[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H193-H216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DISPOSING OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 1643, EXTENSION OF MOST-FAVORED-
                     NATION TREATMENT FOR BULGARIA

  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 334 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 334

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 
     1643) to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory 
     treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) to the products of 
     Bulgaria, with the Senate amendment thereto, and to consider 
     in the House the motion printed in the report of the 
     Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. The Senate 
     amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. All 
     points of order against the motion are waived. The motion 
     shall be debatable for one hour equally divided and 
     controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
     Committee on Appropriations. The previous question shall be 
     considered as ordered on the motion to final adoption without 
     intervening motion or demand for division of the question.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California [Mr. Dreier] 
is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from South Boston, MA [Mr. 
Moakley], pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the 
purposes of debate only.
  (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks and to include extraneous material.)
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, this rule provides for taking from the 
Speaker's table H.R. 1643, with the Senate amendment, and consideration 
in the House of the motion printed in the Committee on Rules report 
accompanying this resolution. The Senate amendment and the motion in 
the committee report shall be considered as read, and all points of 
order against the motion are waived.
  The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate on the motion, equally 
divided by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule further provides that the previous question is 
considered as ordered on the motion to final adoption without 
intervening motion or demand for division of the question.

                              {time}  1130

  Mr. Speaker, from the 1st day of the 104th Congress a year ago 
yesterday, the new majority in the House has maintained that balancing 
the Federal budget in 7 years is our top priority. To fail in this 
effort is to let down America's families, especially our Nation's 
children They are the ones that will pay the bill for continuing the 
tax, spend, and deficit policies that Washington insiders have 
maintained for decades. The bill just for interest payments on our debt 
is approaching $187,000 in lifetime tax payments per American child. 
That is why we must change the direction of this Government.
  Mr. Speaker, the President and Congress made a commitment on November 
20 of last year to enact a 7-year balanced budget using honest economic 
assumptions. The balanced budget was to reform welfare and provide a 
tax cut that lets families keep more of the money they earn. The 
balanced budget was to provide an economic stimulus to finally get 
family incomes moving upward, something that the Clinton administration 
unfortunately has failed to do.
  Finally, the balanced budget was to increase spending on health care, 
education, and veterans, while maintaining a vibrant national defense.
  Mr. Speaker, the majority in this House made one major mistake in our 
efforts to reach a balanced budget agreement to save the future for our 
children. That mistake, Mr. Speaker, was believing the President of the 
United States. We believed the President when he said he would balance 
the budget in 5 years. We believed him when he said he would support a 
7-year balanced budget. We even believed the President meant it when he 
signed the last continuing resolution saying that a 7-year balanced 
budget would be enacted by the 1st session of the 104th Congress.
  At this point, Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the President is very 
committed. He is committed to saving Washington, not to saving 
Medicare. He is committed to balancing his poll numbers, not to 
balancing the budget. He is so committed to business as usual that he 
was willing to see Federal workers thrown out on the street, rather 
that putting a balanced budget on the negotiating table.
  Mr. Speaker, one thing should be very clear at this point: Those of 
us committed to balancing the budget will not go along with business a 
usual. This Congress and this country are well into uncharted territory 
in this budget showdown because there is finally a majority in Congress 
that will say ``no'' to Washington's deficits and Washington's 
spending. We are not willing to just declare victory and draw up a 
phony budget that will result in the same type of debt and waste in 
2002 that we have today. The President has refused to lead, choosing 
cheap political rhetoric over a balanced budget. Therefore, Congress 
has taken the lead. The President has refused to lead to find common 
ground on appropriations bills so that Federal workers can be paid. 
Therefore, we are leading with a bill to put Federal workers back on 
the job with pay through January 26.
  Mr. Speaker, we must be clear. This is not a business-as-usual 
continuing resolution. This bill will only fund targeted Federal 
programs which enjoy a bipartisan consensus of support. The bill funds 
some of those programs through March 15; others, through the end of the 
fiscal year.
  If the President would really like to satisfactorily see all Federal 
programs funded, he should offer his version of a 7-year balanced 
budget using honest numbers.
  Mr. Speaker, over the past several days, while negotiations have been 
going on, I have had a little time, because I have not been in the 
midst of those negotiations. I have been spending some of that time 
rereading the Federalist Papers. I am more committed than ever to the 
belief that the Congress does not work for the Government. The Congress 
is here to serve the American people.
  How would James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay react to a 
Congress so beholden to Government programs that its primary duty was 
to ensure that Government is free to spend taxpayer money? Madison 
believed that the primary role of Congress was to serve the people by 
ensuring a just society that protects individual liberty. Our debt-
ridden status quo Government is not living up to that mission.
  Mr. Speaker, our first duty is to deliver a balanced budget to 
America's children. The President was prepared 

[[Page H194]]
to sacrifice Federal workers to maintain the bureaucracy that he values 
more than the people who serve in it. While we will balance the budget, 
we will do it without causing undue pain to Federal employees and those 
who receive necessary Federal services.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in a bipartisan way to support this 
rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill we are considering is a small step in the right 
direction.
  The American people are sick and tired of seeing their Government 
services held hostage because Speaker Gingrich disagrees with the 
President. The U.S. Government has been closed for 21 days. Of 2 
million civilian Federal employees, 280,000 have been sent home, and 
480,000 are working, but not getting paid. That means a total of 38 
percent of the Federal work force is not getting a paycheck.
  This shutdown has gone on entirely too long. It is hurting a lot of 
people, and without this bill it would only get worse.
  Without this bill, in the next 2 weeks, Meals on Wheels in 12 States 
would stop, and senior citizens who rely on Meals on Wheels to help 
them live on their own, will be forced to head for a nursing home, or 
worse.
  Next week, Massachusetts Unemployment Offices would close, and 
families who are temporarily out of work would have no way to buy food, 
heat their homes, or pay their rent. Our national forests, museums, and 
parks would remain closed to tourists who had their hearts set on their 
vacations. And small businesses near our national parks would continue 
to lose $14 million every day the Government is closed.
  These people did nothing wrong. They expect Government services, they 
earned Government services, and under no circumstances should they have 
to pay the price for this political blackmail.
  With this bill, those people will no longer be sacrificed on the 
alter of politics.
  But others will, what about them?
  This month, 49,000 families may be evicted from their homes because 
their housing vouchers are not getting renewed. And what about student 
loans and small business loans?

