[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 182 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17147-S17148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          APPROPRIATIONS BILLS

  Mr. HATFIELD. Madam President, I would just like to give the body a 
brief report on the process of the Appropriations Committee of the 
Senate and where our bills are at the moment.
  I would like to, first of all, indicate that the Senate 
Appropriations Committee reported all 13 bills to the floor by 
September 27. The Senate has acted upon 12 of those 13 bills. I, first 
of all, say they were reported by September 15, and we acted upon 12 of 
the 13 in the body by September 27. Right at the moment, four of those 
bills have been signed into law by the President. We have concluded the 
conference on three more, and we expect to conclude our conference on 
VA-HUD and the District of Columbia within either hours or within the 
next day or two.
  So we can say that that is the movement. 

[[Page S 17148]]

  There is one bill that has eluded us, and that is the Labor-HHS 
appropriations bill upon which the Senate has not acted. I want to say 
further that as we consider the continuing resolution, if this one is 
passed and vetoed or if the next one is passed and agreed to, we have 
to have a benchmark in relation to how we are going to fund Labor-HHS.
  Up until now, the other side of the aisle has not permitted us to 
move to bring up the Labor-HHS to be considered here on the floor.
  So I think in order that we as the members of the Appropriations 
Committee--I speak at least for myself--I would like to be able to 
conclude our job on the Senate side. It has to go to conference, of 
course, with the House-passed bill.
  I would like to propound a unanimous-consent agreement at this time. 
I ask unanimous-consent that the majority leader, upon consultation 
with the minority leader, be authorized to call up H.R. 2127, the 
Labor-HHS appropriations bill for 1996.
  Mrs. BOXER. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mrs. BOXER. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. There are a number of provisions that are troubling to a 
number of Senators who believe in a woman's right to choose, and that 
is one of the reasons why we have had trouble agreeing to bringing up 
the bill. So I would have to object, unless I knew that those 
provisions were being handled. So I would object.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

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