famine to feed the starving. We have provided clothes and shelter to
those whose homes have been destroyed either by nature or by war. We
have healed the sick and mended the broken. We sent $10 billion to aid
Russia in its efforts to bolster its economy and move toward democracy.
We have done all these things for so many others. We should not, we
cannot, do any less for the people of Los Angeles County.
It is disconcerting to me that some have chosen to exploit this
moment of tragedy for political gain by immigrant-bashing. This is not
the time or the place to try to fix our Nation's immigration problems.
Concerns about immigration control are best dealt with through the
Nation's immigration policy--not through tinkering with disaster relief
in this appropriations bill.
To come together over this crisis to achieve what should be our
common goal--relief for the people of the area of Los Angeles--I
offered a compromise amendment in the Appropriations Committee that was
adopted and supported by a vast majority of members on both sides of
the aisle.
In a time of crisis, we should not be adding layers of bureaucracy to
a process which requires the utmost speed and efficiency. My amendment
to this bill does not intend to create any such obstacles which could
slow down Federal relief effort and cause discrimination against people
who, for whatever reason, cannot come up with any documents. Let me
state unequivocally that there is no immigration verification
requirement imposed upon FEMA as a result of this legislation.
Indeed, in the interest of fairness, any eligibility verification
procedure must be applied equally to all persons applying for
assistance. Nothing in the amendment should be construed as authorizing
any procedure that has the intent or effect of discriminating against
persons suspected of being ineligible for services. I expect vigorous
oversight and monitoring and immediate rectification of any
discriminatory procedures that may mistakenly result from this
legislation. That is the only way to avoid discriminatory treatment.
Any procedures adopted pursuant to this amendment must be in strict
compliance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
requires that all federally funded services be made available on a
nondiscriminatory basis.
We intend, with this amendment, not to deny emergency assistance to
anyone who needs food, water, shelter, medical assistance, or other
basic needs. The amendment does, however, place an immigration
restriction for certain long-term services, consistent with other
immigration restrictions which are already in the law.
Mr. Speaker, the people of the United States have a proud history of
opening up our hearts to the victims of disasters everywhere. With this
bill we will again open up our hearts and extend a helping hand to the
people of Los Angeles. I urge my colleagues to support this emergency
assistance bill.
{time} 1800
Mr. McDADE. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio].
The question was taken; and the Chairman announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
recorded vote
Mr. FAZIO. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 415,
noes 2, not voting 22, as follows:
[Roll No. 11]
AYES--415
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Allard
Andrews (ME)
Andrews (NJ)
Applegate
Archer
Armey
Bacchus (FL)
Bachus (AL)
Baesler
Baker (CA)
Baker (LA)
Ballenger
Barca
Barcia
Barlow
Barrett (NE)
Barrett (WI)
Bartlett
Barton
Bateman
Becerra
Beilenson
Bereuter
Berman
Bevill
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop
Blackwell
Bliley
Blute
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonior
Borski
Boucher
Browder
Brown (CA)
Brown (FL)
Brown (OH)
Bryant
Bunning
Burton
Buyer
Byrne
Callahan
Calvert
Camp
Canady
Cantwell
Cardin
Carr
Castle
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clinger
Clyburn
Coble
Coleman
Collins (GA)
Collins (MI)
Combest
Condit
Conyers
Cooper
Coppersmith
Costello
Cox
Coyne
Cramer
Crapo
Cunningham
Danner
Darden
de la Garza
de Lugo (VI)
Deal
DeFazio
DeLauro
DeLay
Dellums
Derrick
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart
Dickey
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Dooley
Doolittle
Dornan
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Durbin
Edwards (CA)
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Evans
Everett
Ewing
Faleomavaega (AS)
Farr
Fawell
Fazio
Fields (LA)
Fields (TX)
Filner
Fingerhut
Fish
Flake
Foglietta
Foley
Ford (MI)
Ford (TN)
Fowler
Frank (MA)
Franks (CT)
Franks (NJ)
Frost
Furse
Gallegly
Gallo
Gejdenson
Gekas
Gephardt
Geren
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gilman
Gingrich
Glickman
Gonzalez
Goodlatte
Gordon
Goss
Grams
Grandy
Greenwood
Gunderson
Gutierrez
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hamburg
Hamilton
Hancock
Hansen
Harman
Hastert
Hayes
Hefley
Hefner
Herger
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hoagland
Hobson
Hochbrueckner
Hoekstra
Hoke
Holden
Horn
Houghton
Hoyer
Huffington
Hughes
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hutto
Hyde
Inglis
Inhofe
Inslee
Istook
Jacobs
Jefferson
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson, E.B.