  Why are we opening the Government piece by piece? These games are 
serving no purpose, in fact, they are hurting people. Let us do a clean 
continuing resolution, get the Government open, and get on with real 
legislation.
  Although this bill is better than nothing, Mr. Speaker, it will have 
ridiculous consequences.
  Under this absurd bill, all Federal employees are to report back to 
work, but only some of them are authorized to actually do work. In 
other words, if you work in the Passport Office, you go to work, and do 
your job. If you work in the Housing Office, you go to work and sit 
there.
  What on Earth is that? This sounds like a Rube Goldberg situation. 
Tell me: Who is working, and who is really working?
  Mr. Speaker, this is ludicrous. Let us get the entire Government 
open, let us get all the Federal employees back to work, let us get 
this country running again. As the Senate majority leader said, 
``Enough is enough.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question in 
order to end the shutdown once and for all. If we defeat the previous 
question, in about 6 hours we could open the entire Federal Government. 
We would allow time for negotiations by keeping the Government open at 
least until January 26.
  Mr. Speaker, let us give the American people their Government back.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Glens Falls, NY [Mr. Solomon], the chairman of the 
Committee on Rules.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, the only ludicrous thing around here is 
this unconscionable, irresponsible Congress that has piled $5 trillion 
in debt on my children and my grandchildren, and I resent it. One thing 
is for sure, we are putting an end to it this year. This Congress is 
going to force this President to accept a balanced budget, no matter 
what. In saying that, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, the 
vice chairman of the Committee on Rules for yielding me the time this 
morning. I rise, as Members can tell, in the strongest possible support 
for this rule and this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, we are obviously at a difficult and a very critical 
juncture in our efforts to complete work on the important budgetary 
decisions for our country, our Government, and our Nation; namely, the 
remaining appropriation bills and the 7-year Balanced Budget Act. There 
is still no agreement between the Congress and the President over this 
7-year balanced budget that I have just been talking about.
  The President has vetoed several of our regular appropriation bills 
and thereby blocked the reopening of Government. That is the Veterans' 
Administration, the Department of Housing, the Environmental Protection 
Agency. It is all of these agencies that are not functioning because 
this President has vetoed these appropriation bills.
  Mr. Speaker, back on November 20 the President signed into law a 
commitment by this Congress and this President to enact a 7-year 
balanced budget using no smoke and mirrors, but using the impartial 
Congressional Budget Office estimates. That legal deadline expired 2 
days ago at noon on January 3. Late in November we sent the President 
the balanced budget that we Republicans, by law, submitted. It was 
properly certified by the impartial Congressional Budget Office. Yet, 
on December 6, the President vetoed that bill. There was no movement 
from the White House to reach a compromise balanced budget before the 
continuing resolution expired on December 15.
  As near as I can tell, there has been very little movement since that 
time, by the White House, to even submit a CBO-certified balanced 
budget that we have asked for every single day since December 15. We 
have offered to put everything on the table in those negotiations, it 
does not matter whether it is Medicare, Medicaid, welfare reform, the 
Defense bill, the tax provisions. We are willing to negotiate anything, 
as long as we get figures to negotiate from. The White House table is 
not on the level because it still tilts toward a deficit of around $100 
billion in the seventh year. That is a far cry from the balanced budget 
the President is committed to giving us.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret that so much attention has been diverted by the 
consequent shutdown of parts of the Government, because it has blurred 
our focus on the really big picture, the picture that the American 
people want us to focus on. We might all do well to paraphrase that 
sign on the wall of candidate Bill Clinton. Do Members remember what 
that sign was in his campaign headquarters? That sign said: ``It's the 
economy, stupid.'' Now that we have all committed by law to a 7-year 
balanced budget, I would suggest that there is a new sign on the walls 
of this Capitol and the White House that reads: ``It's not the 
Government, stupid, it's the future;'' or, you could change the sign to 
read: ``It's not the Government, stupid, it's our children and our 
grandchildren.''
  That is what the historic debate today is really all about, the 
future of our country, of our economy, and the lives and the livelihood 
of our children and our grandchildren who are saddled with this 
mountain of debt that we have been piling on ourselves for years now, 
turning us into no more than a Third World debtor Nation. That is so, 
so, sad.
  Today, however, provides us that opportunity to get back to what that 
big picture is all about, and put it back in focus by putting 
Government workers back to work with pay, if they want to work, and by 
funding some of the essential services that are so vital to the 
American people, such as the elderly, the poor, the children, veterans, 
visitors to our parks, and those who need to travel abroad.
  But let me emphasize, Mr. Speaker, we are not reopening the 
Government by our actions today, so do not think that we are, since 
this amendment will not provide for across-the-board funding for all of 
the programs, the grants, loans, and other matters for which 
appropriations have not been enacted. We may have that opportunity for 
a limited and conditional short-term continuing resolution in a 
subsequent piece of legislation that we could consider yet today.

[[Page H195]]

  As a matter of fact, when this debate is over on this rule, I believe 
we will go to the Committee on Rules and we will bring that rule to the 
floor. But it would be contingent, if we do that, just so there is 
no misunderstanding, on real progress in the current stalled balanced 
budget negotiations. It would make that short-term CR contingent on the 
President coming to the same table we have been sitting at by 
presenting his own CBO-scored 7-year balanced budget. That would be 
significant progress to get those negotiations moving again. We were 
already burned once by a previous unconditioned congressional 
resolution that proved to be no incentive for the administration to get 
down to serious business.

                              {time}  1145

  We will not be burned a second time, I assure you.
  So in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would advise my colleagues to come 
over here, support this rule and the motion it makes in order. As our 
minority colleagues on the Committee on Rules admitted, this is a step 
in the right direction. At midnight last night, my good friend Joe 
Moakley admitted to this, and he was going to come here and support the 
rule and support this bill before us.
  For this bill to succeed, however, we will need a second step in our 
direction from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, over there; that 
is the only way we can eventually meet in the middle on a mutually 
agreed-upon 7-year balanced budget that will benefit all Americans 
across the board.
  We fully intend to stay the course on that glide path to a balanced 
budget. As I said, we are not about to be burned twice. We will put 
this conditional continuing resolution on the floor. If the President 
gives us a balanced budget so that we can compare figures to figures, 
then this full Government will start to function as early as Monday 
morning. That is what this is all about.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SOLOMON. I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado, my good friend 
who is retiring from this body and who has been such a valuable Member 
for so many years.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. I wanted to ask the distinguished gentleman from New 
York why the Democrats were not allowed a motion to recommit in this 
bill so that we could offer a full and clean resolution to open up the 
Government rather than this muddled one. I do not remember that 
happening in ages, and I am really surprised the gentleman from New 
York denied us that opportunity.
  Mr. SOLOMON. I would say to the gentlewoman, because this is not a 
resolution, it is not a bill. This is an amendment to a Senate 
amendment which does not allow for a motion to recommit.
  But you do have the right to pursue a previous question fight, as you 
know.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. So clearly we have to defeat the previous question. 
That is the only way we get an option to be able to bring to this floor 
a resolution to open Government once and for all; is that right?
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest a bipartisan effort that we 
not do that, because this bill is already agreed to in the Senate by 
Senator Daschle, the Senate leader over in the other body.
  We want to move this; we want to make sure that the Federal workers 
are paid for their back wages and that they are called back to work. 
The way to do it is with this legislation. I thank the gentlewoman.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my classmate, the 
gentlewoman from Colorado [Mr. Schroeder].
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for 
yielding me this time.
  I must say I am very troubled that we do not have the opportunity 
under this rule to be able to move to recommit the bill and do a clean 
continuing resolution to open the Government. I really see this body 
moving from extremism to fanaticism, and that troubles me. We have had 
14 votes so far, the way I count it, to open this Government, and we 
will soon have the 15th on the previous question. I think people should 
be aware of that.
  You do not need keys to unlock this Government, you need a voting 
card; and all you have to do is vote right on the 15th vote, even 
though we have not on the last 14, and we can get this Government open 
and we will stop looking so silly.
  There are many things that have been said that I would like to 
respond to. I think that this targeted solution that we have, which I 
will certainly vote for if that is the only one we get, but it is going 
to look very foolish. What we are going to be doing is paying people to 
go to work, but there will not be any work for them to do, because 
there will be no programs for them to administer or anything else. So 
really we have not gotten where we want to be.
  Furthermore, for the private sector, for the private contractors, for 
the small businessmen who are waiting for SBA loans, for all of that, 
they are going to still be shut out, and I would think since they are 
the real taxpayers out there, they are going to get a little tired of 
being denied these services from the Government.
  So I would hope we could have a clean CR.
  I also want to say, as one who voted for prior budgets that no one on 
that side of the aisle voted for, when we took over, when President 
Clinton took over, this deficit was at $300 billion a year, and he 
brought it down to $161 billion a year through only votes on this side 
of the aisle. We are attempting, and we have a balanced budget 
amendment that we can do in 7 years, but the question is, who pays, and 
whether or not you give huge tax credits on the rich.
  That is what this is about. It is not about whether we have one; it 
is, who pays for it.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], the ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, if there is no better option available, I will 
certainly vote for this first proposition. But I have to make clear 
that this proposition would lead one to believe that last night in the 
Republican caucus, Goofy and Mickey Mouse got married. I mean, this is 
going to leave such an incredibly ludicrous situation on our hands.
  What it means is that the zealots in the Republican caucus are 
sounding retreat, but they are still shooting hostages as they 
withdraw. Because this proposal that they are bringing to us will deal 
with the needs of Government employees, they will take care of the 
Washington problem, but it will not deal with the rights of the 
taxpayers.
  Taxpayers have a right to have their Government fully open; they have 
a right to receive all of the services for which they have already paid 
taxes; and this proposition will not do it. This proposition will mean, 
for instance, that there will still be 20,000 Pell grants per day that 
will not be processed. It will mean that States will still be left 
holding the bag for $7 billion a month in Medicaid costs. It will mean 
that there will be 2,000 NIH research grants which will not be renewed, 
including 400 cancer grants.
  It will mean that there will be 300 Head Start projects with 200,000 
kids that will be out of luck because those projects will not be able 
to be funded under the terms of this very limited Government opening. 
It will mean that NASA contractors will still be left high and dry. It 
will mean that we will be paying Government workers to do some work, 
but they will be limited in what work they can do; and we will still 
not be paying contractors who are doing much of the work that 
Government contracts with them to do.
  That will have an immense long-term cost to the taxpayer, because 
anybody who does business with the Government as a contractor, the next 
time around when they sign a contract, will charge much higher prices 
so that they do not wind up taking the kind of financial bath that they 
are taking so long as we have this continued partial shutdown.
  So I will simply say that I urge Members to vote against the previous 
question so that we can offer a substitute which would open up 
Government in its entirety, so that we do not only just deal with the 
problems of Government workers, but also provide taxpayers with the 
full range of services to which they have already been entitled by 
virtue of the fact they have already paid taxes to achieve those 
services.

