[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: May 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
WAIVING A CERTAIN REQUIREMENT WITH RESPECT TO CONSIDERATION OF A
RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4426, FOREIGN
OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
1995
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on
Rules, I call up House Resolution 441 and ask for its immediate
consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 441
Resolved, That the requirement of clause 4(b) of rule XI
for a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee
on Rules on the same day it is presented to the House is
waived with respect to a resolution reported on the
legislative day of May 25, 1994, providing for consideration
of the bill (H.R. 4426) making appropriations for foreign
operations, export financing, and related programs for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1995.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall] is
recognized for one hour.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Dreier],
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During debate
on this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 441 is a simple resolution to permit
the House to consider the foreign operations appropriations bill today.
The rule waives the two-thirds vote requirement against a rule on the
foreign operations bill if the rule is brought up on the same day it is
reported from the Rules Committee.
This is the 2d of 13 appropriations bills which the House is hoping
to complete and send to the Senate by the end of June. It is a vitally
important bill which will help us reorder our priorities in foreign aid
while making significant reductions in the overall foreign aid spending
level.
The bill provides additional disaster relief assistance for
countries, experiencing severe emergencies, such as Yugoslavia and
Somalia. It establishes important new programs of democratization and
nonproliferation. And, most importantly, it increases the funding
levels in all child activities, including child survival, basic
education, displaced children, and UNICEF.
The Rules Committee met this morning at 9:30 to grant a rule
providing for consideration of the foreign operations appropriations
bill. The rule under consideration at this time simply allows us to
take it up today by a majority, rather than a two-thirds vote. I urge
my colleagues to support this rule and let us proceed to debate how we
intend to fund our Nation's foreign assistance programs.
{time} 1330
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, it should come as no surprise that I rise in
strong opposition to this rule, waiving a requirement for a two-thirds
vote to consider a report from the Committee on Rules on the Foreign
Operations Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1995 on the same day that
it is reported.
Mr. Speaker, waiving the two-thirds rule should be reserved for
emergencies. That is when we waive the two-thirds rules. In this case,
we do not have an emergency. The schedule of the House does not warrant
this kind of very extreme action. We are not approaching the sine die
adjournment. We simply face the Memorial Day district work period. On
top of that, despite the scheduling concerns of the Committee on
Appropriations, they are far ahead of last year's appropriation pace.
Certainly there is no ``foreign aid'' emergency that requires
immediate congressional action on this spending bill today. The House
can consider foreign aid tomorrow. We could debate foreign assistance
upon return from our districts in 2 weeks. Therefore, I have to wonder
if the Democrat leadership would prefer that Members of Congress not go
home for 2 weeks with the foreign aid bill pending--it might make votes
harder to come by when they get back after listening to their
constituents.
Mr. Speaker, this ``martial law'' rule is not about foreign aid. It
is about the process of deliberative democracy, or more accurately, the
lack of real democracy that exists around here. We are being asked to
expedite consideration of a truly horrendous rule that cuts the heart
out of the House's most sacred responsibility, thorough and open
consideration of spending bills. The power of the purse of the House is
now regularly stripped on foreign aid bills, and that deed is done each
year through the rule on the Foreign Operations Act.
Therefore, of all rules that are least deserving of being rushed to
the House floor through ``emergency'' authority, this Foreign
Operations Act rule stands out. If we are going to deny the American
people, through their elected representatives, the right to debate and
vote on amendments that subject foreign aid to the democratic process,
then let us at least honor the House rules and consider that closed
rule under regular order.
Mr. Speaker, this House should be a living testament to the
democratic principles of deliberation, accountability, and consensus.
We should not scrap those to appease the schedule of the Appropriations
Committee. I urge my colleagues to vote down this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Appleton, Wisconsin [Mr. Roth].
Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for
yielding time to me.
Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to this rule, as my friend, the gentleman
from California, is, but I am also opposed to the bill on its merits or
demerits. The reason I say that is despite all of the hoopla on
reforming foreign aid, this bill is just business as usual.
When we analyze it, it is $2.2 billion for international banks, it is
$7.6 billion for foreign aid, and it is $3 billion for military
assistance. Some token cuts have been made to put a veneer of change on
this legislation, but for those of us who want to put the American
taxpayer first for a change, it is easy to see through this disguise.
Mr. Speaker, the bill has $1.2 billion for the International
Development Association. That is a $210 million increase over last
year. The IDA is the World Bank's branch which gives loans that are
never repaid. We will never see this money again.
There is $168 million for the Asian Development Bank's development
fund. That is a $105 million increase. Asia is the fastest growing
region of the world. Why should the American taxpayer finance loans to
countries that are taking away American jobs?
The bill also has $2.8 billion in new money for AID's so-called
Development Assistance Programs. That is a $109 million increase for an
agency that everyone agrees is broken and needs reform.
Mr. Speaker, what does this bill do about reforms? It gives AID a $12
million increase in its operating budget. That brings it to $517
million, or over a half a billion for operating AID.
There is even an increase for the Housing Guarantee Program, which
sticks the American taxpayer with co-signing loans for houses now that
are not for Americans but for people in other countries, so the message
to every American family struggling to save enough for their first home
is that a majority in this House are putting other nations' needs ahead
of our own people's. This bill symbolizes what is wrong with the
majority who run the House, and have done so for 40 years.
Mr. Speaker, they ran foreign aid through the House instead of
cutting the waste. Last year the majority in the House voted for
President Clinton's' largest tax increase in American history, the
largest tax increase of $260 billion. Today we see the fruits of some
of those tax increases going overseas. No wonder the American people
are angry with Washington, but they should take into account who is
voting to send this money overseas.
Mr. Speaker, some of us are fighting to put the taxpayer ahead of
foreign interests, and some of us are fighting to put the American
people's needs ahead of the needs of foreign interests. That is what is
at stake with this bill, and the American people should take note and
remember.
