[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H54-H55]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        UPDATE ON BOSNIA MISSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Skelton] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, in all of this business about the budget, 
there are some dedicated Americans we should not overlook.
  The votes in this Chamber on the issue of Bosnia do not end our 
interest or attention to the American forces now arriving in that 
troubled region.
  Mr. Speaker, we should continue to show our attention to the mission 
and concern for the troops. It is our sincere wish that their mission 
be successful and safe. Our uniformed Americans, who will be in the 
Balkans on an unprecedented peace mission, are professional and well-
trained. So far, our troops have been well-received by the people of 
Bosnia. As we begin the new year, our thoughts and prayers are with our 
service men and women in that sad corner of the world.
  As our troops slowly occupy the Tuzla sector, I have four concerns--
let me spell them out:
  The first is that of accidents to our troops. Already, one of our 
soldiers, Specialist Martin Begosh from Maryland, has been injured by a 
land mine as he drove his Humvee vehicle along a back road.
  Second is the threat of terrorists who oppose the peace process. We 
know there will be rogue elements on each side, who do not favor the 
Dayton peace agreement. The Bosnian Moslem Government has agreed to 
expel Iranians and other fundamentalist forces, but the terrorist 
threat is still one of concern.
  Third, the American efforts to equip and train the Moslem-Croat 
Federation may well cause our forces problems as the Serbs might view 
Americans as enemies and federation forces may expect favors. In 
addition, we should be particularly concerned with the end-game 
associated with this effort. We should ask ourselves whether the equip 
and train mission will lead to a longterm security guarantee in the 
region.
  Fourth is the possibility of mission creep. Already, two American 
counterfire radar system units are going to Sarajevo, which is in the 
French sector. Also, an article in this morning's Washington Post 
discusses the danger of United States Army involvement in both 
investigating Serb atrocities and participating in Bosnian political 
and judicial matters.
  Let us closely follow the American military effort in Bosnia, and at 
the same time be mindful of the four concerns just mentioned. I know 
that all Members of this body wish only the best for our troops, 
wherever they may be, especially those who will attempt to bring 
stability to a war-torn region. The troops should know that this body 
will support them and assist them in this unique challenge.
  So as we begin the year 1996, we wish these fine Americans all the 
best.

[[Page H55]]


                 CALL AN END TO THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I say, as has been stated before, enough 
is enough. We have got to get this Government up and running again.
  Federal employees, Federal contractors, and American citizens are 
needlessly suffering. It is a time to put an end to this.
  Frankly, I applaud the Senate for passing a continuing resolution 
yesterday, and I do hope that this body and the House of 
Representatives will have an opportunity to vote on that continuing 
resolution for a limited period of time. I believe, as the other 
Members of this House do on both sides of the aisle, judging from the 
votes we have had, that we can have a balanced budget in 7 years scored 
by CBO, and let us let the President present his budget to the 
negotiators so we can move ahead with a continuing resolution.
  But, you know, I want to point out that this shutdown has a human 
side. It has a human side. We have got 280,000 Federal employees who 
are furloughed. There is pain out there, there is suffering out there, 
there is anguish and anger out there.
  Some 760,000 Federal employees received partial paychecks. They are 
anxious about their next paycheck they fear may be empty.
  Countless Federal contractors, many who are in this region, have been 
forced to lay off employees due to stop-work orders on contracts that 
are current and the uncertainty of future contracts. This work and 
these wages will never be recouped.
  I received countless calls from Federal employees and contractors who 
are concerned about paying this month's mortgage and even buying food. 
I have heard from a man in my district who works for an agency that is 
shut down, as does his wife. Not only are they having trouble paying 
this month's mortgage, their daughter's $13,000 college tuition bill 
just arrived.
  I heard from a railroad retiree who received notice his retirement 
benefits will be cut 67 percent in January due to a lack of 
appropriations from the U.S. Treasury.
  I have heard from a woman who works for Computer Data Systems, a 
Federal contractor. They furloughed employees, forcing them to take 
leave in order to pay them.
  Not only are employees' summer vacations now being used up, soon 
their leave will run out, and they may be furloughed without 
reimbursement.
  I heard from another Federal contractor, who has begun laying off 
employees, not just furloughing them. If he is able to rehire them, 
they will have to wait 9 months to 1 year before being covered by the 
company's health insurance, again due to a preexisting condition 
clause.
  I have heard from a constituent whose niece is in the Peace Corps in 
Kenya. Due to the shutdown, she did not receive her allotment of money 
to buy a plane ticket home.
  The local economy has suffered tremendously. Restaurants have been 
forced to lay off employees. Travel agencies are losing business by 
doing that which they usually get at this peak time. And the local 
tourist industry has been crippled.
  Just some statistics: Each day of the shutdown, over 260 small 
businesses are not receiving SBA guaranteed financing, totaling over 
$40 million of loans. Each day of the shutdown, 95 percent of workplace 
safety complaints are going unanswered. Each day of the shutdown, an 
average of 383,000 people cannot visit National Park Service 
facilities. Campgrounds, monuments, visitor center are closed in 155 
national forests.
  Each day the State Department cannot process 23,000 applications for 
passports it would receive. Each day the State Department cannot issue 
20,000 visas to visitors who normally spend an average of $3,000 on 
their trips.
  All EPA non-Superfund civil environmental enforcement actions have 
stopped, costing $3 million a day in fines or injunctive relief against 
polluters.
  We heard that just this week toxic cleanup in Superfund sites has run 
out of money and that will not be happening.
  We could go on and on with the fact that 20,000 people have not been 
able to get Federal college loans because of the shutdown, 2,500 home 
purchase loans with FHA have not been awarded because of the shutdown.
  All of this, and NIH, as a matter of fact, which is in my district, 
2,000 grants have not gone out, leaving grantees with a break in their 
funding system, uncertain whether or not they can continue research. 
That is research to isolate the colon cancer gene, the breast cancer 
gene, working on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, all of the various diseases 
and ailments where they can and are working and trying to come up with 
cures.
  I further feel that it is so unfair to these Federal employees to not 
let them receive a check for work they have done or work that they want 
to do that they cannot do; therefore, finally, Mr. Speaker, I have said 
that my salary that would be comparable to the period of time when 
Federal employees are not being paid will be withheld, because I am a 
Federal employee and I should be treated the same way.
  It is time to call an end to this shutdown and go on with the 
balanced budget.

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