Johnson, Sam
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kasich
Kennedy
Kennelly
Kildee
Kim
King
Kingston
Kleczka
Klein
Klink
Klug
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kopetski
Kreidler
Kyl
LaFalce
Lambert
Lancaster
Lantos
LaRocco
Laughlin
Lazio
Leach
Levin
Levy
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lightfoot
Linder
Lipinski
Livingston
Lloyd
Long
Lowey
Machtley
Maloney
Mann
Manton
Manzullo
Margolies-Mezvinsky
Martinez
Matsui
Mazzoli
McCandless
McCloskey
McCollum
McCrery
McCurdy
McDade
McDermott
McHale
McHugh
McInnis
McKeon
McKinney
McMillan
McNulty
Meehan
Meek
Menendez
Meyers
Mfume
Mica
Miller (CA)
Miller (FL)
Mineta
Minge
Mink
Moakley
Molinari
Mollohan
Montgomery
Moorhead
Moran
Morella
Murtha
Myers
Nadler
Natcher
Neal (MA)
Neal (NC)
Norton (DC)
Nussle
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Orton
Oxley
Packard
Pallone
Parker
Pastor
Paxon
Payne (NJ)
Payne (VA)
Pelosi
Penny
Peterson (FL)
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Pickett
Pickle
Pombo
Porter
Portman
Poshard
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Quillen
Quinn
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Ravenel
Reed
Regula
Richardson
Ridge
Roberts
Roemer
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Romero-Barcelo (PR)
Ros-Lehtinen
Rose
Rostenkowski
Roth
Roukema
Rowland
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Rush
Sabo
Sanders
Sangmeister
Santorum
Sarpalius
Sawyer
Saxton
Schaefer
Schenk
Schiff
Schroeder
Schumer
Scott
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sharp
Shaw
Shays
Shuster
Sisisky
Skaggs
Skeen
Skelton
Slattery
Slaughter
Smith (IA)
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Snowe
Solomon
Spence
Spratt
Stark
Stearns
Stenholm
Stokes
Strickland
Studds
Stump
Stupak
Sundquist
Swett
Swift
Synar
Talent
Tanner
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Tejeda
Thomas (CA)
Thomas (WY)
Thompson
Thornton
Thurman
Torkildsen
Torricelli
Towns
Traficant
Tucker
Underwood (GU)
Unsoeld
Upton
Valentine
Velazquez
Visclosky
Volkmer
Vucanovich
Walker
Walsh
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Weldon
Wheat
Whitten
Williams
Wilson
Wise
Wolf
Woolsey
Wyden
Wynn
Yates
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Zeliff
Zimmer
NOES--2
Brewster
Goodling
NOT VOTING--22
Andrews (TX)
Bentley
Brooks
Chapman
Collins (IL)
Crane
Green
Hastings
Johnston
Lehman
Lewis (FL)
Markey
Michel
Murphy
Owens
Pomeroy
Reynolds
Shepherd
Smith (OR)
Torres
Vento
Washington
{time} 1820
So the amendment was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The CHAIRMAN. Are there other amendments before the House?
Does the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer] wish to offer his
amendment?
Mr. HOYER. Madam Chairman, I will not be offering my amendment at
this time.
The CHAIRMAN. Under the rule, no further amendments being in order,
the Committee rises.
Accordingly, the Committee rose, and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Moakley) having assumed the chair, Mrs. Kennelly, Chairman of the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3579)
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1994, and for other purposes, pursuant to House
Resolution 336, she reported the bill back to the House with sundry
amendments adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is
ordered.
Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment? If not, the Chair will
put them en gros.