[[Page H196]]

  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Frost], a very important member of the Committee on Rules.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, this proposition before us, which we will all support 
because it is the lesser of the evils, and it is because we have to do 
something. This proposition reminds everyone of a Rube Goldberg 
cartoon; you may have seen those where they have contraptions and they 
have levers and they have something down here.
  Let us be very clear what we are doing here, or what the Republican 
majority is doing here. Certain programs will run until September 30. 
Certain other programs will run until March 15, and then Federal 
workers will come in and be able to sit in their chairs on all programs 
until January 26, but they will not be able to do anything if they do 
not happen to work for one of those programs that runs until September 
30 or one of those programs that runs until March 15.
  This is a monstrosity created by a Republican caucus in chaos. We 
should defeat the previous question and substitute a rational approach 
that puts everybody back to work and funds all programs in a clean CR.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Dingell].
  (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, under the rather fitting title of providing 
for the consideration of most-favored-nation treatment for Bulgaria, we 
are about to pass legislation to do something, not much, but a little, 
about the problems of the shutdown of the Government that has been 
brought about by my Republican colleagues over here. What we are doing, 
however, is doing it under a closed rule.
  The Republican Members have very carefully seen to it that the 
Committee on Rules again denies this House an opportunity to take care 
of the Government employees and to take care of the people who are 
paying taxes to provide for Government services which are authorized by 
this body and by the Senate.
  What we are seeing here is that a closed rule is going to deny us the 
means to really get the Government up and going.
  If I were to come in here on my own and walk down to the well and 
offer a piece of legislation like this which says that we are going to 
let some Federal employees work and get paid for doing nothing, and 
some get paid for doing a little bit or doing almost nothing, and to 
allow contractors not to do the job, and to continue a situation where, 
for example, in my district, the F-100 Ford truck cannot be certified 
by EPA, and that we are going to pay people for doing nothing, they 
would say, Dingell, you are out of your cotton-picking mind. This is 
nothing more or less than a replay of welfare.

  What we are doing is setting up a situation, quite shamefacedly and 
improperly under the title of ``Consideration of Most-Favored-Nation 
Treatment for Bulgaria,'' to have us move forward to set up people who 
are not going to produce and who are going to continue to cost us 
somewhere between $40 and $60 million a day for unproductive work, 
building an ongoing backlog of work that is not being done to address 
the real problems that people are having in this country.
  I say that this is an embarrassment, and I do not blame my Republican 
colleagues for misnaming it.
  Now, I intend to vote for the proposal. I intend to vote against this 
rule, because the rule is a disgrace, and I intend to vote to defeat 
the previous question, as it well should be, so that we can get a 
decent proposal before this body.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, James Madison regularly talked about the importance of 
individual liberty, and quite frankly, we have seen the reach of the 
Federal Government in this crisis that we are facing right now.
  The fact that the F-100 truck cannot be certified, the fact that the 
Disney-Cap City's merger cannot go through demonstrates how far-
reaching the Federal Government is, and our goal of trying to reduce 
the size and scope is obviously a positive one.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Sanibel, FL 
[Mr. Goss], my very good friend and the distinguished chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process.
  (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from greater 
downtown Metropolitan San Dimas, CA, for yielding me this very generous 
allotment of time; and I rise in support of his rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that Americans are very frustrated with the 
twists and turns the balanced budget debate has taken in these past 
weeks, and I know that there have been very real sacrifices out there 
made by some Federal employees, their families, some entrepreneurs 
whose livelihood depends on the operation of the Federal agencies that 
are currently impacted, and some inconvenience to citizens and tourists 
alike who want to use facilities.
  I think that the bill that this rule makes in order will largely 
address these problems and ensure appropriate Government services are 
provided, a quick response that was asked for earlier today on this 
floor by Members of the other party.
  We all wish for a speedy resolution of the specific impasse that we 
have here so that we can get back to the work and concentrate on the 
main effort. The main effort is to get the President of the United 
States on a glidepath toward a true, 7-year balanced budget and a more 
efficient, less intrusive Federal Government.
  Along with that wish goes the resolve that many of us feel, the moral 
imperative; and it is a moral imperative noted by Americans across the 
country, not, repeat not, to squander this opportunity to bring balance 
to our budget for the first time in three decades and to get our 
spending under control.

                              {time}  1200

  Mr. Speaker, during the long debate over the last few months, some of 
us have asked why can we not simply restore business as usual and worry 
about balancing the budget some other time. In fact I have heard some 
of those voices here today. In the short term this probably would 
smooth out a few wrinkles, but the long-term implications are 
devastating.
  It is precisely this inclination to put off the tough arguments, to 
postpone the really difficult decisions and to sidestep the most 
grueling choices that have brought us to the point where we are in this 
country today fiscally. We know that there is never a right time to 
effect major change. There are never comfortable ways to fundamentally 
alter the status quo, when almost all agree the status quo is broken.
  It is an inherently anxious and uncomfortable business that we are 
engaged in here. But responsible people all know that it has to be done 
and, if we allow this opportunity to pass by, it is going to be gone 
forever. The next 40 years, with the same failure rate in society and 
the same cost of trillions brought to us by the Democrats over the past 
40 years is not a pretty picture, and it certainly is not a worthy goal 
for the United States of America as we start the next century.
  I am sorry to say that this administration, for all its public 
statement about wanting a balanced budget, allowed an entire month to 
pass from mid-November to mid-December without a workable or even 
serious balanced budget presentation. The President's vetoes on three 
major spending bills at the outset of the current shutdown ensured that 
tens of thousands of government employees would be in limbo during the 
holiday season.
  Frankly, it is the view of many that some in the administration have 
sought to use Federal employees and their families as sacrificial 
public relations pawns to delay committing to the terms of a real 
enforceable balanced budget plan. Cynically, these same victims who are 
Americans and taxpayers have been used as fodder in a barrage of scare 
stories by the White House and its tax and spend allies here on the 
Hill.
  Mr. Speaker, we do live in extremely uncertain times. We have troops 
in Bosnia doing the hard work of peace under extraordinarily difficult 
circumstances. In the private sector we 

