[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H15608-H15616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of the 
House, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 136), making further 
continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1996, and for other 
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

[[Page H15609]]

  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 136

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled,

                                TITLE I

 AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN AND FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION 
                               ASSISTANCE

     That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any 
     money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of 
     applicable corporation or other revenues, receipts, and 
     funds, for the several departments, agencies, corporations, 
     and other organizational units of Government for the fiscal 
     year 1996, and for other purposes, namely:
     Sec. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary under the 
     authority and conditions provided in the applicable 
     appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1995 for continuing 
     the following projects or activities including the costs of 
     direct loans and loan guarantees (not otherwise specifically 
     provided for in this joint resolution) which were conducted 
     in the fiscal year 1995:
       All projects and activities funded under the account 
     heading ``Family support payments to States'' under the 
     Administration For Children and Families in the Department of 
     Health and Human Services;
       All projects and activities funded under the account 
     heading ``Payments to States for foster care and adoption 
     assistance'' under the Administration For Children and 
     Families in the Department of Health and Human Services; and
       All administrative activities necessary to carry out the 
     projects and activities in the preceeding two paragraphs:
     Provided, That whenever the amount which would be made 
     available or the authority which would be granted under an 
     Act which included funding for fiscal year 1996 for the 
     projects and activities listed in this section is 
     greater than that which would be available or granted 
     under current operations, the pertinent project or 
     activity shall be continued at a rate for operations not 
     exceeding the current rate.
       (b) Whenever the amount which would be made available or 
     the authority which would be granted under the Act which 
     included funding for fiscal year 1996 for the projects and 
     activities listed in this section as passed by the House as 
     of the date of enactment of this joint resolution, is 
     different from that which would be available or granted under 
     such Act as passed by the Senate as of the date of enactment 
     of this joint resolution, the pertinent project or activity 
     shall be continued at a rate for operations not exceeding the 
     current rate or the rate permitted by the action of the House 
     or the Senate, whichever is lower, under the authority and 
     conditions provided in the applicable appropriations Act for 
     the fiscal year 1996.
       (c) Whenever an Act which included funding for fiscal year 
     1996 for the projects and activities listed in this section 
     has been passed by only the House or only the Senate as of 
     the date of enactment of this joint resolution, the pertinent 
     project or activity shall be continued under the 
     appropriation, fund, or authority granted by the one House at 
     a rate for operations not exceeding the current rate or the 
     rate permitted by the action of the one House, whichever is 
     lower, and under the authority and conditions provided in the 
     applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1995.
       Sec. 102. Appropriations made by section 101 shall be 
     available to the extent and in the manner which would be 
     provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
       Sec. 103. No appropriation or funds made available or 
     authority granted pursuant to section 101 shall be used to 
     initiate or resume any project or activity for which 
     appropriations, funds, or other authority were not available 
     during the fiscal year 1995.
       Sec. 104. No provision which is included in the 
     appropriations Act enumerated in section 101 but which was 
     not included in the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal 
     year 1995 and which by its terms is applicable to more than 
     one appropriation, fund, or authority shall be applicable to 
     any appropriation, fund, or authority provided in this joint 
     resolution.
       Sec. 105. Appropriations made and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this joint resolution shall cover 
     all obligations or expenditures incurred for any program, 
     project, or activity during the period for which funds or 
     authority for such project or activity are available under 
     this joint resolution.
       Sec. 106. Unless otherwise provided for in this title of 
     this joint resolution or in the applicable appropriations 
     Act, appropriations and funds made available and authority 
     granted pursuant to this title of this joint resolution shall 
     be available until (a) enactment into law of an appropriation 
     for any project or activity provided for in this title of 
     this joint resolution, or (b) the enactment into law of the 
     applicable appropriations Act by both Houses without any 
     provision for such project or activity, or (c) January 3, 
     1996, whichever first occurs.
       Sec. 107. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
     joint resolution shall be charged to the applicable 
     appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever a bill in 
     which such applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization 
     is contained is enacted into law.
       Sec. 108. No provision in the appropriations Act for the 
     fiscal year 1996 referred to in section 101 of this joint 
     resolution that makes the availability of any appropriation 
     provided therein dependent upon the enactment of additional 
     authorizing or other legislation shall be effective before 
     the date set forth in section 106(c) of this joint 
     resolution.
       Sec. 109. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
     authority granted pursuant to this title of this joint 
     resolution may be used without regard to the time limitations 
     for submission and approval of apportionments set forth in 
     section 1513 of title 31, United States Code, but nothing 
     herein shall be construed to waive any other provision of law 
     governing the apportionment of funds.

                                TITLE II

                          DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

     That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of the 
     general fund that enterprise funds of the District of 
     Columbia for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 
     1996, and for other purposes, namely:
       Sec. 201. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary under the 
     authority and conditions provided in the applicable 
     appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1995 for continuing 
     projects or activities including the costs of direct loans 
     and loan guarantees (not otherwise specifically provided for 
     in this title of this joint resolution) which were conducted 
     in the fiscal year 1995 and for which appropriations, funds, 
     or other authority would be available in the following 
     appropriations Act:
       The District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1996;