The amendments were agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third
reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
motion to recommit offered by mr. myers of indiana
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the bill?
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, without the rescissions, I am
opposed to the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. MYERS moves to recommit the bill, H.R. 3759, to the
Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back
the same forthwith to the House with the following amendment:
At the end of the bill:
(1) Insert the text of H.R. 3511, as reported by the
Committee on Appropriations, making rescissions of $2.561
billion: and
(2) insert at the end thereof the following new sections:
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS CONNECTED WITH REDUCTION IN FULL
TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS.
Of the aggregate funds made available to executive
departments and agencies in appropriations Acts for fiscal
year 1994 for purposes of employee compensation, with the
exception of the Department of Defense, $750,000,000 is
rescinded. The Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall allocate such rescission among the appropriate
accounts and shall submit to the Congress a report setting
forth such allocation;
SEC. . REDUCTION IN ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
(a) Budget Obligations.--
(1) In general.--The amount obligated by all departments
and agencies, with the exception of the Department of
Defense, for expenses during fiscal year 1994 shall be
reduced by an amount sufficient to result in a reduction of
$3,200,000,000 in outlays for expenses during fiscal year
1994. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget
shall establish obligation limits for each agency and
department in order to carry out the provision of this
section.
(b) Definition.--For purposes of this section the term
``expenses'' means the object classes identified by the
Office of Management and Budget in Object Classes 21-26 as
follows:
(1) 21.0: Travel and Transportation of Persons.
(2) 22.0: Transportation of Things.
(3) 23.2: Rental Payments to Others.
(4) 23.3: Communications, Utilities, and Misc.
(5) 24.0: Printing and Reproduction.
(6) 25.1: Consulting Services.
(7) 25.2: Other Services.
(8) 26.0: Supplies and Materials.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FROM SPR PETROLEUM ACCOUNT.
The unobligated balance of the funds in the SPR petroleum
account on the date of the enactment of this Act is
rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FROM TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY.
Of the funds in the National Fertilizer and Environmental
Research Center account of the Tennessee Valley Authority,
$10,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Legal
Services Corporation--Payment to the Legal Services
Corporation'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and
State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-121), $20,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR BATF.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms--Salaries and Expenses'' in the
Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government
Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-123), $2,000,000 is
rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Community
Planning and Development--Community Development Grants'' in
the Department of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban
Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-124) for grants, $400,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR MK-19 GRENADE LAUNCHER
PROGRAM.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Procurement
of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army'' in the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-
139), $15,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the MK-19
Grenade Launcher Program.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR NOAA RESEARCH FLEET.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'' in the Departments
of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. 103-121), $17,000,000
is rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR EDA.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``Economic
Development Administration--Economic Development Assistance
Programs'' in the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State,
the Judiciary and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-121), $25,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR HOUSE FRANKING.
Of the funds made available under the heading ``House of
Representatives--Salaries and Expenses'' in the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L. 103-69), $2,000,000
is rescinded, to be derived from ``Official Mail Costs''.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR WORLD BANK.
Of the funds made available under the heading
``Contribution to the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development'' in the Foreign Operations, Export
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1994
(Pub. L. 103-87), $25,000,000 is rescinded.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR AIRWAY SCIENCE PROGRAM.
FAA Facilities and Equipment--Of the unobligated balance of
funds made available under the heading ``Federal Aviation
Administration--Facilities and Equipment'' in appropriations
Acts for fiscal year 1994 and prior fiscal years, $13,000,000
is rescinded, to be derived from the airway science program.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF CERTAIN DEFENSE ADD-ONS.
(a) Military Construction.--Of the funds made available
under the heading ``Military Construction, Army Reserve'' in
the Military Construction Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-110), $15,000,000 is rescinded, to be derived from the
Georgia-Fort McPherson Command Headquarters, Phase I,
project.
(b) Defense Procurement.--Of the funds made available in
the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-139), the following amounts are rescinded from the
following accounts and programs:
(1) ``Other Procurement, Army'': $15,000,000 to be derived
from common hardware and software.
(2) ``Other Procurement, Navy'': $30,000,000 to be derived
from spare and repair parts.
