[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
MORE FACTS ON WHITEWATER
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise to address the issue of
Whitewater, dealing with facts and reality instead of the hype that
currently surrounds the issue. I think it is clear the reason the
Republicans want to talk about Whitewater is that they do not want to
talk about the fact that the economy is in good shape or health care
reform or President Clinton's many accomplishments. They want to
distract attention from the main issues of the day: crime, welfare
reform, deficit reduction, by focusing on Whitewater, an issue that
most Americans dismiss as partisan Beltway politics.
Having returned from town meetings over the last few weeks in my
State of New Mexico, I see more clearly than ever that real people are
not concerned about Whitewater. In fact, recent polls show that two-
thirds of the American people see the Republican attacks as political,
unfair, and mean-spirited.
Let us face two fundamental facts. The Republicans demanded that a
special counsel at the the Justice Department be appointed, and the
President complied. Number two, this special counsel, a Republican, has
cautioned against congressional hearings because he feels they may
jeopardize his investigation.
Let us all, Democrats and Republicans, respect that. let us also look
at some facts that the other side want to ignore.
First, in 1993, nearly 2 million jobs were created, 70 percent more
private sector jobs in one year than were created in the previous 4
years.
Unemployment is down by the largest annual drop in 6 years. The
deficit, as a percentage of GDP, is the lowest it has been since 1979,
a year before the 12 years of Presidents Reagan and Bush.
Interest rates are at 25-year lows. And as a result, 5 million
American families have been able to refinance their homes.
Additionally, let us look at some of the administration's
accomplishments: real budget reduction, the lowest we have had in
years; NAFTA and the GATT accords; family and medical leave legislation
benefiting most American families; national service; motor voter
legislation, the list goes on and on.
Let me also raise some specific concerns regarding the substance of
the charges against Mrs. Hillary Clinton, some of which are totally
baseless and mean-spirited.
Some have charged that Mrs. Clinton unethically sought to profit from
her investment in Value Partners, a limited partnership investment fund
that operates like a mutual fund. The charge is, once again, absurd.
On February 10, in fact, Stephen Potts, the Director of the Office of
Government Ethics, and a Bush appointee, responded to an inquiry from
several Republican Members. Potts flatly stated that there was no basis
for investigating the First Lady's investment under applicable Federal
ethics laws. In spite of that response, 1 month later, 81 House
Republicans sent the same office a letter asking for an investigation,
clearly a politically-motivated effort to embarrass the First Lady and
distract the American people from the real issues.
After looking at the fact, I think that these individuals owe the
First lady an apology. Here are the facts.
First, Mrs. Clinton has never had any input, control or review of
investment decisions made by Value Partners.
Two, Mrs. Clinton has not spoken to the investment manager since the
summer of 1992. In fact, this is what he states: Not once in 16 years
has Hillary Clinton or the President tried to influence what I have
bought or sold.
Mr. Speaker, due to the administration's policies, the economy is
growing. Jobs are being created, and the deficit is shrinking. In
addition, we have been active very successfully this session of
Congress. Just last week we passed a budget in record time. Today we
dealt with a balanced budget amendment. Next week we will do the crime
bill and lobbying and ethics reform.
Let us talk about these real issues of the day, not the smoke and the
mirrors that the Republicans are creating on Whitewater.
The Republicans cannot attack the Clintons on substance so, instead,
they are hitting Mrs. Clinton with faceless and absurd charges.
Mr. Speaker, let us deal with the real issues like crime, like health
care, and deficits. Let us leave the Whitewater issue to the special
counsel.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Sabo] is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on the Budget and
pursuant to sections 302 and 311 of the Congressional Budget Act, I am
submitting for printing in the Congressional Record an updated report
on the current levels of on-budget spending and revenues for fiscal
year 1994 and for the 5-year period fiscal year 1994 through fiscal
year 1998.
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Budget,
Washington, DC, March 17, 1994.
