[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 125 (Monday, July 31, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1567-E1569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

                                 ______


                               speech of

                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2076) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and 
     State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes:

  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2076, 
Making Appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Justice, and 
State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 1996. This 
bill will cripple many of our Nations most important governmental 
functions so that the interests of the American people will not be well 
served.

[[Page E 1568]]

  The Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and 
Related Agencies appropriation bill allocates a total of $27.6 billion 
in fiscal year 1996. Excluding the money from the violent crime control 
trust fund, established in the 1994 Crime Control Act (PL 103-322), 
this bill appropriates 13 percent less than requested by the Clinton 
administration. This legislation also cuts the Commerce Department by 
17 percent, and the State Department and the Judiciary by 9 percent.
  In addition to these overall reductions the bill eliminates funding 
for many governmental programs that have proven to be excellent 
investments of Federal dollars. H.R. 2076, eliminates the advanced 
technology program that has created thousands of jobs across this 
Nation. The bill also eliminates the State Justice Institute, which 
provides assistance to State justice programs and the Small Business 
Administration Office of Advocacy to name just a few.
  In the justice portion of the bill, the Committee has failed to 
follow through with the President's unprecedented efforts to fight 
crime. The bill provides for $816.5 million less than requested by the 
Clinton administration for the Department of Justice. This substantial 
slashing of funds for many programs which have played an essential role 
in protecting our citizens is myopic, and detrimental to our society.
  Crime control measures supported by the administration to prevent 
crime, hire more police officers and fight the scourge of drugs, will 
be substantially cut or eliminated as a result of this legislation. 
H.R. 2076, would eliminate the highly successful and popular COPS 
Program that responds to the public's desire for an increased police 
presence in our communities.
  In addition to damaging our policing efforts this bill harms our 
mothers, daughters, and sisters by slashing funding for the Violence 
Against Women Act. H.R. 2076, removes over $100 million from this 
important program to help protect women from violence.
  Mr. Speaker, the appropriation for the Department of Commerce was 
devastatingly reduced by $1.2 billion below the amount requested by the 
administration. As a result of the cut to the Department of Commerce 
contained in H.R. 2076, our Government's efforts to promote economic 
development and technology advancement will be drastically hindered. 
The draconian cuts in this legislation includes a 21-percent cut for 
the Economic Development administration. This program includes many 
successful programs that have helped our Nation's businesses create 
jobs for thousands of Americans.
  The Small Business Administration allocation will also be reduced by 
36 percent, and the Office of Advocacy which represents the interests 
of small businesses within the Federal Government will be eliminated. 
Small business owners all across this Nation will be hurt by this 
extreme cut to the SBA.
  Economic opportunities for women and minorities will also be 
dramatically curtailed by the legislation we are considering today. The 
Minority Business Development Agency will be cut by over 33 percent. 
This irresponsible and unjust slashing of the budget for this important 
agency will lead to the foreclosing of economic opportunities for many 
Americans who must also endure the ravages of exclusion and 
discrimination.
  Our efforts to fight systematic discrimination will be substantially 
reduced. Civil rights and equal opportunity are treated as a low 
priority by H.R. 2076. The Commission on Civil Rights will be cut by 
$2.9 million and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will 
receive a staggering $35 million less than what was requested by the 
President. The EEOC has been significantly cut in this bill despite the 
fact that the EEOC has a massive backlog of cases. In addition the EEOC 
plays an essential role in our Nation's efforts to fight employment 
discrimination against all Americans. This disregard for the protection 
of the
 constitutionally protected rights of all Americans is unwarranted and 
irresponsible.

  Next, the Legal Services Corp., that provides vital legal assistance 
to poor Americans who can not afford an attorney has also been targeted 
for substantial cuts. In addition to eliminating $137 million in 
requested funding, this appropriations bill prohibits attorneys 
receiving Federal assistance from representing illegal aliens, 
initiating class action suits or participating in litigation involving 
prisoners or abortion. There are few more sacred rights possessed by 
Americans than the their right to seek redress in the courts. This 
attack on the Legal Service Corporation is yet another attempt by the 
new Republican majority to weaken programs which are politically 
unpopular with conservatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to add that the attempt by the 
majority to curtail essential governmental services to the American 
public is clearly inappropriate. This action circumvents the 
appropriate authorizing committees that should consider the proposed 
elimination or weakening of so many important laws. With limited 
opportunity for debate and hearings this ``legislation'' in an 
appropriations bill is clearly an unjustifiable circumvention of the 
procedures of the United States House of Representatives. This attempt 
to short circuit the process can only have one result, the compromise 
of vital services affecting the poor, minorities and women and 
Americans overall.
  It is my belief that H.R. 2076 and the circumstances under which it 
is presented in this House is an attempt to mislead the American people 
to believe that simplistic solutions will cure what ails this Nation. 
Nothing could be further from the truth. As our Nation faces an 
epidemic of crime, discrimination and poverty, the solution to these 
problems will not be found in quick fixes by slashing programs 
unpopular with Republican majority. The American people elected us to 
act in their best interest, not compromise their welfare because 
Government refuses to have the courage to meet its obligations to all 
of its citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would again like to express my opposition 
to the misguided priorities this bill represents. I strong encourage 
all of my colleagues to vote against H.R. 2076.