(3) ``Other Procurement, Navy'': $12,000,000 to be derived
from weapons range support equipment.
(4) ``Other Procurement, Army'': $10,000,000 to be derived
from tactical trailers/dolly sets.
(5) ``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy'': $50,000,000 to
be derived from advance procurement of LHD-7.
SEC. . RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.
(a) In General.--The funds made available for each account
in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-69), are rescinded by 1.3 percent of such funds.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask
unanimous consent that the motion to recommit be considered as read and
printed in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Myers] is
recognized for 5 minutes in support of his motion to recommit.
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the language in my motion to
recommit is identical to the Myers amendment offered earlier this
afternoon. We adequately discussed it then, and it was debated.
Therefore, I shall take no more time.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for an aye vote on the motion to recommit. The
Members have been here for a long time today, and I appreciate the
earlier vote.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Natcher] is
recognized for 5 minutes in opposition to the motion to recommit.
Mr. NATCHER. Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition to the motion to
recommit with instructions. We have already defeated this rescission
proposal once today. It would make major reductions with significant
impacts. Vote no on this motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is
ordered on the motion to recommit.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
recorded vote
Mr. MYERS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 184,
noes 228, not voting 21, as follows:
[Roll No. 12]
AYES--184
Allard
Archer
Armey
Bachus (AL)
Baker (CA)
Baker (LA)
Ballenger
Barca
Barrett (NE)
Bartlett
Barton
Bateman
Bereuter
Bilirakis
Bliley
Blute
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bunning
Burton
Buyer
Callahan
Camp
Canady
Castle
Clinger
Coble
Collins (GA)
Combest
Condit
Cox
Crapo
Cunningham
DeLay
Diaz-Balart
Dickey
Doolittle
Dornan
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Ehlers
Emerson
Everett
Ewing
Fawell
Fields (TX)
Fish
Fowler
Franks (CT)
Franks (NJ)
Gallegly
Gallo
Gekas
Geren
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gilman
Gingrich
Goodlatte
Goodling
Goss
Grams
Grandy
Greenwood
Gunderson
Hall (TX)
Hamilton
Hancock
Hansen
Hastert
Hefley
Herger
Hoagland
Hobson
Hoekstra
Hoke
Horn
Houghton
Huffington
Hughes
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hutto
Hyde
Inglis
Inhofe
Istook
Jacobs
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, Sam
Kasich
King
Kingston
Klug
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kyl
Lazio
Leach
Levy
Lightfoot
Linder
Livingston
Machtley
Manzullo
Margolies-Mezvinsky
McCollum
McCrery
McDade
McHugh
McInnis
McMillan
Meyers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Molinari
Morella
Myers
Nussle
Orton
Oxley
Packard
Paxon
Payne (VA)
Penny
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Pickle
Pombo
Porter
Portman
Poshard
Pryce (OH)
Quillen
Quinn
Ramstad
Ravenel
Regula
Ridge
Roberts
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roth
Roukema
Royce
Santorum
Saxton
Schaefer
Schiff
Sensenbrenner
Shaw
Shays
Shuster
Slattery
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Solomon
Spence
Stearns
Stenholm
Stump
Sundquist
Swett
Talent
Tanner
Taylor (NC)
Thomas (CA)
Thomas (WY)
Torkildsen
Upton
Valentine
Vucanovich
Walker
Weldon
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Zeliff
Zimmer
NOES--228
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Andrews (ME)
Andrews (NJ)
Applegate
Bacchus (FL)
Baesler
Barcia
Barlow
Barrett (WI)
Becerra
Beilenson
Berman
Bevill
Bilbray
Bishop
Blackwell
Bonior
Borski
Boucher
Brewster
Brooks
Browder
Brown (CA)
Brown (FL)
Brown (OH)
Bryant
Byrne
Calvert
Cantwell
Cardin
Carr
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coleman
Collins (MI)
Conyers
Cooper
Coppersmith
Costello
Coyne
Cramer
Danner
Darden
de la Garza
Deal
DeFazio
DeLauro
Dellums
Derrick
Deutsch
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Dooley
Durbin
Edwards (CA)
Edwards (TX)
Engel
English
Eshoo
Evans
Farr
Fazio
Fields (LA)
Filner
Fingerhut
Flake
Foglietta
Ford (MI)
Ford (TN)
Frank (MA)
Frost
Furse
Gejdenson
Gephardt
Gibbons
Glickman
Gonzalez
Gordon
Gutierrez
Hall (OH)
Hamburg
Harman
Hayes
Hefner
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hochbrueckner
Holden
Hoyer
Inslee
Jefferson
Johnson (SD)
Johnson, E. B.