     Provided, That whenever the amount which would be made 
     available or the authority which would be granted in this Act 
     is greater than that which would be available or granted 
     under current operations, the pertinent project or 
     activity shall be continued at a rate for operations not 
     exceeding the current rate.
       (b) Whenever the amount which would be made available or 
     the authority which would be granted under the Act listed in 
     this section as passed by the House as of the date of 
     enactment of this joint resolution, is different from that 
     which would be available or granted under such Act as passed 
     by the Senate as of the date of enactment of this joint 
     resolution, the pertinent project or activity shall be 
     continued at a rate for operations not exceeding the current 
     rate or the rate permitted by the action of the House or the 
     Senate whichever is lower, under the authority and conditions 
     provided in the applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal 
     year 1995: Provided, That where an item is not included in 
     either version or where an item is included in only one 
     version of the Act as passed by both Houses as of the date of 
     enactment of this joint resolution, the pertinent project or 
     activity shall not be continued except as provided for in 
     section 211 or 212 under the appropriation, fund, or 
     authority granted by the applicable appropriations Act for 
     the fiscal year 1995 and under the authority and conditions 
     provided in the applicable appropriations Act for the fiscal 
     year 1995.
       Sec. 202. Appropriations made by section 201 shall be 
     available to the extent and in the manner which would be 
     provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
       Sec. 203. No appropriation or funds made available or 
     authority granted pursuant to section 201 shall be used to 
     initiate or resume any project or activity for which 
     appropriations, funds, or other authority were not available 
     during the fiscal year 1995.
       Sec. 204. No provision which is included in the 
     appropriations Act enumerated in section 201 but which was 
     not included in the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal 
     year 1995 and which by its terms is applicable to more than 
     one appropriation, fund, or authority shall be applicable to 
     any appropriation, fund, or authority provided in this title 
     of this joint resolution.
       Sec. 205. Appropriations made and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this joint resolution shall cover 
     all obligations or expenditures incurred for any program, 
     project, or activity during the period for which funds or 
     authority for such project or activity are available under 
     this title of this joint resolution.
       Sec. 206. Unless otherwise provided for in this title of 
     this joint resolution or in the applicable appropriations 
     Act, appropriations and funds made available and authority 
     granted pursuant to this title of this title of this 
     joint resolution shall be available until (a) enactment 
     into law of an appropriation for any project or activity 
     provided for in this title of this joint resolution, or 
     (b) the enactment into law of the applicable 
     appropriations Act by both Houses without any provision 
     for such project or activity, or (c) January 3, 1996, 
     whichever first occurs.
       Sec. 207. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this joint resolution, except section 206, none of the 
     funds appropriated under this title of this joint resolution 
     shall be expended for any abortion except where the life of 
     the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to 
     term or where the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape 
     or incest.
       Sec. 208. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
     joint resolution shall be charged to the applicable 
     appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever a bill in 
     which such applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization 
     is contained is enacted into law.
     
[[Page H15610]]

       Sec. 209. No provision in the appropriations Act for the 
     fiscal year 1996 referred to in section 201 of this title of 
     this joint resolution that makes the availability of any 
     appropriation provided therein dependent upon the enactment 
     of additional authorizing or other legislation shall be 
     effective before the date set forth in section 206(c) of this 
     joint resolution.
       Sec. 210. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
     authority granted pursuant to this title of this joint 
     resolution may be used without regard to the time limitations 
     for submission and approval of apportionments set forth in 
     section 1513 of title 31, United States Code, but nothing 
     herein shall be construed to waive any other provision of law 
     governing the apportionment of funds.
       Sec. 211. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this joint resolution, except section 206, whenever the 
     Act listed in section 201 as passed by both the House and 
     Senate as of the date of enactment of this joint resolution, 
     does not include funding for an ongoing project or activity 
     for which there is a budget request, or whenever the rate for 
     operations for an ongoing project or activity provided by 
     section 201 for which there is a budget request would result 
     in the project or activity being significantly reduced, the 
     pertinent project or activity may be continued under the 
     authority and conditions provided in the applicable 
     appropriations Act for the fiscal year 1995 by increasing the 
     rate for operations provided by section 201 to a rate for 
     operations not to exceed one that provides the minimal level 
     that would enable existing activities to continue. No new 
     contracts or grants shall be awarded in excess of an amount 
     that bears the same ratio to the rate for operations provided 
     by this section as the number of days covered by this 
     resolution bears to 366. For the purposes of this title of 
     this joint resolution the minimal level means a rate for 
     operations that is reduced from the current rate by 25 
     percent.
       Sec. 212. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this joint resolution, except section 206, whenever the 
     rate for operations for any continuing project or activity 
     provided by section 201 or section 211 for which there is a 
     budget request would result in a furlough of Government 
     employees, that rate for operations may be increased to the 
     minimum level that would enable the furlough to be avoided. 
     No new contracts or grants shall be awarded in excess of an 
     amount that bears the same ratio to the rate for operations 
     provided by this section as the number of days covered by 
     this resolution bears to 366.
       Sec. 213. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this joint resolution, except sections 206, 211, and 212, 
     for those programs that had high initial rates of operation 
     or complete distribution of funding at the beginning of the 
     fiscal year in fiscal year 1995 because of distributions of 
     funding to States, foreign countries, grantees, or others, 
     similar distributions of funds for fiscal year 1996 shall not 
     be made and no grants shall be awarded for such programs 
     funded by this title of this resolution that would impinge on 
     final funding prerogatives.
       Sec. 214. This title of this joint resolution shall be 
     implemented so that only the most limited funding action of 
     that permitted in this title of this resolution shall be 
     taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and 
     activities.
       Sec. 215. The provisions of section 132 of the District of 
     Columbia Appropriations Act, 1988, Public Law 100-202, shall 
     not apply for this title of this joint resolution.
       Sec. 216. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this joint resolution, except section 206, none of the 
     funds appropriated under this title of this joint resolution 
     shall be used to implement or enforce any system of 
     registration of unmarried, cohabiting couples whether they 
     are homosexual, lesbian, heterosexual, including but not 
     limited to registration for the purpose of extending 
     employment, health, or governmental benefits to such couples 
     on the same basis that such benefits are extended to legally 
     married couples; nor shall any funds made available pursuant 
     to any provision of this title of this joint resolution 
     otherwise be used to implement or enforce D.C. Act 9-188, 
     signed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia on April 15, 
     1995.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston] will be recognized for 10 
minutes, and the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey] will be recognized 
for 10 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston].
  (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I assure Members that I do not intend to use all the time 
allotted to me, and I would hope that all Members would restrain 
themselves so that we might expedite this process and move forward.
  Mr. Speaker, I bring to the floor House Joint Resolution 136, a joint 
resolution making further continuing appropriation for two activities 
in the Department of Health and Human Services and for the District of 
Columbia. This is a short-term CR, a continuing resolution. It lasts 
only until January 3, 1996, for the activities covered under this 
continuing resolution. The activities provided for in HHS include aid 
to families with dependent children and foster care and adoption 
assistance.
  Mr. Speaker, House Joint Resolution 134, the continuing resolution 
for certain veterans activities, is, as we have stated earlier, pending 
in the Senate. Its passage, combined with the current continuing 
resolution that we are now considering, will provide important benefits 
for certain parts of the Government.
  Mr. Speaker, the activities provided for in this continuing 
resolution are extremely important. I would urge all of our Members to 
consider heavily the impact of not passing this continuing resolution. 
We need to make provision for the continued funding now of these 
activities, and I urge all the Members to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 7 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, the majority party of this Congress has insisted that 
Government be selectively shut down, and in that process they are 
trying to leverage the President of the United States into swallowing 
their budget outline.
  Yesterday, the majority voted to open only a part of the Veterans' 
Administration when that legislation was on the floor. At that time we 
asked that they open all of Government. We asked that they allow 
workers to voluntarily come in and work, since the Speaker had 
announced they will be paid anyway; and we asked that we allow all of 
Government to be open so that taxpayers can receive all of the services 
to which they are entitled because they have already paid for them. We 
were refused in all three of those efforts.
  Now the legislation which was passed is bogged down in the other body 
and we have a new proposition before us, which, once again, tries to do 
everything that was done earlier plus open the Government for AFDC 
payments and for Medicaid and for the District of Columbia.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that we have a lot of interests in all of those 
items, but on this side of the aisle we want all of Government to be 
reopened so that we can provide all of the services to taxpayers to 
which they are entitled. We want Government workers to be paid for 
working, not to be paid for not working.