[[Page H197]]
read now that we have some 40,000 employees of a major company who are 
faced with losing their jobs due to corporate downsizing. We have 
Federal employees worried about when they will get paid and when this 
shutdown will end. We have millions of American children facing a 
future of extraordinary debt because of years of lousy liberal tax and 
spend leadership accepting the easy way out on the question of our 
budget.
  I hear some today calling for more of that. I know that real people 
are suffering real consequences of this struggle. But I also know that 
real people will suffer greater consequences if we fail to succeed in 
this effort. This rule allows consideration of a targeted bill to put 
thousands of Federal workers back to work and to get paid and ensures 
the continuation of a handful of vital government services. But as 
important as those goals are, they will be lost unless the President 
comes to the table with a serious balanced budget proposal so that we 
can take further steps to get the Government back on the track. I 
suppose also at stake is whether the President will keep his word. He 
has promised the voters a balanced budget. He has promised us a 
balanced budget. Now is the time.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire of the Chair how much time 
remains on both sides?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bunning of Kentucky). The gentleman from 
California [Mr. Dreier] has 10 minutes remaining, and the gentleman 
from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley] has 18 minutes remaining.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
West Virginia [Mr. Wise].
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the American citizens 
and taxpayer who have been ringing the phones off the hooks of a lot of 
Members of Congress who believe it is ridiculous to keep this 
Government shut down over this dispute.
  Now, just so everyone understands, people are being paid not to work. 
Now they get to go to work but they cannot do their work. At least that 
is partial victory. This puts Federal workers back at work getting paid 
so they can make their car payments, heating bills, their mortgage 
payments, tuition payments, buy some groceries. But why not the whole 
Government? Why not put the whole Government back to work and let them 
actually do their job?
  Yes, this does cover railroad retirement. Yes, it covers Meals on 
Wheels, passport services, veterans benefits. That is the good news. 
But what about the areas that it does not cover? Federal workers who 
will not be able to do the toxic waste cleanups, the environmental 
inspections, who will not be able to make the small business loans, 
issue the export licenses, or pay vendors who provide Federal services.
  What about the West Virginia Legislature which has to meet next week? 
What kind of budget does it put forward with this kind of resolution? 
What it means is it is going to have to guess and make supplemental 
State appropriations to cover what the Federal Government should be 
covering.
  Yes, I am going to vote for this because it is a partial opening. In 
fact, this is a half Congress, is it not, because we had half of a 
Government shutdown and now we are going to open it up half again. We 
are just going halfway. Why not give the American taxpayers who are 
paying the full amount of their taxes, why not give them a full 
Government back? That is what this resolution ought to be. Defeat the 
previous question and we will get the full Government back up and 
running.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
Jersey [Mr. Pallone].
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have to say this is the kookiest proposal 
I have ever heard. I have to oppose the rule. I was in my district last 
week, and I went to an EPA lab where they are in charge of Superfund 
cleanup and it has all been shut down. There was no one in the office.
  Under this proposal, all the employees would go back to the EPA 
office in Edison, NJ, but they would not be allowed to do any work. 
They would not be allowed to answer inquiries because they would not 
have an appropriation to deal with the Superfund. The contractors who 
would do the Superfund work would not be able to actually go on the job 
and do the cleanup. The people that have to do inspection or 
enforcement want an appropriation for the gas for their cars so they 
could go out and look at the site.
  It is the craziest, I call it the kookiest thing I have ever heard. I 
cannot believe that the Republican leadership is now asking us that 
this is our only alternative. I will vote for it because I want to see 
the workers go back. But I think that we should bring up a clean CR, a 
continuing resolution, and we should not be held hostage to this 
attitude now, which is approaching fanaticism on the Republican side.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
South Carolina [Mr. Clyburn].
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate those Members of the 
Republican Party for their foresight and fortitude in coming forward at 
this time with this CR, but it is more like a partial plan rather than 
a full plan. Of course, there are times when a half a loaf is better 
than no loaf at all. However, there are times when going halfway can be 
very, very dangerous, especially for those people who go to work every 
day.
  What we are doing this with is allowing people to go back to work, 
yet we are leaving them exposed to hazardous conditions because we are 
not allowing the EPA to its work. We are saying to people who are 
exposed to safety problems on highway contracts that you can work but 
the OSHA people will not be allowed to check for safety standards.
  I believe that what we are doing here is in fact exposing working 
people to some untenable situations. So I would say that what we ought 
to be doing is looking at how we cannot just go halfway but go all the 
way in making sure that people do not only work but are safe when they 
carry out their duties and responsibilities.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Vermont [Mr. Sanders].
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is both good news and bad news. The 
good news is that the Republicans have finally decided to stop holding 
three-quarters of a million American Federal workers as hostage. In 
Vermont we have close to 2,000 Federal workers who are working today 
but are not getting paid. These people have mortgages to pay. They have 
children to feed. They have financial obligations to meet. It is 
immoral. It is wrong to hold them and every other Federal Worker who is 
furloughed and not being paid as hostage.
  It is also wrong to hold millions of Americans who need passports, 
who need environmental protection, who need Meals on Wheels, who need 
all of the services that this Government should be providing as 
hostage, who have paid for these services but are not getting them.
  The bad news is that, while Federal workers will be paid, many of 
them will not be given the resources that they need to do their jobs 
properly. That is insane. Why do we give people the money to go to work 
but then not allow them the resources to properly fulfill their 
function?
  Mr. Speaker, the truth of the matter is that this is not a debate 
about a 7-year balanced budget. If our Republican friends were serious 
about balancing the budget in 7 years, which I think can be done, they 
would not be spending $50 billion more on defense spending despite the 
end of the cold war. They would not be spending more money on the CIA 
despite the end of the cold war. They would not be giving huge tax 
breaks to the rich when the richest people in America today are richer 
than they have ever been before.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Schumer].
  (Mr. SCHUMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, we now learn that the Republicans have a 
bill to pay Federal employees, bring them back to work but not fund 
their agencies. In other words, what the Republican majority wants is 
to have Government workers all dressed up with somewhere to go but 
nothing to do. They are going to pay Government workers to go to work 
and then do nothing.
  The American people should demand to know who came up with this 
idiotic 

[[Page H198]]
idea. It is the stupidest thing I have ever seen Congress do, and 
Congress has done some pretty dumb things. Get this: National parks 
will be open; rangers will be paid, but they will not be given gas 
money to patrol the parks. EPA will employ their workers but will not 
be able to restart cleaning toxic waste dumps. The Small Business 
Administration will be running. They will not be giving out loans.
  I have a better idea. Let us pay Newt Gingrich and the Republican 
freshmen and then not let them do anything. This would truly be a great 
accomplishment.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Columbus, OH [Ms. Pryce], my very able Committee on Rules colleague.
  Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, today it is time to finally ease the pain of 
our Federal employees and to quit blurring the picture. The focus needs 
to be on the President's failure to negotiate in good faith and not on 
the unfortunate people that he has put in the middle of this. I deeply 
regret that our Federal workers have been placed in the middle of this 
debate, and I know that they have experienced hardship and uncertainty 
over the last 21 days.
  I understand their frustration and anger over a situation over which 
they have no control. They do not deserve it. Mr. Speaker, today we are 
acting in good faith, and it is time for the President to do the same. 
Franklin Roosevelt once said it is the duty of the President to propose 
and the duty of the Congress to dispose.
  The President needs to propose a balanced budget, just as he agreed 
to, just as he signed into law weeks ago that he would do, and he needs 
to do it now. We cannot negotiate if one side will not even give us 
their position. That is what is happening at the White House day after 
day as our people go down there to try to balance the budget. The 
President will not tell them where he is coming from.
  I urge my colleagues to support this rule. It is what our colleagues 
on the other side of the aisle have been asking for for weeks. I urge 
the White House to join in and finally offer a balanced budget that 
will leave nothing left to be said. They will get their CR, the full 
CR. Everything will be up and running. So I encourage my colleagues, 
tell the President to do the right thing finally. Give us a balanced 
budget.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts [Mr. Frank].
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, we do have a dispute, not 
about whether to balance the budget but how and by what specifics. But 
what the Republican Party has decided to do is to punish the American 
people because they do not like the way the President wants to balance 
the budget.
  The problem is that the American people in fact do not like what they 
are doing. So we get one more ludicrous version of an effort to get 
themselves out of the hole they dug. Basically this is a resolution 
that says stop me before I shut the Government down again.

