[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 138 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H8665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 1817, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

  Mrs. VUCANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from 
the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1817) making appropriations for 
military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure 
for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
1996, and for other purposes, with Senate amendments thereto, disagree 
to the Senate amendments, and agree to the conference asked by the 
Senate.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.


                 motion to instruct offered by mr. obey

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Obey moves that in resolving the differences between 
     the House and Senate, the managers on the part of the House 
     at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses 
     on the bill H.R. 1817, be instructed to not provide funding 
     for non-quality of life projects added above the President's 
     request, which are in excess of the cumulative amounts added 
     for such projects in the House passed bill.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the gentleman from Wisconsin 
[Mr. Obey] and the gentlewoman from Nevada [Mrs. Vucanovich] will each 
be recognized for 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey].
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the House will recall that when the House passed the 
military construction bill, it included added projects for high-
priority quality-of-life projects such as barracks, child care centers, 
family housing, and medical facilities.
  The bill also provided roughly $150 million for projects that were 
not requested by the President for operational needs.
  The other body, however, added some $350 million in projects, many of 
which do not appear to fit anybody's definition of a high priority.
  My motion, Mr. Speaker, provides very specific direction to the 
conferees that in resolving the differences between the House and the 
Senate on projects that the most high-priority needs be addressed and 
that the cumulative level of funding for non-quality-of-life projects 
added by the Congress not exceed the level currently in the House bill, 
which is roughly $150 million.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. VUCANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this motion to instruct 
conferees.
  The committee has put quality-of-life projects first. We have worked 
hard in a bipartisan manner to fund troop housing, family housing, 
child development centers and medical projects. We have put our dollars 
where the Department of Defense needs them most.
  We have funded projects that are priority locations.
  So I urge my colleagues to support the gentleman's motion, and I 
support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.
  I would clarify this motion does not address any added projects 
specifically. Therefore, the motion does not preclude any specific 
project from being considered in conference. The motion simply limits 
the total amount of non-quality-of-life add-ons.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. VUCANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the motion to instruct.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to instruct 
offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey].
  The motion was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair appoints the 
following conferees: Mrs. Vucanovich,and Messrs; Callahan, McDade, 
Myers of Indiana, Porter, Istook, Wicker, Livingston, Hefner, 
Foglietta, Visclosky, Torres, and Obey.
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________