  I want to make clear, this debate is not about whether there is or 
should be a balanced budget. In my view, it is about political 
arrogance, it is about political bullying, and it is about political 
childishness.
  Mr. Speaker, you will find a good many of us on this side of the 
aisle who will be prepared to vote for a balanced budget, but we will 
not be blackmailed into voting for a specific kind of budget outline 
that moves us inevitable into accepting the idea of cutting the amount 
that Medicare will pay for each beneficiary 7 years down the line by 
$1,700 per person. We will not be blackmailed into accepting a 
situation in which, when you combine what is happening with Medigap and 
what is being suggested by the majority party on Medicare premiums, 
that seniors will be asked to pay $1,000 more out of their own pocket 
for health insurance. We will not be blackmailed into dumping 
defenseless children out of health care insurance under Medicaid. And 
we will not be blackmailed into gutting the Government's long-term 
ability to provide a decent educational opportunity for every kid in 
this country or to provide protection for the environment.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is ironic that especially at the Christmas 
season we are seeing an act of consummate arrogance on the part of the 
majority of this House. We are being told that this is all necessary 
because of their vision that somehow if we just pass their version of a 
balanced budget over 7 years, that somehow they can guarantee to the 
taxpayer that there will, in fact, be a balanced budget. I think their 
own past record in producing on their promises would dictate rather 
more humility and rather less arrogance than I have seen so far.
  I would point out that the first time we were told to sacrifice all 
of our 

[[Page H15611]]
judgment and swallow our promises was in 1981, when we were told that 
if we just passed the Reagan budget that the deficit would decline from 
$55 billion to zero over 4 years time. Instead, the deficit went up to 
$185 billion.
  Then we were asked to swallow another multiyear promise in Gramm-
Rudman 1. Our Republican friends told us they would guarantee us the 
deficit would go down from $172 billion to zero if we would just 
swallow their budget prescription. The Congress did. They only missed 
the deficit reduction target by $220 billion.

  Then the Republicans passed Gramm-Rudman II, and they said if we do 
that, we will take the deficit down to zero over a 5-year period of 
time--represented by these green lines on the cart. Instead, 
unfortunately, they only missed by $290 billion.
  It would seem to me, given the past track record of the majority 
party in producing results that match their promises, that we have a 
right to take with some skepticism their promises that this time around 
they are going to hit better targets and actually get us to zero.
  Having said that, Mr. Speaker, let me say that all of those arguments 
there are irrelevant. Their judgment may be correct; it may not be. Our 
positions may be right; they may not be. I do not know. But the one 
thing I do know is that we should not hold hostage 300,000 Government 
workers just for them to be able to prove a point.
  There is something very, very wrong with the attitude of people in 
this House that says we should go home to Christmas with the comfort of 
our families, but, meanwhile, we should continue to disrupt the 
Christmases of 300,000 Government workers and their families. There is 
something wrong, Mr. Speaker, with saying we should go home to our 
families for Christmas, but, by the way, taxpayers who have already 
paid out the money for these services, taxpayers who have already 
bought their tickets to see the Washington Monument or see Yellowstone, 
or whatever, that they should have to have their vacations ruined just 
so that the Speaker and the majority party can prove a political point.
  I think there is something wrong with that attitude. It makes a 
mockery of representative democracy. It makes a mockery of the 
sentiment that is supposed to pervade in this holiday season. I would 
urge my colleagues, therefore, when the motion to recommit comes--and I 
am not asking anyone to vote against the basic bill--but I am asking 
that when the motion to recommit comes, I am asking my colleagues to 
vote for it because that will be a motion to recommit which, if passed, 
would open the entire government until January 3.
  I would urge support for the recommittal motion.

