[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 195 (Friday, December 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2327-E2328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE MISSING COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN OR WHY CAN'T WE GIVE AT THE 
                                OFFICE?

                                 ______


                             HON. VIC FAZIO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 1995

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, Newt Gingrich says he likes 
charities such as Boys Town, but he's acting like the Grinch who stole 
Christmas when it comes to the Combined Federal Campaign for the House.
  As we all know, the Combined Federal Campaign is the annual event 
enabling Federal employees to make donations to charities.
  Virtually all Government agencies have completed their Combined 
Federal Campaign, and thousands of charitable causes and organizations 
are the beneficiaries.
  But one Government agency is missing: the House of Representatives.
  When December 1 rolled around, a concerned staffer in my office 
started making inquiries.

[[Page E 2328]]

  Where is the Combined Federal Campaign, he asked?
  He called the Finance Office. The Finance Office said, ``Don't look 
at us.''
  He called the Chief Administrative Officer's Office. The CAO's Office 
said, ``Don't look at us.''
  He even called the CAO's new one-call service. He called again the 
next day. He called again yesterday. Nothing to report.
  Is it just administrative incompetence by the CAO?
  I wish the answer was that easy.
  But a few more calls have unearthed the discovery, and the answer my 
employee finally received is not a good one.
  All fingers point to the Speaker.
  This is the same Speaker who told us all about Boys Town and the 
benefits of nongovernment solutions to our problems.
  Well, Mr. Speaker, If you'd check with the Combined Federal Campaign, 
you'd discover that Father Flanagan's Boys Home is one of the worthy 
organizations that is going wanting while you procrastinate.
  What's the hold-up?
  Is it incompetence, inefficiency, or neglect when every other agency 
of Government has completed their Combined Federal Campaign, and the 
House has yet to begin? It's a fair question.
  Maybe it's because we're so busy this year.
  But even the U.S. Senate has found time to conduct their Combined 
Federal Campaign--it concluded on November 15.
  Maybe just maybe, we're facing one more unfathomable facet of the 
radical conservative agenda. Are there left wing groups benefiting? Is 
this just one more part of the Istook effort to cut off your enemies?
  Only the Speaker can tell us for sure.
  In the meantime, people in need supported by the Combined Federal 
Campaign's many charitable organizations may go without.
  And generous House employees wait to see when the Speaker will catch 
the spirit of Christmas and let the Combined Federal Campaign go 
forward as it has for many years in every Federal agency.

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