                              {time}  1215

  Except, Mr. Speaker, they do it incompetently.
  We had expected, many of us, a certain degree of fanaticism from the 
new Republican majority. I had not expected to see a somewhat new 
phenomenon, incompetent fanaticism, dysfunctional extremism. They want 
to do drastic things, but they do not know how to make it work, and the 
proof of that is that what they have come forward with is so repugnant 
that their own majority would not support it except under coercion.
  And let us be very clear. They have brought forward a parliamentary 
procedure that will prevent any reasonable amendment. Therefore the key 
vote on this will be the motion of the previous question.
  Some of the Republicans over there who are unhappy at laboring under 
the yoke of this ideological incompetence will tell their constituents 
that they wish they did not have to support this, that they would like 
to have voted to open the Government. Understand, however, that when 
they vote for the previous question on this rule, they will be acting 
in total variance with that statement. Any Member who says that he or 
she wanted to open the Government, but voted for this previous 
question, has in fact misrepresented what the situation is.
  It was made clear by the chairman of the Committee on Rules, Mr. 
Speaker, the only opportunity people will have to fully open the 
Government, let the Government function, will be to vote for 
amendments, which means defeating the previous question, and those 
Republicans who are telling their constituents one thing and vote 
another way will be held accountable in November.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, the 
gentleman from Albuquerque, NM [Mr. Schiff].
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and in support 
of the bill and, as well, in support of the rule and the bill in the 
next to be offered. I want to say first that I believe that these 
proposals will help Federal employees earn the pay that they should 
earn for being employees. In fact, this proposal goes even further than 
Senator Dole's proposal, in that this will pay Federal employees 
through January 26, not just through January 12, and give a longer 
period of time where I hope constructive negotiations will occur.
  It has to be pointed out that Federal employees and others have been 
victims in the impasse between the Congress and the President. They 
have not done anything to deserve it. They were caught in the middle.
  It should be emphasized that it is the responsibility of both sides 
that caused a partial Government shutdown. The President's vetoing 
three appropriations bills and the Democrats threatening a filibuster 
in the other body to stop a fourth appropriations bill are just as much 
a part of the responsibility of the Government shutdown as anything the 
Republican side of the Congress has done.
  If both sides are responsible for the shutdown, then both sides now 
must get together and end it.
  Our side is offering a compromise. We are offering to put Federal 
employees back to work.
  As pointed out, this does not include, in most cases, the operating 
funds of the agencies for travel and so forth. That will be delivered 
as soon as the President of the United States compromises by offering a 
balanced budget proposal. This request on our part is just for the 
President to do what he agreed to do in November when both sides agreed 
to reach a balanced budget with the same framework, which is 7 years, 
using the Congressional Budget Office for economic projections.
  The Republicans have offered such a budget. I do not agree with all 
of its provisions, but it meets that framework. A number of Democrats 
in the House have offered such a budget, a number of Democrats in the 
other body have offered such a budget. Only the President of the United 
States refuses to offer a balanced budget, and, when he does so, the 
whole Government will open.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Gene Green].
  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think it is appropriate I 
follow my colleague, the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff], when 
he talks about the President not submitting this CBO 7-year, and I have 
heard that now for a month. But the Republican side has not submitted a 
7-year CBO budget that protects Medicare, protects Medicaid, and 
protects education.
  Now negotiations are a two-way street. We have heard for a month that 
the President has not done something. Well, neither have they.
  I am going to support this CR today, and this rule, but it only 
recognizes part of the problem. Federal employees go back to work to 
process passports, pay for senior citizen nutrition, open the national 
parks, and veterans' compensation. I am glad they finally recognized 
the need to do that, but we still do not have--the EPA will not be able 
to clean up Superfund. Medicaid grants to our States, since they want 
to block grant to the States, but yet they are not even giving what 
money is supposed to be there now, and also law enforcement functions.
  They continue to talk about the need to have a balanced budget, but 
they are 

[[Page H199]]
not willing to pay Government contractors, people who are now 
contracting with the Government to--this resolution does not help those 
Government contractors.
  We need to go much further, but this is better than nothing.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
Albuquerque, NM, Mr. Schiff, to respond to the statement of the 
gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gene Green.
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, since the gentleman from Texas mentioned my 
name, I want to say that the Republican side believes that it has 
provided sufficient funds for Medicare. We believe that the Medicare 
level of funding we proposed is exactly what the President proposed 
last year in his health care reform proposal.
  The point is, until we get the President's specific numbers, Mr. 
Speaker, we will never know how much he thinks is sufficient funding 
for Medicare and other programs and how it differs from ours, and that 
is our point.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Coleman].
  (Mr. COLEMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks and to include extraneous material.)
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts 
[Mr. Moakley] for yielding me some time.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for my colleague, the gentleman 
from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff], to understand of course that while it is 
easy to sit here and just say it is the President's fault, where have 
all my colleagues been? We are 9 weeks into the next fiscal year, half 
of the time the Government has been shut down, and our colleagues have 
not passed all their appropriations bills. Is there a problem that they 
cannot govern?
  And yet today, and I am going to include in the Record today an 
article in the Washington Post where House Republicans say ``turned up 
the pressure on the Clinton administration by threatening impeachment 
of the Secretary of Treasury.'' Why? Because he wants to avoid 
America's default? Boy, that is really bad, is it not? A member of the 
administration does not want America to default.
  In addition, I will tell my colleagues something: You better start 
paying attention to where this country is headed with all of this 
turning up the pressure. It is time you start paying attention to 
putting America first and the people that are out there wanting the 
services of Government first. You know it is not just the Federal 
workers we're talking about here. We're talking about Americans who pay 
their taxes getting services for the dollar paid in taxes.
  The article referred to is as follows:

                [From the Washington Post, Jan. 5, 1996]

  Republicans Threaten To Impeach Rubin if He Borrows Again To Avoid 
                                Default

                         (By Steven Pearlstein)