                              {time}  1400

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Walsh] chairman of the Appropriations 
Subcommittee on the District of Columbia.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of those who worked 
together to bring this to the floor on a unanimous consent. It gives us 
the opportunity to allow the operation of the District government to 
continue. But I would remind my colleagues all this, as far as title II 
of this resolution is concerned, is with the District's own money. 
There is no additional Federal appropriation going to the District 
under this CR.
  Mr. Speaker, title II, again, regarding the District of Columbia, 
would allow them to spend their own money until January 3. On the few 
issues that are dealt with in this CR regarding abortion, there will be 
no funds for abortion. Domestic partners, there would be current law, 
meaning no funds to enforce that law. The funding level would be at the 
lower of the 2 houses.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill is silent on the issue of education reform. I 
would assure my colleagues, however, that this issue is not dead by a 
longshot. The discussions are ongoing. This will buy us some time to 
work these issues out with the Senate. I do believe that the last 
meeting that I had with Senator Jeffords and the gentleman from 
Wisconsin, Mr. Gunderson, did lead me to be a little more optimistic 
about getting this issue resolved in a positive way, something that I 
think both Houses of Government could support. However, Mr. Speaker, it 
is yet to be worked out.
  Mr. Speaker, this will give us some additional time, and at the same 
time it will give the District the opportunity to continue to operate 
and provide services to its constituents. I regret that we do not have 
funding for all of the rest of the Government, but I remind my 
colleagues that it was three vetoes by the President that brought the 
Government to a stop on the other appropriations bills.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues and urge their support.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from California [Mr. Dixon].
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 136 and to say to my 
colleagues that if we really want to put Government back to work, the 
motion to recommit will do it. It is unfortunate that the District of 
Columbia is in this situation, because in my opinion they are acting in 
violation of law at the existing moment, and it is for that reason that 
I would support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also point out that it extends past the existing 
law of the District in that it prohibits them from using their own 
money, which is the only money involved in this, for abortion. We are 
here because the Senate Republicans and the House Republicans disagree 
about vouchers. I hope that issue can be resolved by January 3, but I 
do think it is necessary that we pass this resolution.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the 
District of Columbia [Ms. Norton].
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, on a bipartisan basis, I urge support of 
this resolution. Members have heard me on the District of Columbia. I 
plead also for those on welfare. I do not believe we should go home and 
leave these two matters outstanding. I do not believe any Member of 
this body wants to do so.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very disappointed at the length and breadth of the 
resolution; I would be far more disappointed if we were to say all or 
nothing. We are trying to get to a resolution that all can agree upon. 
I appreciate, frankly, that we have been able to pierce the iron wall 
to at least reach the most needy.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a test our rhetoric, those of us who rise often 
to say we are doing what we are doing for those most in need. Those 
most in need at the moment happen to be an entire city, the District of 
Columbia, as well as those who, if they miss a welfare check, may be in 
very dire straits. It is a test of our rhetoric and a test of our 
bipartisanship.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask this to be handled as if it were what it really 
is: An emergency.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, it has been brought to my attention, there is 
a technical problem with this bill which the majority leader's office 
would like to correct. For the purpose of facilitating that, I ask 
unanimous consent that debate be extended by 3 minutes on each side, 
until it can be worked out.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, when the gentleman from Wisconsin took the well, he said 
that we are blackmailing the other side into accepting what we all 
agree is a very important measure. This particular bill funds for the 
next 2 weeks all of the welfare payments under the AFDC or Aid for 
Dependent Children Program. It funds money for foster care and adoption 
services. It provides authority for the District of Columbia to use its 
own money.
  Mr. Speaker, it does all of those things in an expedited fashion in 
an effort to try to resolve these immediate problems during the holiday 
season when, frankly, a lot of people who are not to blame for the 
impasse, might be adversely impacted.
  This is not blackmail. This is an attempt simply to try to 
accommodate the needs of the most needy of our society; the people that 
really have no other alternatives.

[[Page H15612]]

  Mr. Speaker, I would have to say that this is, indeed, a meaningful 
and critical debate, and I hope it could be expedited. Evidently, there 
is some concern about not including what we did a couple of days ago 
for the veterans in this joint resolution and how that has been treated 
in the Senate, and we will try to resolve that fairly soon. We hope, 
though, that a compromise can be confected that will accommodate not 
only the people listed in this bill, but the veterans as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I have to say that the President has been less than 
forthcoming on the regular appropriations bills for some of these 
programs. The Labor-HHS bill has been hung up in the Senate because of 
a filibuster by the minority. Some of these programs come under that 
bill. The veterans benefits fall within the VA-HUD bill, which was 
vetoed by the President.
  Likewise, the President has vetoed the Commerce, Justice, State, and 
Judiciary bill, and the President has vetoed the Interior bill. Now, 
the Interior bill covers all of the National Parks, the National 
Gallery of Art, where they have the Vermeer exhibit, which is the first 
time since, I think, that so many of the Vermeer paintings have been 
accumulated and assembled under one roof. They are on display at the 
National Gallery of Art, but it is closed.
  Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot of Members from the other side 
complain about that fact. The fact of the matter is, it is closed 
because for some reason the President saw fit to veto that bill.
  I have been told recently that a lot of parks around this country are 
closed, with the exception of the State of Arizona. The State of 
Arizona is funding the national parks in its State even though the 
Federal Government is not functioning or not paying for the conduct or 
the opening of those parks.
  Mr. Speaker, it just so happens, the State of Arizona is the home 
State of the current Secretary of Interior. My colleagues would think 
that if his own State is funding parks, that he would applaud the use 
of State funds to keep other parks open around the rest of the country, 
but that is not true.
  Because the Interior Department bill has been vetoed, and for some 
reason the Secretary of Interior and the President of the United States 
agree that it should have been vetoed, still the Secretary of Interior, 
who is from Arizona and who has his own parks open, is saying to the 
rest of the Nation, ``No, you cannot open your parks. You cannot use 
your own money.'' That seems to me extraordinary.
  Mr. Speaker, we have had one objective in the larger negotiations and 
that is basically to balance the budget; balance it within 7 years as 
scored by the Congressional Budget Office, so that we are using real 
figures. No smoke, no mirrors, no false promises.
  We said that is what we wanted 6 weeks ago, and we thought the 
President had come halfway and said that is what he wanted, even though 
he had been for a 5-year balanced budget, and a 10-year balanced 
budget, and a 9-year balanced budget, and a 7-year balanced budget. And 
even in his balanced budget proposal earlier in November, he had said 
that he did not want a balanced budget any time from now until the cows 
come home because that proposal was still out of balance. He had $200 
billion in deficits every single year.
  Finally, the President came to the table about 6 weeks ago and said, 
OK. Then just earlier this week, when Speaker Gingrich and majority 
leader of the Senate, Mr. Dole, went to the White House, they thought 
they had an agreement that we were going to get a balanced budget by 
the year 2002 as scored by the Congressional Budget Office, and they 
said, ``Doggone it, we have gotten it again'' and then the Vice 
President walks down to the press office and tells the American people 
by way of a press conference, ``Oh, no, that is not what they agreed to 
at all.''