Mr. Speaker, this rule before us requires a two-thirds vote. It is
not the proper rule for this House. The rule following it I am also
opposed to, but basically, the merits and demerits of this legislation
is what we should be voting on.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the body to vote against this rule.
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this obviously is not the procedure we should be using
for consideration of this. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my opening
remarks, this easily could be put off until tomorrow, or until we come
back from our district work period. This is not an emergency item, this
debate on foreign aid. It is called a martial law rule. There is no
reason under these kinds of circumstances to impose martial law in this
House.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' on the rule.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I
yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on
the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Torres). The question is on the
resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground
that a quorum is not present, and make the point of order that a quorum
is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 246,
nays 174, not voting 13, as follows:
[Roll No. 201]
YEAS--246
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Andrews (ME)
Andrews (NJ)
Andrews (TX)
Applegate
Bacchus (FL)
Baesler
Barca
Barcia
Barlow
Barrett (WI)
Becerra
Beilenson
Berman
Bevill
Bilbray
Bishop
Bonior
Borski
Boucher
Brewster
Brooks
Browder
Brown (CA)
Brown (FL)
Brown (OH)
Bryant
Byrne
Callahan
Cantwell
Cardin
Carr
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coleman
Collins (IL)
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
Everett
Farr
Fazio
Fields (LA)
Filner
Fingerhut
Flake
Foglietta
Ford (MI)
Ford (TN)
Frank (MA)
Frost
Furse
Gejdenson
Gephardt
Geren
Gibbons
Glickman
Gonzalez
Gordon
Green
Gutierrez
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hamburg
Hamilton
Harman
Hastings
Hefner
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hoagland
Hochbrueckner
Holden
Hoyer
Hughes
Hutto
Inslee
Jacobs
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnston
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kennelly
Kildee
Kleczka
Klein
Klink
Kopetski
Kreidler
LaFalce
Lambert
Lancaster
Lantos
LaRocco
Laughlin
Lehman
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lightfoot
Lipinski
Livingston
Long
Lowey
Maloney
Mann
Manton
Margolies-Mezvinsky
Markey
Martinez
Matsui
Mazzoli
McCloskey
McDermott
McHale
McKinney
McNulty
Meehan
Meek
Menendez
Mfume
Miller (CA)
Mineta
Minge
Mink
Moakley
Mollohan
Montgomery
Moran
Murphy
Murtha
Nadler
Neal (MA)
Neal (NC)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Orton
Owens
Pallone
Parker
Pastor
Payne (NJ)
Payne (VA)
Pelosi
Penny
Peterson (FL)
Peterson (MN)
Pickett
Pickle
Pomeroy
Poshard
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Reynolds
Richardson
Roemer
Rose
Rowland
Roybal-Allard
Sabo
Sanders
Sangmeister
Sawyer
Schenk
Schroeder
Schumer
Scott
Serrano
Sharp
Shepherd
Sisisky
Skaggs
Skelton
Slattery
Slaughter
Smith (IA)
Spratt
Stark
Stenholm
Stokes
Strickland
Studds
Stupak
Swett
Swift
Synar
Tanner
Tauzin
Tejeda
Thompson
Thornton
Thurman
Torres
Torricelli
Towns
Traficant
Tucker
Unsoeld
Velazquez
Vento
Visclosky
Volkmer
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Wheat
Williams
Wilson
Wise
Woolsey
Wyden
Wynn
Yates
NAYS--174
Allard
Archer
Armey
Bachus (AL)
Baker (CA)
Baker (LA)
Ballenger
Barrett (NE)
Bartlett
Barton
Bateman
Bentley
Bereuter
Bilirakis
Bliley
Blute
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bunning
Burton
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Canady
Castle
Clinger
Coble
Collins (GA)
Combest
Condit
Cox
Crane
Crapo
Cunningham
DeLay
Diaz-Balart
Dickey
Doolittle
Dornan
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Ehlers
Emerson
Ewing
Fawell
Fields (TX)
Fish
Fowler
Franks (CT)
Franks (NJ)
Gallegly
Gallo
Gekas
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gilman
Gingrich
Goodlatte
Goodling
Goss
Grams
Greenwood
Gunderson
Hancock
Hansen
Hastert
Hayes
Hefley
Herger
Hobson
Hoekstra
Hoke
Huffington
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hyde
Inglis
Inhofe
Istook
Johnson (CT)
Johnson, Sam
Kasich
Kim
King
Kingston
Klug
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kyl
Lazio
Leach
Levy
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (FL)
Linder
Lloyd
Lucas
Manzullo
McCandless
McCollum
McCrery
McDade
McHugh
McInnis
McKeon
McMillan
Meyers
Mica
Michel
Miller (FL)
Molinari
Moorhead
Morella
Myers
Nussle
Oxley
Packard
Paxon
Petri
Pombo
Porter
Portman
Pryce (OH)
Quillen
Quinn
Ramstad
Ravenel
Regula
Ridge
Roberts
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roth
Roukema
Royce
Santorum
Saxton
Schaefer
Schiff
Sensenbrenner
Shaw
Shays
Shuster
Skeen
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (OR)
Smith (TX)
Snowe
Solomon
Spence
Stearns
Stump
Sundquist
Talent
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Thomas (CA)
Thomas (WY)
Torkildsen
Upton
Valentine
Vucanovich
Walker
Walsh
Weldon
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Zeliff
Zimmer
NOT VOTING--13
Blackwell
Chapman
Grandy
Horn
Houghton
Machtley
McCurdy
Ortiz
Rostenkowski
Rush
Sarpalius
Washington
Whitten
{time} 1359
Mr. GILCHREST changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mr. DEAL changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________