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kennelly
Kildee
Kim
Kleczka
Klein
Klink
Kopetski
Kreidler
LaFalce
Lambert
Lancaster
Lantos
LaRocco
Laughlin
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Lloyd
Long
Lowey
Maloney
Mann
Martinez
Matsui
Mazzoli
McCandless
McCloskey
McCurdy
McDermott
McHale
McKeon
McKinney
McNulty
Meehan
Meek
Menendez
Mfume
Miller (CA)
Mineta
Minge
Mink
Moakley
Mollohan
Montgomery
Moran
Murtha
Nadler
Natcher
Neal (MA)
Neal (NC)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Parker
Pastor
Payne (NJ)
Pelosi
Peterson (FL)
Pickett
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Richardson
Roemer
Rose
Rostenkowski
Rowland
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Sabo
Sanders
Sangmeister
Sarpalius
Sawyer
Schenk
Schroeder
Schumer
Scott
Serrano
Sharp
Sisisky
Skaggs
Skeen
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (IA)
Snowe
Spratt
Stark
Stokes
Strickland
Studds
Stupak
Swift
Synar
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Tejeda
Thompson
Thornton
Thurman
Torres
Torricelli
Towns
Traficant
Tucker
Unsoeld
Velazquez
Vento
Visclosky
Volkmer
Walsh
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Wheat
Whitten
Williams
Wilson
Wise
Woolsey
Wyden
Wynn
Yates
NOT VOTING--21
Andrews (TX)
Bentley
Chapman
Collins (IL)
Crane
Green
Hastings
Johnston
Lehman
Lewis (FL)
Manton
Markey
Michel
Moorhead
Murphy
Owens
Pomeroy
Reynolds
Shepherd
Smith (OR)
Washington
{time} 1843
The Clerk announced the following pair:
On this vote:
Mr. Smith of Oregon for, with Mr. Manton against.
Mr. MINGE changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
Mr. GALLEGLY and Mr. HOAGLAND changed their vote from ``no'' to
``aye.''
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murtha). The question is on the passage
of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
recorded vote
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 337,
noes 74, not voting 22, as follows:
[Roll No. 13]
AYES--337
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Andrews (ME)
Applegate
Armey
Bacchus (FL)
Bachus (AL)
Baesler
Baker (CA)
Baker (LA)
Ballenger
Barca
Barcia
Barlow
Barrett (NE)
Barrett (WI)
Bateman
Becerra
Beilenson
Bereuter
Berman
Bevill
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop
Blackwell
Blute
Boehlert
Bonior
Borski
Boucher
Brooks
Browder
Brown (FL)
Brown (OH)
Bryant
Burton
Buyer
Byrne
Calvert
Camp
Canady
Cantwell
Cardin
Carr
Castle
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coleman
Collins (MI)
Condit
Conyers
Cooper
Coppersmith
Costello
Cox
Coyne
Cramer
Cunningham
Danner
Darden
de la Garza
DeLauro
Dellums
Derrick
Deutsch
Dickey
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Dooley
Doolittle
Dornan
Dreier
Dunn
Durbin
Edwards (CA)
Edwards (TX)
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Evans
Farr
Fawell
Fazio
Fields (LA)
Filner
Fish
Flake
Foglietta
Ford (MI)
Ford (TN)
Fowler
Franks (CT)
Franks (NJ)
Frost
Furse
Gallegly
Gallo
Gejdenson
Gekas
Gephardt
Geren
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gingrich
Glickman
Gonzalez
Gordon
Goss
Grandy
Greenwood
Gunderson
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hamburg
Hamilton
Harman
Hayes
Hefner
Herger
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hoagland
Hobson
Hochbrueckner
Hoekstra
Holden
Horn
Houghton
Hoyer
Huffington
Hughes
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hutto
Hyde
Inglis
Inslee
Jacobs
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson, E. B.