  So, Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves in an extraordinary situation here 
where one side thinks that they bargain in good faith and set certain 
goals and the other side says ``Oh, no, that is not what we agreed to 
at all.''
  Now we find ourselves with the last few minutes of a particular bill 
that covers people that really need assistance under the AFDC program 
or the foster care program or the District of Columbia, and we have 
already passed a bill which covers the veterans, and we find that for 
some reason it is not working its way out because there are differences 
between the House and the Senate. Meanwhile, we are getting no 
particular help from the White House, and then we get blamed for being 
the cause of the entire impasse.
  Mr. Speaker, we are not to blame for the impasse. If the President 
had not vetoed the VA-HUD bill, the Commerce, Justice, State, and 
judiciary bill, if he had not vetoed the Interior bill, funding for all 
of the functions of those particular bills would have been enacted into 
law, and the 620,900 people that are covered under the jurisdiction of 
those bills would be working and would have a happy Christmas without 
regard to what we do, because they would not need to be covered by 
these continuing resolutions. They would not have to worry about it.
  Even though today we are considering limited continuing resolutions, 
there are still a lot of people who are not covered by them and they 
have reason to be concerned because evidently the President has not 
seen fit to come to the table and reach an agreement on a balanced 
budget.
  Mr. Speaker, we are committed to a 7-year balanced budget as scored 
by the Congressional Budget Office, but evidently that is not the case 
with the President. We still have these remaining bills that we are 
negotiating: The foreign operations bill; the District of Columbia 
bill, which would be short-term funded by this bill; and, the Labor-HHS 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, we would hope that we would be able to get those out of 
the way pretty quickly, but in the meantime, this joint resolution, 
this continuing resolution is extraordinarily important. I would hope 
that we would be able to come together, reach an agreement, and go home 
for Christmas knowing that we took care of the most needy of the needy.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dreier). The gentleman from Louisiana 
[Mr. Livingston] has 2 minutes remaining, and the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Dixon] has 4 minutes remaining.
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North 
Carolina [Mr. Hefner].
  Mr HEFNER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a point to the gentleman 
from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], my good friend and the chairman of the 
Committee on Appropriations, and I sit on that committee. One of the 
problems is that we did not get our work done on time. It is all nice 
to sit and trash the President and accuse him of all the problems, but 
frankly the White House is not smart enough to cause all of these 
problems. It has to be shared by this body.

                              {time}  1415

  All the speakers that have on this side of the aisle made the speech, 
what we are going to do is balance the budget in 7 years, we can put 
these people back to work until January 3. We are not going to balance 
the budget between now and January 3. The talks are going to continue.
  In the meantime, I am a strong supporter of veterans ever since I 
have been in this body. I have voted for aid for dependent children 
when I have been here. I do not know how many Members on this side 
have. But let me make this point. There are other people out there that 
are being affected. It is just as important to them as these other 
programs are. So I am saying to my colleagues they are not going to 
stop the balanced budget by continuing this resolution until January 3. 
So why not let these people have a merry Christmas? Open up the 
Government and support the motion to recommit that will open up this 
Government.
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Virginia [Mr. Moran].
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, of course we need to get benefit checks out 
to veterans and of course we have got to get the benefit checks to 13 
million welfare recipients. For most of them, they have nothing else to 
live on. They have got to pay their monthly rents. If we do not do 
this, they will not even have food to put on the table for their 
children.
  Of course we have to get $11 billion out to the States in Medicaid 
payments. The States need that money. 

[[Page H15613]]
My problem is, how many other problems exist out there that we are not 
aware of? One problem is that 500,000 Federal employees are only going 
to get half their paychecks currently. The next paycheck they get is 
zero.
  I talked to a Federal employee last night. He has been working 14-
hour days. His colleagues who want to come in and help him are told it 
is against the law to even volunteer to help him out. This is 
ridiculous. These Federal employees want to work. We are locking them 
out of their jobs. We are locking the American public out of their 
Government. That is why we need a full continuing resolution, at least 
through the Christmas holidays, if we are going to go back with our 
families and enjoy the holidays. We have got to open this Government. 
To do anything else is a shame on us and a real travesty for the 
American people.
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Wynn].
  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, we really do need to put the people back to 
work in this city. The Federal Government being out of work costs the 
taxpayers millions of dollars. The crowd across the aisle says they 
want to run this place like a business. You do not pay people not to 
work in a business.
  Federal workers are ready, willing, and able to go to work. They 
ought to go to work. We ought to get the welfare checks out, the AFDC 
checks out, the veterans checks out, and we ought to make Government 
work like a business. We are losing something equally precious. We are 
losing productivity. There are going to be backlogs, even when the 
Government employees go back to work. We cannot recover that time. Let 
us put the Government employees back to work.
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
Arkansas [Mr. Thornton].
  (Mr. THORNTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. THORNTON. Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot about who is to blame, 
whether it was the failure to enact appropriations on time or whether 
it was vetoes, I am not here to assess blame but to determine whose 
responsibility, duty and power it is to correct the situation.
  I refer to the Constitution of the United States, which says in 
enumerating the powers of Congress that ``No Money shall be drawn from 
the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by law.'' All 
appropriations are the responsibility of the Congress. The President 
has no power to appropriate funds. No one has power to correct the 
absence of appropriations but a majority of this House of 
Representatives. The majority party has shown that they have the power 
to correct the shutdown of Government by bringing forward and passing 
continuing resolutions. They have done so whenever they choose to do 
so. The failure to exercise power can be an abuse of power, and I 
submit that their failure to act is an abdication of the constitutional 
responsibility which they have the duty to perform.