Hon. Thomas S. Foley,
Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: To facilitate application for sections
302 and 311 of the Congressional Budget Act, I am
transmitting an updated status report on the current levels
of on-budget spending and revenues for fiscal year 1994 and
for the 5-year period fiscal year 1994 through fiscal year
1998.
The term ``current level'' refers to the amounts of
spending and revenues estimated for each fiscal year based on
laws enacted as of March 11, 1994.
The first table in the report compares the current levels
of total budget authority, outlays, and revenues with the
overall limits set in H. Con. Res. 64, the concurrent
resolution on the budget for fiscal year 1994. This
comparison is needed to implement section 311(a) of the
Budget Act, which creates a point of order against measures
that would breach the budget resolution's overall limits. The
table does not show budget authority and outlays for years
after fiscal year 1994 because appropriations for those years
have not yet been considered.
The second table compares the current levels of budget
authority, outlays, and new entitlement authority for each
direct spending committee with the ``section 602(a)''
allocations made under H. Con. Res. 64 for fiscal year 1994
and for fiscal years 1994 through 1998. This comparison is
needed to implement section 302(f) of the Budget Act, which
creates a point of order against measures that would breach
the section 602(a) allocation of new discretionary budget
authority or new entitlement authority for the committee that
reported the measure. It is also needed to implement section
311(b), which exempts committees that comply with their
allocations from the point of order under section 311(a). The
section 602(a) allocations were printed in the Congressional
Record for March 31, 1993 on pages H. 1784-87.
The third table compares the current levels of
discretionary appropriations for fiscal year 1994 with the
revised ``section 602(b)'' suballocations of discretionary
budget authority and outlays among Appropriations
subcommittees. This comparison is also needed to implement
section 302(f) of the Budget Act, since the point of order
under that section also applies to measures that would breach
the applicable section 602(b) suballocation. The revised
section 602(b) suballocations were filed by the
Appropriations Committee on September 30, 1993 (H. Rept. 103-
271).
Sincerely,
Martin Olav Sabo,
Chairman.
Enclosures.
REPORT TO THE SPEAKER FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET ON THE STATUS OF
THE FISCAL YEAR 1994 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ADOPTED IN HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION 64, REFLECTING ACTION COMPLETED AS OF MARCH 11, 1994
(On-budget amounts, in millions of dollars)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal
Fiscal year years 1994-
1994 1998
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriate level as set by House Concurrent
Resolution 64:
Budget authority............................ 1,223,400 6,744,900
Outlays..................................... 1,218,300 6,629,300
Revenues.................................... 905,500 5,153,400
Current Level:
Budget authority............................ 1,218,795 (NA)
Outlays..................................... 1,217,389 (NA)
Revenues.................................... 905,429 5,105,866
Current level over (+)/under (-) appropriate
level:
Budget authority............................ -4,605 (NA)
Outlays..................................... -911 (NA)
Revenues.................................... -71 -47,534
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NA=Not applicable because annual appropriations acts for fiscal years
1996 through 1998 will not be considered until future sessions of
Congress.
budget authority
Enactment of measures providing more than $4.605 billion in
new budget authority for fiscal year 1994 (if not already
included in the current level estimate) would cause fiscal
year 1994 budget authority to exceed the appropriate level
set by House Concurrent Resolution 64.
outlays
Enactment of measures providing new budget or entitlement
authority with fiscal year 1994 outlay effects of more than
$.911 billion--if not already included in the current level
estimate--would cause fiscal year 1994 outlays to exceed the
appropriate level set by House Concurrent Resolution 64.
revenues
Enactment of any measure producing any revenue loss in
fiscal year 1994--if not already included in the current
level estimate--would cause fiscal year 1994 revenues to fall
further below the appropriate level set by House Concurrent
Resolution 64.
Enactment of any measure producing any net revenue loss for
the period fiscal year 1994 through fiscal year 1998--if not
already included in the current level estimate--would cause
revenues for that period to fall further below the
appropriate level set by House Concurrent Resolution 64.