[[Page E 1569]]


                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Tuesday, August 1, 1995, may be found in the 
Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                                AUGUST 2
     9:00 a.m.
       Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings on the nominations of Jacob J. Lew, of 
           New York, to be Deputy Director of the Office of 
           Management and Budget, Jerome A. Stricker, of Kentucky, 
           and Sheryl R. Marshall, of Massachusetts, each to be a 
           Member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment 
           Board, William H. LeBlanc III, of Louisiana, to be a 
           Commissioner of the Postal Rate Commission, and Beth 
           Susan Slavet, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the 
           Merit Systems Protection Board.
                                                            SD-342
     9:30 a.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
         Business meeting, to consider the nomination of John 
           Raymond Garamendi, of California, to be Deputy 
           Secretary of the Interior; to be followed by hearings 
           to discuss leasing of the Arctic oil reserve located on 
           the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife 
           Refuge for oil and gas exploration and production and 
           the inclusion of the leasing revenues in the Budget 
           Reconciliation.
                                                            SD-366
       Finance
       Social Security and Family Policy Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on the impact of privatization proposals 
           on the Social Security Old Age and Survivors Insurance 
           Trust Fund.
                                                            SD-215
       Governmental Affairs
       Post Office and Civil Service Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to review the annual report of the 
           Postmaster General.
                                                            SD-342
       Judiciary
       Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed legislation authorizing 
           funds for the Administrative Conference.
                                                            SD-226
       Labor and Human Resources
         Business meeting, to mark up S. 1028, to provide 
           increased access to health care benefits, to provide 
           increased portability of health care benefits, to 
           provide increased security of health care benefits, and 
           to increase the purchasing power of individuals and 
           small employers, S. 593, to authorize the export of new 
           drugs, and proposed legislation to authorize funds for 
           programs of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
           Services Act.
                                                            SD-430
       Indian Affairs
         To hold oversight hearings on the implementation of the 
           Indian Tribal Justice Act (P.L. 103-176).
                                                            SR-485
       Select on Intelligence
         To hold hearings to examine war crimes in the Balkans.
                                                            SD-106
       Special on Special Committee
         To Investigate Whitewater Development Corporation and 
           Related Matters
         To continue hearings to examine issues relative to the 
           President's involvement with the Whitewater Development 
           Corporation, focusing on certain events following the 
           death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster.
                                                            SH-216
     10:00 a.m.
       Environment and Public Works
         Business meeting, to consider pending calendar business.
                                                            SD-406
     2:00 p.m.
       Environment and Public Works
       Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and Nuclear Safety 
           Subcommittee
         To resume oversight hearings on implementation of section 
           404 (relating to wetlands) of the Clean Water Act.
                                                            SD-406
       Foreign Relations
       Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine Iraqi atrocities against the 
           Kurds.
                                                            SD-419
     2:30 p.m.
       Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
       International Finance Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine the Duel Use Export Control 
           Program.
                                                            SD-538
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
       Aviation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine proposals to reform the 
           operation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
                                                            SR-253
     3:30 p.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         Business meeting, to mark up H.R. 2002, making 
           appropriations for the Department of Transportation and 
           related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
           30, 1996.
                                                    S-128, Capitol

                                AUGUST 3
     9:00 a.m.
       Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
         To hold hearings on the nomination of Jill L. Long, of 
           Indiana, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural 
           Economic and Community Development, and to be a Member 
           of the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit 
           Corporation.
                                                            SR-332
       Environment and Public Works
       Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife Subcommittee
         To resume hearings on proposed legislation authorizing 
           funds for programs of the Endangered Species Act, 
           focusing on incentives for the conservation of 
           endangered species and the role of habitat.
                                                            SD-406
     9:30 a.m.
       Special on Aging
         To hold hearings to examine Medicare health maintenance 
           organization (HMO) programs and whether the Health Care 
           Financing Administration is doing enough to ensure that 
           patients receive high quality care when they enroll in 
           such programs.
                                                            SD-628
       Special on Special Committee To Investigate Whitewater 
           Development Corporation and Related Matters
         To continue hearings to examine issues relative to the 
           President's involvement with the Whitewater Development 
           Corporation, focusing on certain events following the 
           death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster.
                                                            SH-216
     10:00 a.m.
       Foreign Relations
       Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine United Nation sanctions and 
           Iraqi compliance.
                                                            SD-419
       Judiciary
         Business meeting, to consider pending calendar business.
                                                            SD-226
     2:00 p.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings on pending nominations.
                                                            SD-226

                                AUGUST 4
     9:30 a.m.
       Joint Economic
         To hold hearings to examine the employment-unemployment 
           situation for July.
                                                            SD-562
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
         Business meeting, to mark up H.R. 2002, making 
           appropriations for the Department of Transportation and 
           related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
           30, 1996.
                                                            SD-192

                                AUGUST 9
     9:30 a.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
         To hold hearings on S. 1054, to provide for the 
           protection of Southeast Alaska jobs and communities.
                                                            SD-366
       Indian Affairs
         Business meeting, to consider pending calendar business.
                                                            SR-485

                               AUGUST 10
     2:00 p.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings to examine United States Sentencing 
           Commission's cocaine sentencing policy.
                                                            SD-226

                             POSTPONEMENTS

                                AUGUST 1
     2:00 p.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings on the drug trade in Mexico and 
           implications for U.S.-Mexican relations.
                                                            SD-419