                  Amendment Offered by Mr. Livingston

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment and I ask unanimous 
consent it be agreed to.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment Offered by Mr. Livingston: Insert at the end of 
     the resolution the following:

                               TITLE III

                            VETERANS AFFAIRS

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of 
     money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of 
     applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds, 
     for the several departments, agencies, corporations and other 
     organizational units of Government for the fiscal year 1996, 
     and for other purposes, namely:

     SEC. 301. ENSURED PAYMENT DURING FISCAL YEAR 1996 OF 
                   VETERANS' BENEFITS IN EVENT OF LACK OF 
                   APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Payments Required.--In any case during fiscal year 1996 
     in which appropriations are not otherwise available for 
     programs, projects, and activities of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     nevertheless ensure that--
       (1) payments of existing veterans benefits are made in 
     accordance with regular procedures and schedules and in 
     accordance with eligibility requirements for such benefits; 
     and
       (2) payments to contractors of the Veterans Health 
     Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs are made 
     when due in the case of services provided that directly 
     relate to patient health and safety.
       (b) Funding.--There is hereby appropriated such sums as may 
     be necessary for the payments pursuant to subsection (a), 
     including such amounts as may be necessary for the costs of 
     administration of such payments.
       (c) Charging of Accounts When Appropriations Made.--In any 
     case in which the Secretary uses the authority of subsection 
     (a) to make payments, applicable accounts shall be charged 
     for amounts so paid, and for the costs of administration of 
     such payments, when regular appropriations become available 
     for those purposes.
       (d) Existing Benefits Specified.--For purposes of this 
     section, existing veterans benefits are benefits under laws 
     administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that have 
     been adjudicated and authorized for payments as of--
       (1) December 15, 1995; or
       (2) if appropriations for such benefits are available 
     (other than pursuant to subsection (b)) after December 15, 
     1995, the last day on which appropriations for payment of 
     such benefits are available (other than pursuant to 
     subsection (b)).

     SEC. 302 SECTION 301 SHALL CEASE TO BE EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 
                   3, 1996.

  Mr. LIVINGSTON (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment be considered as read and printed in the 
Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dreier). Is there objection to the 
request of gentleman from Louisiana?
  Mr. SOLOMON. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I most 
likely will not object, but I would like to hear the explanation.
  I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston].
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, what I have done is offered an amendment 
by unanimous consent that includes the text of House Joint Resolution 
134, which passed this House of Representatives 2 days ago and which 
covers the full veterans' benefits that passed the House. This would 
provide veterans' funding only to January 3, not the full year. That is 
a difference between what passed here the other day and is in this 
text. But it complies, it complies with what is in the Senate bill, 
which is working its way through right now.
  We are on a shortage of time here. We are trying to accommodate the 
Senate. Trying to accommodate the majority and the minority and get 
everybody together, trying to accommodate those who wish to have the 
AFDC and the foster care money as well as the District of Columbia 
money and the veterans' benefit payment checks. So this complies with 
what is in the text of the Senate bill and would not necessitate the 
need of taking up additional action after we conclude this business.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
would say to the gentleman that I was over in the Senate. Indirectly, I 
participated in the debate whereby what the gentleman is stating is 
absolutely true. This would mean that the veterans' checks would go out 
tomorrow, and that is really what we were looking for, along with all 
of the others that are included here.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I want to get 
this straight. We were given one proposition by the majority a day ago 
which refused to keep most functions of the Government open except 
those that they delineated in that proposal. That went to the Senate. 
It has been screwed up in the Senate and so now we are asked to pass a 
second selective reopening of the Government.
  In the middle of the discussion of what should be reopened, we are 
now being asked to reopen yet another series of functions. I think that 
indicates the absolutely chaotic way that decisions are being made in 
this House, but I would ask the gentleman a question, under my 
reservation of objection. I would ask the gentleman whether as long as 
his language is attempting to deal with some of the shutdown problems 
at the VA, I would ask if the gentleman would be willing to deal with 
all of the shutdown problems at the VA so that we can deal with pending 
claims for pension and benefits, the employees who work on that backlog 
are furloughed, so that we can deal with new applications for pension 
and benefits that are accelerating at the rate of 2,000 a day, so that 
we can deal with the backlog and new applications for certificates of 
eligibility for VA 

[[Page H15614]]
home ownership loans and loan guarantees. There are approximately 
200,000 Veterans Health Administration employees who are working with 
the promise of pay once this crisis is resolved but without the 
assurance of their normal payday.
  If we are going to selectively deal with the problems of veterans, I 
would urge that the gentleman allow us to add the following language:

       (3) all other authorized activities of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, including processing of existing new 
     applications for benefits and pensions, processing of 
     certificates of eligibility for home ownership loans and loan 
     guarantees, and payment of salaries of Federal Government 
     personnel providing health care for our Nation's veterans are 
     continued at a rate for operations not to exceed the rate in 
     existence on December 15, 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I yield to the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston].
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I totally sympathize with what the 
gentleman is trying to accomplish. All of the purposes the gentleman 
just described are noble and worthy. However, we acted as we did 2 days 
ago and that bill, without the gentleman's language, in fact by a vote 
of the House without the gentleman's language, went to the Senate.
  They have since acted on AFDC. They have acted on foster care. They 
have acted on the District of Columbia, and they have acted on their 
own bill which does not include the language that the gentleman has 
within the single bill that they are sending back to us.
  If we incorporate the amendment that I have offered by unanimous 
consent, then we have a bill to send to the President of the United 
States. If we acted on the gentleman's amendment, it means that we have 
another disconnect and that we are not likely to get any of this stuff 
out of here. I would respectfully object to the entrance of the 
gentleman's language.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, let me 
simply say that despite the unreasonable position of the majority, I 
will not object because I do not think that one act of childishness, I 
do not mean on the part of the gentleman from Louisiana but on the part 
of the majority in general, I do not think that that justifies an act 
of childishness on this side of the aisle.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  Mr. HOYER. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I will not 
object. Because of the selective irresponsibility, there are some 
Members, apparently, who get their objectives accomplished and, 
therefore, want the rest of us to keep quiet about other objectives. I 
understand that. I am not going to object But this is selective 
irresponsibility. It is selective favoritism for very important 
objectives. But there is no excuse, not one, for not having a CR 
between now and when everybody in this body expects to come back to 
this town, January 2. Nobody expects to come back before that, and the 
gentleman and I know it.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to agreeing to the 
amendment offered by the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston].
  There was no objection.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Virginia [Mr. Davis].
  Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, let me associate myself with my colleagues 
from the metropolitan area who favor keeping Government open. This area 
has taken a huge hit during this time period, but let me talk today 
about what is possible, and that is the District of Columbia 
appropriations bill and the continuing resolution for that.
  The city is unique in that 85 percent of its money does not come from 
the Federal Government. Right now, because of our inaction in Congress, 
they are barred from spending even their own money, even their own 
money to keep the city open, to keep the libraries open, to keep the 
rec centers open for the youth, collect the trash, keep foster care 
going. This will ensure that the city workers will have been paid for 
the time period they have been working over the last week which they 
have been doing in a sense with a wink and a nod. This will also help 
the city get its fiscal house in order and start the planning and start 
downsizing the city. This will fund the control board. The last 
shutdown cost the city $7 million. They did not have any productivity. 
This will keep the city up and running for a short period of time until 
we can work out the appropriation level. Let us stop the rhetoric. Let 
us pass this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. 
Livingston], and the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], each has 1 
minute remaining.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I again want to repeat that the motion to recommit will be a motion 
to open all of the Government so that workers who are being paid will 
be paid for working rather than not working.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask all the Members to vote for the 
concurrent resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the order of the House of today, the 
previous question is ordered.
  The question is on engrossment and third reading of the concurrent 
resolution.
  The concurrent resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a 
third time, and was read the third time.


