[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H12323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE VOTERS VOTED FOR CHANGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Thurman] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. THURMAN. Mr. Speaker, today during the debate I was not given an 
opportunity, because we only had about 20 minutes on each side, to kind 
of explain what I think is a very important part of this process and a 
concern that I have. It concerns specifically when I came into the 
House in 1992, with about 110 freshmen, both Democrats and Republicans. 
Actually, there are several of them sitting on the floor tonight.
  Let me tell my colleagues, when I listened to the debate today, I was 
astonished about hearing what happened in 1980. Oh, we had 52 CRs, and 
this is what has happened over and over and over again. Well, my folks 
did not send me here because they wanted to see business done as usual. 
They said they wanted a change. They wanted a difference. They wanted 
Government to run efficiently and effectively and they wanted to see 
things happen.
  Democrats and Republicans in 1993, this same date, November 14, 1993, 
all 13 appropriations bills had been signed into law.

                              {time}  2015

  Do you know what? We had big fights. Do you know what we were able to 
do? We actually reduced discretionary spending. I think some of you 
remember that. We reduced discretionary spending. We came in under our 
caps. We cut 40 programs. We took 408 other programs, and we slashed 
them from the previous year's expenditures. We did that, and we still 
continued. 1994, every bill, one more time, was done again by September 
30, signed into law, had gone to the President. Democrats and 
Republicans voted for it.
  Now, I want to talk about what I see happening today. Let me tell you 
all what maybe some of you do not know. Do you know that the 
Agriculture Department is open? It is open toady. Federal employees 
were not furloughed. They were not put under the same restraints. 
Farmers are going to be able to be taken care of, because this House 
had passed a bill, the Senate had passed a bill. They had a conference 
committee, which is the process. It is to take what the House and the 
Senate and look at the differences, reconcile them and then bring them 
back to each body for them to agree or disagree on. And we did that. We 
did the work. And it went to the President. It was signed into law. But 
let met tell you what has happened now on the other 12 bills.
  Yes, some of them have been passed by the Senate and by the House. 
But what has happened is, in the conference committee, the conference 
committee, and I hate to be partisan, because when I came in here with 
my 110 new freshmen, we did not make it partisan. We sat down and got 
the work done. We decided what needed to be reconciled.
  But now, for example, let me tell you what some of the issues are. 
The crime and judiciary programs are being delayed because Republican 
leaders insist on rewriting the 1994 community policing program. Okay. 
Rewrite it. Bring it back. You have the votes to pass it. But guess 
what is stopping it. Within their own Senate and House conferees on 
their side, they cannot reach a compromise. They cannot agree on how to 
do the policing program, one of the most popular programs that was done 
in the crime bill and was used by many of our communities.
  Veterans and housing programs, something that every one of us stand 
on this floor and we talk about our veterans and what the sacrifices 
were. What is holding Veterans and Housing programs up? Want me to tell 
you? A bill that had riders that were 17 demands which would have 
weakened environmental laws. Okay?
  Let met tell you what is so interesting about this, the House 
rejected the bill two times. They did not like the outcome. We passed 
the amendment, took the riders out. Did not like the outcome of it. 
Brought it back until they got the results. Sent it over to the Senate. 
The Senate said no. They brought it back to the House again. They 
cannot reconcile their differences between themselves so we have no 
spending bill so they are shut down.
  Then we have the Interior appropriations bill that is being delayed. 
Why? Because there are some Members who want to give away American 
lands to foreign mining interests. They cannot decide if they want to 
do that. So what has happened? We do not have an Interior bill.
  The list goes on and on and on. We would not have to be doing what we 
are doing today and having the pressure put on if these bills had been 
done and signed. We would have had an opportunity to debate the other 
issues.
  I think that is awful. But I have to tell you something, and I think 
that this is what is very interesting. First of all, let me suggest to 
you all, I called by district office, 21 new requests. I will come back 
here in about another hour because I have some other things that I want 
to thank the American people for doing, because I believe they are the 
reason why we have the difference.

  Veterans and Housing programs are being delayed because Republicans 
have included 17 demands which would weaken environmental laws. The 
House has rejected this bill two times, yet Republicans don't get it.
  The Interior appropriations bill is being delayed because some 
Members want literally to give away American lands to foreign mining 
interest.
  All of these bills could now be law if only the excess baggage had 
been thrown overboard. For instance, while the rest of the Government 
is closing down, the Department of Agriculture is working. Why?
  Because all sides were able to resolve their differences and put a 
fair bill on the President's desk and he signed it.
  Some people are blaming the President for this action, but every 
school child knows that Congress makes law and the President executes 
them. If no bill has been passed, there is nothing to execute.
  If you cannot pass the easiest of bills then you cannot direct the 
country.
  The Republicans simply don't pass.

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