[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 193 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H14027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           BUDGET COMPROMISE

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the President has made a fair 
compromise offer to our appropriations woes. President Clinton has 
offered to sign all of the outstanding appropriations bills if we agree 
to restore $6.8 billion from the $222 billion extreme cuts in those 
spending bills. The administration wants to restore funding for 
education, for veterans, and for environmental efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a hopeful sign. The administration has signaled 
their effort to compromise and get the issues of the remaining 
appropriations bills dealt with so the taxpayers do not have to spend 
another $850 million to give our Federal employees a paid vacation.
  It is time to compromise. The American people have signaled they 
believe these Republican appropriations bills cut too much, too fast. 
They want to restore funding for education, veterans, housing, and 
environmental programs, and then get about the business of setting the 
priorities for a balanced budget.
  With the bipartisan success we saw in the lobby reform bill, the 
increase in Social Security earnings limits yesterday, and the gift ban 
last week, I believe we can work together for the good of the American 
people and pass some commonsense appropriations bills that fund these 
important programs and cut where needed.

                          ____________________