       House Republicans yesterday turned up the pressure on the 
     Clinton administration by suggesting they might initiate 
     impeachment proceedings against Treasury Secretary Robert E. 
     Rubin if he continued to ignore the will of Congress by 
     borrowing more money for the Treasury.
       Reps. Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.) and Christopher Cox (R-
     Calif.) raised the impeachment specter after Rubin met for 90 
     minutes with key legislators at the Capitol to discuss the 
     impasse over increasing the $4.9 trillion ceiling on federal 
     debt. Raising the debt ceiling is mired in the larger battle 
     over balancing the federal budget.
       ``Those of us who are concerned with the constitutionality 
     of Secretary Rubin's behavior will be watching him closely 
     and will support impeachment proceedings should he continue 
     to bypass the Constitution,'' said Solomon, chairman of the 
     House Rules Committee.
       Minutes after Solomon's comments moved on news services, 
     prices for U.S. Treasury bonds took a sharp dive, losing 
     about 1 percent of their value. The effect was to raise 
     yields on the benchmark 30-year bond to 6.03 percent from 
     5.95 percent late Wednesday. Some stock market analysts also 
     attributed a portion of the 20.23-point slide in the Dow 
     Jones industrial average to the impeachment threat.
       Solomon and other Republicans were enraged late last year 
     when Rubin, in an effort to avert a first-ever default on 
     U.S. government obligations, invoked his authority under the 
     law to replace government securities held in two federal 
     employee retirement accounts with IOUs. Rubin then issued new 
     debt to pay off bondholders when their Treasury bonds came 
     due.
       Yesterday Rubin told House members that he was considering 
     taking additional steps to avoid default. He said his legal 
     advisers are exploring similar options should the debt 
     ceiling be unchanged when the Treasury faces its next cash 
     crunch in mid-February.
       At the meeting, Cox said he warned Rubin that if he tried 
     again to avert default, ``it would set in motion a series of 
     hearings and inquiries that would be dedicated to a political 
     resolution of this matter.''
       A ``political resolution,'' Cox explained, might include 
     removing a Cabinet member from office, but quickly added that 
     any talk of impeachment was still ``premature.''
       Howard Schloss, a spokesman for Rubin, dismissed the 
     Republican threats yesterday as a ``political ploy'' designed 
     to take the public attention off the Republican-engineered 
     partial shutdown of the federal government. And other 
     Republicans quickly moved to try to downplay the 
     constitutional confrontation.
       The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. 
     Robert Livingston (R-La.), said of the impeachment threat, 
     ``It's not in my curriculum,'' the Associated Press reported. 
     And Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), chairman of the House Judiciary 
     Committee, which would consider any impeachment resolution, 
     studiously declined comment.
       According to House officials, only one Cabinet member, 
     William Belknap, secretary of war in the Grant 
     administration, has ever been impeached by the House. Belknap 
     was later acquitted by the Senate.
       Republicans, backed by a legal opinion prepared by former 
     Republican attorneys general William Barr and Edwin Meese, 
     argue that the Constitution vests Congress with the sole 
     authority to decide how much debt the government can take on. 
     When Rubin exchanged federal debt for non-interest-bearing 
     IOUs in two federal employee retirement funds last November, 
     he effectively usurped the power of Congress, they said.

  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
North Carolina [Mr. Watt].
  Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley] for yielding this time.
  I have tried to lower my voice in the context of this debate because 
I am having trouble understanding what my Republican colleagues are 
trying to accomplish here. I do not know how they rationally justify 
shutting down the Government during the negotiation, either partially 
or fully.
  I think what we have is a bad case of incompetence on the part of our 
new governing majority in the Congress, and I often wonder when I talk 
to my constituents, if I were running this Government and I ran it the 
way this Congress has run the Congress for the last session, the first 
session of this Congress, what they would call me. I can only call them 
incompetent. I wonder what they would call me if I ran this Government 
the way they are running this Congress.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Bentsen].
  (Mr. BENTSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, Members, sometimes admitting to making a 
mistake is difficult, and I think this legislation is evidence of that, 
that our colleagues on the Republican side have made a mistake. Senator 
Dole showed that they made a mistake the other day, and they are trying 
to come back to some sanity, and they have not quite gotten there.
  This bill is good for the employees because it honors the contract we 
had. They are going to get paid for the time they worked. But it is a 
raw deal for the taxpayer. Twelve thousand NASA contractors are not 
going to get paid in the Johnson Space Center. Small businesses are not 
going to get their loans. Three thousand NIH grants will not be 
renewed, including 400 cancer grants. Baylor College of Medicine at the 
Texas Medical Center, 327 grants and contracts are going to be 
terminated, $78 million at risk. Real employees are going to be laid 
off. Homeowners who rely on the Federal Home Administration for FHA 
loans are not going to get their loans processed, and that is going to 
ripple through the whole real estate economy.
  Let us defeat the previous question. Let us do what Senator Dole 
asked. Let us put the Government back to work. Let us give the 
taxpayers a good deal, and let our colleagues just admit they made a 
mistake.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from East 
Petersburg, PA [Mr. Walker], the chairman of the Committee on Science. 

[[Page H200]]

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, every time we have one of these debates and 
they turn into an orgy of name-calling, one wonders whether we are in 
the House of Representatives or out in la-la land somewhere, but the 
fact is the descriptions I have heard on the House floor today of what 
is going on here do remind me of being out in la-la land.
  First of all, we have a resolution that is coming to us under this 
rule. Under this rule we would, in fact, pay the Federal employees, and 
we would, in fact, put some programs back into action through a process 
of targeted appropriations. That is a step in the direction that we 
think we need to go in terms of opening the Federal Government on terms 
that can be sustained into the future.
  Second, there will be another resolution to come that will be a 
continuing resolution that will open all of the Government up until 
January 26. For all of these speeches that we have heard about not 
having the Government up and running, we will do it until January 26 
provided that the President submits a balanced budget.
  Now realize that many of the people who talk about clean continuing 
resolutions are really talking about a dirty deal for the American 
people. Mr. Speaker, they want a dirty deal in large part because they 
want to keep everything running just as it has been running before. 
Clean continuing resolutions mean that we just take Government as it 
has been practiced for the last 40 years and extend it out into the 
future. The American people are saying no to that. The American people 
want a balanced budget.
  So what we have said is, ``You can get your continuing resolution if, 
in fact, what you will do is give us our balanced budget,'' and then I 
hear some people on that side of the aisle suggest, well, the President 
should not have to actually have to put a balanced budget down. Why, 
that would mean hard choices. Well, guess what? Doing the right thing 
often means hard choices.
  It is time, my colleagues, to do the right thing here. Let us have a 
continuing resolution, but we ought to tie it to a balanced budget 
because that is what the American people have demanded. We think that 
is the right direction to go. Let us do this targeted appropriation 
that actually pays the workers, but understand a vote against the 
previous question is a vote against paying the Federal workers, a vote 
against the previous question is a vote against targeted 
appropriations.

