[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H9327-H9328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 1976, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, 
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1996

  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1976) making appropriations for 
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies programs 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 (Mr. Torkildsen). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
                motion to instruct offered by mr. durbin

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Durbin moves that the managers on the part of the House 
     at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses 
     on the bill, H.R. 1976, be instructed to agree to the 
     amendment of the Senate numbered 88.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the gentleman from Illinois 
[Mr. Durbin] will be recognized for 30 minutes and the gentleman from 
New Mexico [Mr. Skeen] will be recognized for 30 minutes.
  The gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] is recognized for 30 
minutes.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the motion instructs the House conferees to recede to 
the Senate number for section 502 rural low-income housing direct 
loans. The House-passed amount is $550 million, while the Senate 
provided $1 billion. The House-reported amount, however, was $900 
million.
  Receding to the Senate for this important, necessary and popular 
program will merely take the activity back to the approximate level 
originally recommended by the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Skeen], my 
friend, the chairman of the subcommittee, and agreed to by the 
Committee on Appropriations. Even at the Senate level, the section 502 
program will be $200 million below the $1.2 billion provided for fiscal 
year 1995 and the amount requested for 1996.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
                              {time}  1900

  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, my good friend and former chairman of the subcommittee, 
the gentleman from Illinois, is offering a motion to instruct the 
conferees to recede to the Senate mark for section 502 direct loans for 
rural housing.
  The Senate amendment provides for a loan level of $1 billion, almost 
double the amount in the House bill. The Senate mark is actually a 
little more than the program level for the current fiscal year.
  The gentleman knows as well as anyone the difficulty we had in 
providing funds for the rural housing and development programs given 
the severe budget constraints we have been under. However, he also 
knows that I and many other Members regard the 502 program and other 
rural programs as extremely important and I assure him that I will work 
hard in the conference with him to do the absolute best we can for 
rural America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  
[[Page H 9328]]

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the motion.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin].
  The motion was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair appoints the 
following conferees: Messrs: Skeen, Myers, of Indiana, Walsh, Dickey, 
Kingston, Riggs, Nethercutt, Livingston, Durbin, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. 
Thorton, Mrs. Lowey, and Mr. Obey.
  There was no objection.
  

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