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kasich
Kennedy
Kennelly
Kildee
Kim
King
Kleczka
Klein
Klink
Klug
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kopetski
Kreidler
Kyl
LaFalce
Lambert
Lancaster
Lantos
LaRocco
Laughlin
Lazio
Leach
Levin
Levy
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lightfoot
Linder
Lipinski
Livingston
Lloyd
Long
Lowey
Machtley
Maloney
Mann
Manzullo
Margolies-Mezvinsky
Martinez
Matsui
Mazzoli
McCandless
McCloskey
McCollum
McCrery
McCurdy
McDade
McDermott
McHale
McHugh
McKeon
McKinney
McMillan
McNulty
Meehan
Meek
Menendez
Meyers
Mfume
Miller (CA)
Miller (FL)
Mineta
Minge
Mink
Moakley
Molinari
Mollohan
Montgomery
Moorhead
Moran
Morella
Murtha
Nadler
Natcher
Neal (MA)
Neal (NC)
Nussle
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Oxley
Packard
Pallone
Parker
Payne (NJ)
Pelosi
Penny
Peterson (FL)
Pickett
Pickle
Pombo
Porter
Poshard
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Quinn
Rahall
Rangel
Ravenel
Reed
Regula
Richardson
Ridge
Roberts
Roemer
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Rose
Rostenkowski
Roukema
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Rush
Sabo
Sanders
Sangmeister
Sarpalius
Sawyer
Saxton
Schenk
Schiff
Schroeder
Schumer
Scott
Sharp
Shaw
Sisisky
Skaggs
Skeen
Skelton
Slattery
Slaughter
Smith (IA)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Snowe
Spence
Spratt
Stark
Stokes
Strickland
Studds
Stupak
Swett
Swift
Synar
Talent
Tanner
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Tejeda
Thomas (CA)
Thomas (WY)
Thompson
Thornton
Thurman
Torkildsen
Torres
Torricelli
Towns
Traficant
Tucker
Unsoeld
Upton
Valentine
Vento
Visclosky
Volkmer
Vucanovich
Walsh
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Wheat
Whitten
Williams
Wilson
Wise
Wolf
Woolsey
Wyden
Wynn
Yates
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOES--74
Allard
Andrews (NJ)
Archer
Bartlett
Barton
Bliley
Boehner
Bonilla
Brewster
Bunning
Callahan
Clinger
Coble
Collins (GA)
Combest
Crapo
Deal
DeFazio
DeLay
Diaz-Balart
Duncan
Ehlers
Everett
Ewing
Fields (TX)
Fingerhut
Frank (MA)
Goodlatte
Goodling
Grams
Gutierrez
Hancock
Hansen
Hastert
Hefley
Hoke
Inhofe
Istook
Johnson (CT)
Johnson, Sam
Kingston
McInnis
Mica
Myers
Orton
Pastor
Paxon
Payne (VA)
Peterson (MN)
Petri
Portman
Quillen
Ramstad
Ros-Lehtinen
Roth
Rowland
Santorum
Schaefer
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Shays
Shuster
Smith (MI)
Solomon
Stearns
Stenholm
Stump
Sundquist
Taylor (NC)
Velazquez
Walker
Weldon
Zeliff
Zimmer
NOT VOTING--22
Andrews (TX)
Bentley
Brown (CA)
Chapman
Collins (IL)
Crane
Gilman
Green
Hastings
Johnston
Lehman
Lewis (FL)
Manton
Markey
Michel
Murphy
Owens
Pomeroy
Reynolds
Shepherd
Smith (OR)
Washington
{time} 1852
The Clerk announced the following pairs:
On this vote:
Mr. Johnston of Florida for, with Mr. Smith of Oregon
against.
Mr. Washington for, with Mr. Crane against.
Mr. McINNIS changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________