                              {time}  1230

  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Hoyer], ranking member on the Committee on 
Appropriations.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, the previous speaker in my opinion is absolutely 180 
degrees wrong. A vote for the previous question, if we could get 21 
Republicans to join Bob Dole, who seeks, of course, to lead all the 
Republicans and our country, just 21 voting against the previous 
question, we will offer a clean continuing resolution, yes, to open the 
Government.
  Why do we want to open the Government? So that we will not continue 
to pursue a morally indefensible policy, the gentleman from Georgia, 
Newt Gingrich, January, this year, of continuing to use Federal 
employees as the pawn, as the hostage, as the bludgeon to force the 
President to do something. That is not what our democracy is about. Our 
democracy is about pursuing constitutional ways and means to pass 
legislation and make policy.
  Mr. Speaker, let us join together, extricate the Federal employees 
from this fight, which as the Speaker says is morally indefensible, and 
go on with doing what I think we need to do, a balanced budget, but 
with good personnel policies.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would remind my friend that, of course, the 
legislation we are moving ahead will in fact take Federal workers out 
of the crossfire and provide them with payment.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to my friend, the gentleman from Del 
Mar, CA [Mr. Cunningham].
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, all Government will be open if the 
President agrees to follow his word and give us a balanced budget. That 
was due 2 days ago. The President signed a bill with his name on it. He 
has not done it yet. So it should not be too hard by January 26 to do 
that. All Government will be open. What less could you ask for, for the 
President to keep his word, for a change.
  If we take a look, in 12 of the 13 bills, my colleagues on the other 
side want to spend, want to spend, want to spend. In 1966, you want a 
Democrat President? You are going to increase spending and you are 
going to increase taxes.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the rule, 
because I wish this legislation would open the Government entirely, 
like House Joint Resolution 155, that I introduced, a clean continuing 
resolution that would entirely open this Government. This rule does not 
allow us to amend to provide a vote on a clean continuing resolution to 
open the Government so it can provide full service to the American 
people.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
Mexico [Mr. Richardson].
  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, this continuing resolution is a Band-
Aid. It is not even half a loaf. We are creating a wounded, hobbled 
government that is still going to hurt a lot of people. It is like 
telling the Atlanta Braves to go out and win the World Series again, 
but ``without your pitching staff.''
  Mr. Speaker, the biggest tragedy here is that Indian Health Service 
hospitals are going to suffer enormously. This bill will not provide 
funds to heat Indian schools, Indian jails, Indian cells. Next week, 
while this body is in recess, the Shiprock Hospital in New Mexico, a 
Navajo hospital, is going to run out of IV bags, gauze, and bandages. 
This hospital serves 4,800 patients, and they are not going to be able 
to order supplies. My hospital is just one of hundreds of Indian Health 
Service hospitals throughout the country, serving 1 million people that 
are going to face these shortages. There are Navajos and native 
Americans in wheelchairs that are going to be turned down. Let us 
reject this rule and deal with this issue honorably and 
compassionately.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot support this rule because my constituents are 
without health care and food and this bill does not help them.
  The Indian Hospital in Shiprock, NM, which serves 4,800 patients 
cannot order supplies needed to keep people alive.
  The hospital is running out of carbon dioxide which is essential in 
operating rooms and intensive care units.
  Next week while this body is in recess the hospital will run out of 
IV bags, gauze, and bandages.
  Before the Congress returns the hospital will have to turn away 
wheelchair bound patients with spinal injuries because the hospital 
does not have the supplies to help them.
  And my hospital is just one of hundreds of IHS hospitals throughout 
the country that face these shortages. IHS hospitals provide health 
care to over 1 million people.
  Forty young people in my district in an alcohol rehab program do not 
have food supplies to last until next week.
  I cannot support this rule because it does not allow me to make a 
difference for millions of people in need.
  Althought the leadership chose to include funding for Indians, it is 
only limited to general assistance and foster care payments for 
American Indians and Alaska Natives remains in the balance.
  The Albuquerque area clinics are now able to only treat Indians 
facing imminent, serious threats to their health.
  In Lawton, OK, the IHS hospital has had to begin turning away 
transfer patients from other service areas.
  Indian hospitals across the Nation remain crippled by the fact that 
they are running on reserves, having had to cut back on community and 
prevent programs, being unable to purchase new drugs, blood, and 
plasma. Even the purchase of heating fuel is threatened.
  The House continuing resolution does not provide any funding for 
heating fuels for Indian schools, for Indian police or jails--the Hopi 
Tribe and Fort Peck Tribe have begun releasing nonthreatening 
prisoners--or for 638 self-governance contract employees.

[[Page H201]]

  The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that we need to pass a clean CR 
which would fund these vital programs which affect the lives, health, 
and safety of Indian children and families.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Deutsch].
  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, for those who are listening in this Chamber 
and in America, let us think about what this proposal does. We have 
gone from the absurd to the ridiculous. We have had a situation that 
really has been indefensible. Finally, my Republican colleagues, the 
radical right, are starting to follow their leadership a little bit, 
that they had an indefensible position where we furloughed workers but 
we decided to pay them at the same time.
  Now what this resolution does is, we are bringing the workers back, 
but we are telling them, ``There is nothing to do,'' because you do not 
have to be an MIT economist to understand, as the gentleman from New 
Mexico [Mr. Richardson] pointed out, you cannot run a hospital without 
an IV, you cannot be a DEA agent without gasoline for your car. It 
really is as crazy as it sounds, the proposal. Just as reasoned 
Americans changed the radical right, they are going to change the 
radical right on this proposal, too. I would ask people out there to 
call their Members, 202-224-3121, and let them know.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield 1 
minute to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Skelton].
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, in all of this discussion and debate about 
who goes to work, who does not go to work, who gets paid, who does not 
get paid, who will have the tools and the gasoline and the wherewithal 
to do their work, I am reminded of the comment once made by my fellow 
Missourian, Mark Twain: ``The more you explain it to me, the more I 
don't understand it.''
  It was Lyndon Johnson who liked to use the phrase ``Let us come and 
reason together.'' If we did that as a body collectively, this Nation 
would be far better off. It would drive us irresistibly to two 
conclusions: No. 1, we would adopt what the Senate has done, under the 
leadership of Senator Dole, from my neighboring Kansas; it would also 
cause us to look seriously at the Democratic conservative coalition 
proposal that got a substantial number of votes on this floor.
  Thre is an answer to this impasse: reason. Adults, people of good 
will, can reach those decisions. That is what we should do.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the 
gentleman from Glens Falls, NY [Mr. Solomon].
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, it is said to see us stand up here and just keep 
throwing spears back and forth. Mr. Speaker, there is a headline here 
in one of the papers this morning that says, ``House GOP Backs Off 
Shutdown.'' Truly, what Speaker Gingrich has done, believing in this 
statement right here, he has bent over backwards for the last 48 hours, 
working with a diverse group of Republicans and conservative Democrats, 
to try to come to a compromise to see if we cannot get this Government 
functioning and get on the road to a balanced budget. That is coming 
from the bottom of his heart when he made this statement.
  Mr. Speaker, here we have a bill before us today which is going to 
provide for nutrition programs for Meals on Wheels, child welfare 
programs, administration of unemployment insurance, so terribly 
important, passport visas, veterans compensation. This is what this 
bill is all about.
  But I hear talk about defeating the previous question. I can assure 
Members that with Speaker Gingrich for the last 48 hours literally 
banging people on the head to get them to come to a consensus to bring 
this bill together, to put these people back to work, you are 
jeopardizing it with talking about defeating the previous question. If 
you defeat the previous question. If you defeat the previous question, 
I am going to tell you, we might have trouble putting our consensus 
back together, and this whole thing could fall apart. That is not what 
you want, that is not what I want, and it certainly is not what Speaker 
Gingrich wants. I urge Members to pass the previous question. Let us 
get on with the rule, and let us pass this vital piece of legislation.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the amendment I 
would offer if the previous question is defeated.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

                Amendment Text for the Previous Question

       In the resolution strike, ``the motion printed in the 
     report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this 
     resolution'' and insert in lieu thereof, ``a motion to concur 
     in the Senate amendment with an amendment consisting of the 
     text printed in section 2 of this resolution.''
       At the end of the resolution add the following new section:

     ``Section 2. Title I Section 106(c) of Public Law 104-56 is 
                   amended by striking ``December 15, 1995'' and 
                   inserting ``January 26, 1996''.''

                                TITLE II

                            Veterans Affairs

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any 
     money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of 
     applicable corporate or other revenues, receipt, 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. 201. 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 payment 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 payments of 
     such benefits are available (other than pursuant to 
     subsection (b)).
       Sec. 202. Section 201 shall cease to be effective on 
     September 30, 1996.
       Sec. 203. For the purposes of this title of this Act, the 
     time covered by this title of this Act shall be considered to 
     have begun on January 4, 1996.

                               TITLE III

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any 
     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. Such amounts as may be necessary under the 
     authority and conditions provided in applicable 
     appropriations Acts for the fiscal year 1995 for paying 
     salaries of Federal employees during periods when there is 
     otherwise no funding authority for their salaries. Any period 
     in which there is a lapse in appropriations with respect 
     to the agency activity in which the employee is engaged 
     shall not be considered to be furloughed when on leave and 
     shall be subject to the same leave regulations as if no 
     lapse in appropriations had occurred.
       Sec. 312. Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation.--
     Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, beginning on 
     January 2, 1996, any Federal employee who is excepted from 
     furlough and is not being paid due to a lapse in 
     appropriations shall be deemed to be totally separated from 
     Federal service and eligible for unemployment compensation 
     benefits under subchapter I of chapter 85 of title 5 of the 
     United States Code with no waiting period for such 
     eligibility to accrue.
       Sec. 313. For the purposes of this title, Federal employees 
     returning to work under the provisions of section 310 shall 
     be deemed to have returned to work at the first regularly 
     scheduled opportunity after December 15, 1995.
       Sec. 314. Appropriations made pursuant to section 301 are 
     made notwithstanding section 15 of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956, section 701 of the United States 
     Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, section 313 
     of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 
     and 1995 (Public Law 103-236), section 53 of the Arms 

[[Page H202]]
     Control and Disarmament Act, and section 10 of Public Law 91-672.