                 motion to recommit offered by mr. obey

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the concurrent 
resolution in its present form?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I think it is pretty obvious by my comments.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to 
recommit.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Obey moves to recommit the joint resolution to the 
     Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report the 
     resolution back to the House forthwith with the following 
     amendment: at the end of the resolution add the following new 
     title:

                                TITLE IV

       Sec. 401. Section 106 of Public Law 104-56 is amended by 
     striking ``December 15, 1995'' and inserting ``January 3, 
     1996''.

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to say that the effect of this 
motion would be to end this childish partial Government shutdown. It 
would open up not just the functions that are contained in the base 
resolution. It would open up all remaining functions of Government so 
that taxpayers are not forced to look at the silly situation in which 
their taxpayers' money is being used to pay Government workers who are 
not being allowed to actually work for the money they receive.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer].
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I have said before that people sent us here 
to exercise common sense, fiscal responsibility.

                              {time}  1430

  I am one of those who has no problem standing because I have voted 
consistently for the objective that many of us in this body seek, and 
that is a balanced budget.
  The objective that many seek, that is to balance the budget in 7 
years and honestly score that balance so it is real or at least as real 
as we can make a 7-year projection.
  This vote now, for the first time, is going to give us the 
opportunity of doing what it seems to me from a nonpartisan, 
bipartisan, nonpolitical perspective makes common sense, and that is to 
have Government work while we are in recess or adjourned, probably in 
recess until January 2.
  There will be no greater pressure on the negotiators if Government is 
shut down. After 13 days of shutting down the Government, we ought to 
understand by now that the principles held by both parties are held 
strongly and are deemed to be in the best interests of America and our 
people. Those negotiators, who are the highest leaders of both our 
parties, I think are going to be working in good faith.
  There are real differences, but I suggest to Members on both sides 
that it 

[[Page H15615]]
makes no common sense to hold hostage the operation of the people's 
Government. We are attempting to selectively reduce the adverse 
consequence of that irresponsible action for veterans, for those in 
need of AFDC health, for the District of Columbia government to run as 
every one of our governments expects to run, without us arbitrarily and 
capriciously telling them they cannot spend their own money.
  But I would ask everybody on both sides of the aisle to vote for this 
motion to recommit, and I would tell my friends that I have thousands 
of non-Federal employees who have been laid off as a result of this 
action who are not going to be reimbursed. Look at the front page of 
the papers. There are contractors in every city in America, large and 
small, who have been told, ``Sorry, you better tell your employees to 
go home,'' and they are not Federal employees. And they are in 
Oklahoma, and they are in Florida, and California and New York, and, 
yes, they are in the Washington metropolitan region where, by the way, 
we only have 15 percent of the Federal employees. Eighty-five percent 
are throughout America.
  Contractors are saying to me, ``What are you people doing? You have 
asked me to do a job. I have entered into a contract with you, and now 
you are telling me I cannot do the work that you have contracted me 
for.''
  My colleagues, the American public expects us to make common sense. I 
ask all of my colleagues, not just for Federal employees, not just for 
those who have contracts with the Federal Government, but for every 
American who would like to believe that it can send us here to 
Washington to make policy rationally, reasonably, and with equity and 
openness with one another, to vote for this motion to recommit. Put the 
Government back to work, continue our negotiations. And I will come 
back here with you, as I have this year and in years past, and support 
policies to affect what all of us believe are important for our 
children and for our grandchildren, getting our fiscal house in order. 
But putting it out of order by this unwise policy ought to be rejected.
  Vote for the motion to recommit. It makes common sense.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dreier). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston].
  (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, this is the VA, AFDC, FC, and D.C. CR 
that I hope my colleagues will vote for ASAP. We have amended it. In 
fact we have changed courses and gears as we have been debating this 
simply because the other side of the Capitol has changed gears as well.
  I really hope that nobody will vote against this measure. We should 
all vote for it. However, I urge you to vote against the motion to 
recommit. If my colleagues voted for the motion to recommit, I tell my 
colleagues on this side they would be undoing virtually everything that 
we have fought for in the last several tough weeks.
  As my colleagues know, 34 days ago the President of the United States 
agreed in principle to a 7-year balanced budget scored by the 
Congressional Budget Office without smoke or mirrors, without false 
promises. My colleagues know that as recently as 2 days ago the Speaker 
of the House and the majority leader were sitting in the White House 
and came to what they thought were at least some constructive 
parameters, and a few minutes later the Vice President of the United 
States stood up before the press and said that nothing they said was 
agreed to.
  Now that has been the problem. Every time we think we have an 
agreement, it turns out we do not have an agreement. I would have to 
say in response to what the gentleman who preceded me in the well said, 
you want rational government, well, then, yes, rational government is 
the coming together, the compromising, the meeting of the minds, coming 
up with a single legislative agenda, passing it, and not vetoing it.
  We passed the VA-HUD bill, the Interior bill, the Commerce, State, 
and Justice bill. These went through the regular routine legislative 
process and should have been signed. But the beginning of this week, in 
the middle of this holiday season that we have enjoyed so much, the 
President vetoed all three bills. In fact he vetoed another bill. He 
vetoed the thing called the securities litigation bill, and 2 days ago 
the House overrode his veto, and today the Senate overrode his veto, 
and that one is now law.
  Now the American people are going to begin, if they have not already, 
to understand that this is a tough negotiation. This is tough 
bargaining, and we use what tools we have. We are sorry for the people 
that have been inconvenienced by this whole effort, but what we have is 
a fundamental philosophical difference. We differ with those who have a 
fundamental philosphy who believe, in intransigent, unyielding 
government, with a large bureaucracy, an unyielding and rapidly taxing 
and spending central government. We believe that Government should be 
smaller. We need to do the people's business by balancing our books. We 
need a balanced budget within 7 years, and we are going to get there.
  We have told the President of the United States we want to get there, 
and he has promised us ``oh, he does, too,'' but everything he does 
contravenes that thought. We have not gotten to the table yet to 
confect that balanced budget. Until we do that, until we get that 
binding agreement, we have no choice but to adopt this continuing 
resolution for the next 2 weeks. But to keep up the fight, to keep the 
faith, to make sure that we stay on track and we tell the American 
people we are not going to back down. We need the 7-year balanced 
budget.
  My colleagues, as Winston Churchill said, ``We will never, never, 
never give in.'' We will stay here until doomsday.
  Defeat this motion to recommit, and pass this continuing resolution, 
and merry Christmas.
  The Speaker pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the motion to recommit.


