[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
WAIVING CERTAIN POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST H.R. 4554, AGRICULTURAL, RURAL 
    DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1995

  Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 455 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 455

       Resolved, That during consideration of the bill (H.R. 4554) 
     making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, 
     Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs 
     for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1995, and for other 
     purposes, points of order against the following provisions in 
     the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI are 
     waived: beginning on page 26, line 3, through line 8; 
     beginning with ``$30,000,000'' on page 42, line 16, through 
     ``housing;'' on line 17; beginning with ``section'' on page 
     43, line 1, through ``$15,750,000'' on line 2; beginning with 
     ``Provided'' on page 46, line 5, through ``1993'' on line 12; 
     beginning with ``Provided'' on page 46, line 19, through 
     ``1993'' on page 47, line 2; beginning with ``Provided'' on 
     page 47, line 14, through ``$10,565,000'' on line 20; 
     beginning with ``of which'' on page 48, line 5, through 
     ``1993'' on line 9; the phrase ``the foregoing $19,047,000'' 
     on page 48, line 13; beginning with ``of which'' on page 50, 
     line 10, through ``1993'' on line 14; beginning on page 57, 
     line 1, through ``(7 U.S.C. 612c)'' on line 12; beginning on 
     page 58, line 23, through line 25; beginning on page 59, line 
     16, through page 60, line 5; beginning on page 69, line 1, 
     through line 6; and beginning on page 70, line 20, through 
     page 71, line 8.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. 
Derrick] is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Quillen], 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the 
purpose of debate only.
  (Mr. DERRICK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 455 provides for 
consideration of the Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 
1995. The rule waives clause 2 of rule XXI against certain provisions 
in the bill. Clause 2 of rule XXI prohibits unauthorized appropriations 
or legislative provisions in a general appropriations bill.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4554 is the Agriculture appropriations bill for 
fiscal year 1995. The bill appropriates a total of $67.9 billion in 
budget authority which is $536 million below the President's budget 
request and $4.2 billion below last year's level.
  During testimony before the Rules Committee, Chairman Durbin 
discussed the difficulty the committee faced in making the choices 
between what programs needed increases in funding and where the cuts 
would have to be made.
  While staying within the overall budget ceiling, the committee was 
able to provide increases for only the eight highest priority programs. 
These programs include: The Supplemental Food Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children; low-income rent supplements; subsidies for 
guaranteed loans; rural water and sewer grants; rural business 
enterprise grants; local technical assistance and planning grants; and 
the Food and Drug Administration.
  In order to keep the bill below the 602(b) allocation and make 
necessary increases in funding for the priority programs, the committee 
was required to make reductions in funding below the fiscal year 1994 
level in most of the other discretionary programs contained in the 
bill.
  As a result, the bill's discretionary spending outlays have been 
reduced by 10 percent below last year's appropriation level. Out of the 
roughly 90 programs in the bill, over 70 have been cut and 10 have been 
held at the same level as last year.
  Mr. Speaker, of the programs funded in the bill the crop insurance 
program has been funded at a level of $292 million which is less than 
the administration's request. The committee assumes significant savings 
will be achieved in fiscal year 1995 through the enactment of the 
administration's crop insurance reform proposal which is pending before 
the Agriculture Committee.
  The bill also appropriates $431 million for the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service. The bill assumes the enactment of legislation 
authorizing the collection of $103 million in user fees which could 
raise the total available to $534 million. This funding includes $8 
million to hire an additional 200 meat and poultry inspectors.
  The bill appropriates a total of $2.7 billion for soil and water 
conservation programs. Of this total, $1.7 billion is provided to the 
Conservation Reserve Program which would encourage farmers to take 
highly erodible land out of crop production. Another $93 million in 
funding will be used for the Wetlands Reserve Program. This amount is a 
40-percent increase from the previous year's level.
  The bill also appropriates $15.5 billion to reimburse the Commodity 
Credit Corporation. Funding for the CCC is $2.5 billion less than last 
year's funding. This reduction is attributable to reduced crop 
production resulting from last year's floods in the Midwest.