DIRECT SPENDING LEGISLATION--COMPARISON OF CURRENT LEVEL WITH COMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS PURSUANT TO BUDGET ACT
SECTION 602(a)
(Fiscal years, in millions of dollars)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1994 1994-1998
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BA Outlays NEA\1\ BA Outlays NEA\1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
House Committee:
Agriculture:
Allocation................ -65 -66 -60 -2,725 -2,727 888
Current level............. -99 -106 -402 -2,216 -2,411 -3,559
Difference................ -34 -40 -342 509 316 -4,447
Armed Services:
Allocation................ -128 -128 -128 -2,365 -2,357 -2,357
Current level............. -153 -163 -167 -2,271 -2,275 -2,328
Difference................ -25 -35 -39 94 82 29
Banking, Finance and Urban
Affairs:
Allocation................ 0 -338 0 0 -2,792 0
Current level............. -7 -505 0 46 -2,785 0
Difference................ -7 -167 0 46 7 0
District of Columbia:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Current level............. 0 0 0 0 0 0
Difference................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Education and Labor:
Allocation................ 0 0 118 0 0 -4,048
Current level............. -147 -158 -792 -142 -142 -5,172
Difference................ -147 -158 -910 -142 -142 -1,124
Energy and Commerce:
Allocation................ 0 -1,700 -180 -1,169 -8,369 -7,798
Current level............. 2 -2,398 42 -1,159 -11,359 -7,059
Difference................ 2 -698 222 10 -2,990 739
Foreign Affairs:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 -5 -5 -5
Current level............. -33 -33 -3 -149 -149 -60
Difference................ -33 -33 -3 -144 -144 -55
Government Operations:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Current level............. 0 0 0 0 0 0
Difference................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
House Administration:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Current level............. 1 1 0 8 8 0
Difference................ 1 1 0 8 8 0
Judiciary:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 -472 0
Current level............. 0 0 0 0 -345 0
Difference................ 0 0 0 0 127 0
Merchant Marine and Fisheries:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 -205 -205 -4
Current level............. -1 -1 0 -210 -210 0
Difference................ -1 -1 0 -5 -5 4
Natural Resources:
Allocation................ -117 -112 0 -709 -396 0
Current level............. -74 -78 0 -478 -481 0
Difference................ 43 34 0 231 212 0
Post Office and Civil Service:
Allocation................ -66 -66 -77 -10,199 -10,547 -9,597
Current level............. -266 -266 -266 -10,258 -10,606 -9,451
Difference................ -200 -200 -189 -59 -59 146
Public Works and
Transportation:
Allocation................ 2,092 -13 0 37,458 -85 0
Current level............. -13 -13 0 -85 -85 0
Difference................ -2,105 0 0 -37,543 0 0
Science, Space, and
Technology:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Current level............. 0 0 0 0 0 0
Difference................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Small Business:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Current level............. 0 0 0 0 0 0
Difference................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Veterans' Affairs:
Allocation................ -11 -11 70 -1,356 -1,352 3,447
Current level............. -11 -11 28 -1,356 -1,352 -366
Difference................ 0 0 -42 0 0 -3,813
Ways and Means:
Allocation................ -2,876 -2,054 -2,036 -29,669 -24,422 -12,596
Current level............. -1,216 -824 261 -42,102 -39,768 -35,957
Difference................ 1,660 1,230 2,297 12,433 -15,346 -23,361
Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence:
Allocation................ 0 0 0 0 0 0
Current level............. 7 7 7 33 33 33
Difference................ 7 7 7 33 33 33
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\New entitlement authority.
DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1994--COMPARISON OF CURRENT LEVEL WITH SUBALLOCATIONS PURSUANT TO
BUDGET ACT SECTION 602(b)
[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised filed 602(b) Current level Difference
suballocations (Sept. ---------------------------------------------------
30, 1993)
-------------------------- BA O BA O
BA O
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agriculture, Rural Development.... 14,819 14,317 14,595 14,205 -224 -112
Commerce, State, Judiciary........ 23,119 23,231 22,800 23,217 -319 -14
Defense........................... 240,446 255,465 239,897 255,151 -549 -314
District of Columbia.............. 700 698 700 698 0 0
Energy and Water Development...... 22,017 21,702 21,689 21,585 -328 -117
Foreign Operations................ 13,444 13,918 12,690 13,878 -754 -40
Interior.......................... 13,736 13,731 13,727 13,726 -9 -5
Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education.................... 67,283 68,140 67,189 68,012 -94 -128
Legislative....................... 2,270 2,267 2,264 2,262 -6 -5
Military Construction............. 10,066 8,784 9,464 8,759 -602 -25
Transportation.................... 13,284 34,889 12,435 34,878 -849 -11
Treasury-Postal Service........... 11,469 11,642 11,312 11,639 -157 -3
VA-HUD-Independent Agencies....... 68,311 69,973 68,053 69,978 -258 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand total................. 500,964 538,757 496,815 537,988 -4,149 -769
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, March 14, 1994.
Hon. Martin O. Sabo,
Chairman, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Pursuant to section 308(b) and in aid of
section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act, as amended, this
letter and supporting detail provide an up-to-date tabulation
of the on-budget current levels of new budget authority,
estimated outlays, and estimated revenues for fiscal year
1994 in comparison with the appropriate levels for those
items contained in the 1994 Concurrent Resolution on the
Budget (H. Con. Res. 64), and is current through March 11,
1994. A summary of this tabulation follows:
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget
House resolution Current
current (H. Con. level +/-
level Res. 64) resolution
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget authority................. 1,218,795 1,223,400 -4,605
Outlays.......................... 1,217,389 1,218,300 -911
Revenues:
1994......................... 905,429 905,500 -71
1994-1998.................... 5,105,866 5,153,400 -47,534
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since my last report, dated February 28, 1994, there has
been no action that affects the current level of budget
authority, outlays, or revenues.
Sincerely,
James T. Blum,
(For Robert D. Reischauer.)
PARLIAMENTARIAN STATUS REPORT 103D CONGRESS, 2D SESSION, HOUSE ON-BUDGET
SUPPORTING DETAIL FOR FISCAL YEAR 1994 AS OF CLOSE OF BUSINESS MARCH 11,
1994
[In million of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget
authority Outlays Revenues
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enacted in Previous Sessions
Revenues....................... ............ ............ 905,429
Permanents and other spending
legislation\1\................ 721,126 695,196 ...........
Appropriation legislation...... 742,749 758,885 ...........
Offsetting receipts............ (237,226) (237,226) ...........
----------------------------------------
Total previously enacted. 1,226,648 1,216,855 905,429
Enacted this Session
Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations, fiscal year
1994 (Pub. L. 103-211)........ (2,286) (248) ...........
Entitlements and Mandatories
Budget resolution baseline
estimates of appropriated
entitlements and other
mandatory programs not yet
enacted\2\.................... (5,567) 781 ...........
----------------------------------------
Total current
level\3\,\4\............ 1,218,795 1,217,389 905,429
Total budget resolution.. 1,223,400 1,218,300 905,500
Amount remaining:
Under budget resolution.... 4,605 911 71
Over budget resolution..... ............ ............ ...........
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes budget committee estimate of $2.4 billion in outlay savings
for FCC spectrum license fees.
\2\Includes changes to baseline estimates of appropriated mandatories
due to enactment of Public Law 103-66, and Public Law 103-140.
\3\In accordance with the Budget Enforcement Act, the total does not
include $13,608 million in budget authority and $8,896 million in
outlays in emergency funding.
\4\At the request of Committee staff, current level does not include
scoring of section 601 of Public Law 102-391.
Notes: Amounts in parentheses are negative. Detail may not add due to
rounding.
____________________