                         parliamentary inquiry

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. OBEY. Is it possible, after the last speech, the American people 
finally understand what we are up against?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the motion to recommit.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 161, 
noes 200, not voting 72, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 885]

                               AYES--161

     Abercrombie
     Andrews
     Baesler
     Baldacci
     Barcia
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Beilenson
     Bentsen
     Bishop
     Bonior
     Borski
     Boucher
     Brewster
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant (TX)
     Chapman
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coleman
     Collins (IL)
     Condit
     Costello
     Coyne
     Danner
     Davis
     DeFazio
     DeLauro
     Dellums
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Durbin
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fazio
     Fields (LA)
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Frank (MA)
     Frost
     Furse
     Gejdenson
     Gephardt
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Hall (OH)
     Hamilton
     Hastings (FL)
     Hefner
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Holden
     Hoyer
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E.B.
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kleczka
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lowey
     Luther
     Maloney
     Manton
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McDermott
     McHale
     McKinney
     Meehan
     Menendez
     Mfume
     Miller (CA)
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Moran
     Morella
     Nadler
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Orton
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pastor
     Payne (NJ)
     Payne (VA)
     Pelosi
     Peterson (FL)
     Peterson (MN)
     Pickett
     Pomeroy
     Poshard
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reed
     Richardson
     Rivers
     Roemer
     Rose
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sabo
     Sanders
     Sawyer
     Schroeder
     Schumer
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skelton
     
[[Page H15616]]

     Slaughter
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Tejeda
     Thompson
     Thornton
     Thurman
     Torres
     Torricelli
     Towns
     Traficant
     Visclosky
     Volkmer
     Ward
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Williams
     Wilson
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yates

                               NOES--200

     Allard
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baker (CA)
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bereuter
     Bilbray
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bono
     Brownback
     Bryant (TN)
     Bunn
     Burr
     Burton
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Chrysler
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins (GA)
     Combest
     Cooley
     Cox
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cremeans
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Deal
     DeLay
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     English
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fawell
     Flanagan
     Foley
     Forbes
     Fox
     Franks (CT)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frisa
     Funderburk
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Goss
     Graham
     Greenwood
     Gutknecht
     Hall (TX)
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Heineman
     Herger
     Hilleary
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hoke
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kim
     King
     Kingston
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Lightfoot
     Linder
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Longley
     Lucas
     Martini
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McInnis
     McKeon
     Metcalf
     Meyers
     Miller (FL)
     Molinari
     Montgomery
     Moorhead
     Myrick
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Nussle
     Oxley
     Packard
     Parker
     Paxon
     Petri
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Pryce
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Riggs
     Roberts
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Royce
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer
     Schiff
     Sensenbrenner
     Shays
     Shuster
     Skeen
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Stearns
     Stockman
     Stump
     Talent
     Tate
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Thomas
     Tiahrt
     Torkildsen
     Upton
     Vucanovich
     Waldholtz
     Walker
     Walsh
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)
     Zeliff
     Zimmer

                             NOT VOTING--72

     Ackerman
     Baker (LA)
     Ballenger
     Barton
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bilirakis
     Bunning
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Cardin
     Clinger
     Collins (MI)
     Conyers
     Cramer
     de la Garza
     Deutsch
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Ensign
     Fields (TX)
     Filner
     Ford
     Fowler
     Gallegly
     Geren
     Gibbons
     Green
     Gunderson
     Gutierrez
     Hancock
     Harman
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Jacobs
     Jefferson
     Johnston
     Klink
     Kolbe
     LaFalce
     Lantos
     Lincoln
     Lipinski
     Lofgren
     Manzullo
     McCarthy
     McHugh
     McIntosh
     McNulty
     Meek
     Mica
     Murtha
     Myers
     Neal
     Norwood
     Quillen
     Quinn
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roth
     Roukema
     Seastrand
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Studds
     Taylor (NC)
     Thornberry
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Wamp
     Waxman
     Wyden

                              {time}  1459

  The Clerk announced the following pairs:
  On this vote:

       Ms. Harman for, with Mr. Quinn against.
       Mr. Jefferson for, with Mr. Quillen against.
       Mr. Filner for, with Mr. Bilirakis against.

  So the motion to recommit was rejected.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dreier). The question is on the joint 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my request.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman withdraws his request.
  The joint resolution was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________