  H.R. 4554 provides lending authority of $2.5 billion for Framers Home 
Administration housing programs which is a decrease of 24 percent from 
the current fiscal year.
  The bill also provides $1.4 billion for the Rural Electrification 
Administration. Although funding is close to the administration's 
request, it is distributed differently among the various programs. The 
bill increases the funding for 5-percent electric loans to $75 million 
and comparable telephone loans to $75 million.
  H.R. 4554 appropriates $28.8 billion for the Food Stamp Program. This 
amount is a 2-percent increase from the current level. The bill also 
appropriates $3.5 billion for the Special Supplemental Food Program for 
Women, Infants, and Children. The amount is 8 percent more than last 
year's level.
  The bill further provides $7.45 billion for child nutrition programs 
and $80 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program which 
distributes food to needy individuals. In addition, the bill provides 
$1.3 billion for the Food for Peace Program which provides assistance 
to other nations for the purchase of U.S. agricultural commodities.
  Finally, the bill appropriates $899 million for the Food and Drug 
Administration which includes the collection of $86 million for user 
fees.
  Mr. Speaker, we have the best agricultural system in the world. We 
spend a smaller percentage of our income on food than any other 
industrial nation in the world. The programs in this bill play an 
important role in maintaining our food system. Today's farmers are 
faced with difficulties never seen before. Many of the farmers in my 
State can't seem to break even. The programs in this bill do not just 
help the farmer, but benefit all Americans by providing a plentiful 
supply of reasonably priced food.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 455 will expedite consideration of this 
important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the 
bill.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. QUILLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. QUILLEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. QUILLEN. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague, the gentleman from South 
Carolina, has described, this is an open rule providing for the 
consideration of H.R. 4554, making appropriations for agriculture, 
rural development, the Food and Drug Administration, and related 
agencies for fiscal year 1995.
  The rule does provide protection for certain unauthorized 
appropriations and certain legislative provisions contained in the 
bill. However, an itemized list of those provisions was made available 
so that Members can see exactly what we are protecting under the rule. 
I am not aware of any objection to these waivers, and the rule does not 
restrict the amending process nor does it prohibit motions to strike 
specific funds. I am pleased to support its adoption.
  As usual, the Appropriations Committee has done an outstanding job. 
This bill provides funding for numerous agricultural programs, such as 
price supports, research, and crop insurance. It also funds 
Conservation, Rural Development and Food Assistance Programs, as well 
as funding the Food and Drug Administration, the Commodity Credit 
Corporation, and other related agencies. The committee was able to meet 
its obligations and still report a bill that is $4.18 billion below 
last year's level. I am sure this was a difficult task, and I commend 
the committee for a job well done.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this rule so we can move on to the 
consideration of this important appropriations bill.
  Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Durbin].
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from South 
Carolina [Mr. Derrick], as well as the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. 
Quillen] for producing this rule and expressing their opinion in 
support of it.
  I might say to the House, Mr. Speaker, that last year this bill came 
to the floor with no rule whatsoever. It was the decision of the 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Skeen], the ranking member of this 
committee, and myself, that we would bring this bill to the floor with 
an open rule so that any Member wishing to offer any germane amendment 
would be allowed to do so. This year, because of several unauthorized 
programs, major programs, I might add, it was necessary to seek the 
protection of a rule for that specific and limited purpose.
  For all of the Members of the House on both sides of the aisle, for 
all intents and purposes, this is an open rule. We anticipate having a 
free and open debate. I want to thank the Committee on Rules for their 
cooperation.
  Mr. QUILLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
Mexico [Mr. Skeen].
  Mr. SKEEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to say that this is a 
good rule. I support it. I think it is indicative of the kind of work 
we have done on the bill itself under the leadership of the gentleman 
from Illinois [Mr. Durbin].
  I want to say that I think that with 535 absolute experts in 
agriculture within the confines under this dome, we can get this 
agriculture appropriation bill done in a very short order without too 
much bloodletting, and the rest of it. I know there is a lot of 
contention and so on. Let us approve the rule and get on with the 
debate.
  Mr. QUILLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, 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. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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