                                TITLE IV

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of the 
     general fund and enterprise funds of the District of Columbia 
     for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1996, and 
     for other purposes, namely:
       Sec. 401. (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 Act) 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 Act, 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 Act, 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 Act, the pertinent project or activity shall not be 
     continued except as provided for in section 411 or 412 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.

                Clarification of Certain Reimbursements

       Sec. 501. Clarification of Reimbursement to States for 
     Federally Funded Employees.
       (a) If a State used State funds to continue carrying out a 
     Federal program or furloughed State employees whose 
     compensation is advanced or reimbursed in whole or in part by 
     the Federal Government--
       (1) such furloughed employees shall be compensated at their 
     standard rate of compensation for such period;
       (2) the State shall be reimbursed for expenses that would 
     have been paid by the Federal Government during such period 
     had appropriations been available, including the cost of 
     compensating such furloughed employees, together with 
     interest thereon due under section 6503(d) of title 31, 
     United States Code; and
       (3) the State may use funds available to the State under 
     such Federal program to reimburse such State, together with 
     interest thereon due under section 6503(d) of title 31, 
     United States Code; and
       (b) For purposes of this subsection, the term ``State'' 
     shall have the meaning as such term is defined under the 
     applicable Federal program under subsection (a).
       (c) The authority under this section applies with respect 
     to any period in fiscal year 1996 (not limited to periods 
     beginning or ending after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act) during which there occurs a lapse in appropriations with 
     respect to any department or agency of the Federal Government 
     which, but for such lapse in appropriations, would have paid, 
     or made reimbursement relating to, any of the expenses 
     referred to in subsection (a) with respect to the program 
     involved. Payments and reimbursements under this authority 
     shall be made only to the extent and in amounts provided in 
     advance in appropriations Acts.
       (2) Amend the title so as to read: ``Making appropriations 
     for certain activities for the fiscal year 1996, and for 
     other purposes''.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield my remaining time to the gentleman from West 
Virginia [Mr. Mollohan].
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bunning of Kentucky). The gentleman from 
West Virginia [Mr. Mollohan] is recognized for 1 minute.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule. Here we 
are in day 21 of what can best be described as a hostage situation. I 
wish someone from the other side of the aisle could stand up and 
explain the thinking behind all this, because frankly I do not 
understand what kind of games are really being played here. The 
situation is irrational. It is wasteful. Worst of all, it is hurting 
people; Federal workers and their families for sure, but citizens, 
senior citizens, underprivileged children, the disabled, and countless 
others who need Government services and depend on them for their basic 
needs.
  May I give the Members an example? Just today I heard from an out-of-
work coal miner in my district. He was supposed to begin school to get 
a fresh start, but he cannot. Why? Because the Republican majority in 
this Congress is holding up the funds for his retraining. He is being 
held hostage, and so are countless other Americans.
  Now we are about to consider some kind of a continuing resolution, 
and if it comes to a vote, then sure, I will support it because it 
releases some of the hostages, but shame on those who will not release 
all of the hostages. Mr. Speaker, there is a better way. Let us pass a 
clean CR.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote an interesting 
piece the other day in which he made it clear that if this were 
business as usual, we would see a package agreed to with phony numbers, 
phony assumptions, and all; but, quite frankly, this is not business as 
usual. Unfortunately, we are in a position where many of my colleagues 
on the other side are, unfortunately, representing the party of 
government. We, on the other hand, epitomize the party of the people. 
We are the party that is trying to do what it is that the American 
people sent us here to do, and that is balance the Federal budget.
  We are all concerned about the fact that the Federal Government is 
shut down. That is the reason we have come up with this package, which 
does ensure that Federal employees are not caught in the crossfire. We 
hope that business as usual will come to an end. We found, 
unfortunately, that this problem has created a clear understanding of 
the fact that the Federal Government's reach is way too far. A truck 
cannot be certified by the EPA, a private sector business merger cannot 
go through, because the Federal Government is closed down.
  We need to reduce the size and scope of Government. We need to 
balance the budget for our children and their children. Let us move 
ahead, pass this responsible package which will pay those Federal 
workers.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous 
question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 228, 
nays 187, not voting 18, as follows:

                              [Roll No. 6]

                               YEAS--228

     Allard
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baker (CA)
     Baker (LA)
     Ballenger
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bereuter
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bono
     Brownback
     Bryant (TN)
     Bunn
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Chrysler
     Clinger
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins (GA)
     Combest
     Cooley
     Cox
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cremeans
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Davis
     Deal
     DeLay
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     English
     Ensign
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fawell
     Flanagan
     Foley
     Forbes
     Fowler
     Fox
     Franks (CT)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frisa
     Funderburk
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Goss
     Graham
     Gunderson
     Gutknecht
     Hall (TX)
     Hancock
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     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
     Kolbe
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Longley
     Lucas
     Manzullo
     Martini
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McHugh
     
[[Page H203]]

     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     Metcalf
     Meyers
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Molinari
     Moorhead
     Morella
     Myrick
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Nussle
     Oxley
     Packard
     Parker
     Paxon
     Petri
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Pryce
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Riggs
     Roberts
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roth
     Roukema
     Royce
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer
     Schiff
     Seastrand
     Sensenbrenner
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Shuster
     Skeen
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Stearns
     Stump
     Talent
     Tate
     Tauzin
     Taylor (NC)
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Torkildsen
     Upton
     Vucanovich
     Waldholtz
     Walker
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)
     Zeliff
     Zimmer

                               NAYS--187

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Andrews
     Baesler
     Baldacci
     Barcia
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Beilenson
     Bentsen
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bishop
     Bonior
     Borski
     Boucher
     Brewster
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Cardin
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coleman
     Collins (IL)
     Collins (MI)
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Danner
     de la Garza
     DeFazio
     DeLauro
     Dellums
     Deutsch
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doyle
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fields (LA)
     Filner
     Foglietta
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Frost
     Furse
     Gejdenson
     Gephardt
     Geren
     Gibbons
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Green
     Gutierrez
     Hall (OH)
     Hamilton
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Hefner
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Holden
     Hoyer
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jacobs
     Jefferson
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnston
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kleczka
     Klink
     LaFalce
     Lantos
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lincoln
     Lipinski
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Luther
     Maloney
     Manton
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McDermott
     McHale
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Mfume
     Miller (CA)
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Montgomery
     Moran
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Neal
     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
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sabo
     Sanders
     Sawyer
     Schroeder
     Schumer
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Spratt
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Taylor (MS)
     Tejeda
     Thompson
     Thornton
     Thurman
     Torres
     Towns
     Traficant
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Volkmer
     Ward
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Waxman
     Williams
     Wise
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yates

                             NOT VOTING--18

     Bryant (TX)
     Chapman
     Fazio
     Fields (TX)
     Flake
     Greenwood
     Hayes
     Lightfoot
     Myers
     Norwood
     Quillen
     Rose
     Stark
     Stockman
     Studds
     Torricelli
     Wilson
     Wyden

                              {time}  1301

  Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas and Mr. FORD changed their vote from ``yea'' 
to ``nay.''
  So the previous question was ordered.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.


                          personal explanation

  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, due to an unavoidable detainment earlier 
today I was unable to cast my vote on rollcalls 6 and 7. Had I been 
present I would have voted on rollcall vote No. 7, a ``yes''; rollcall 
vote No. 6, a ``no.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


           Request to Modify Motion Offered by Mr. Livingston

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the rule just 
passed be amended to read as follows: ``It shall be''----
  Mr. DREIER. I object.
  Mr. OBEY. Can I read it first, Mr. Speaker?
  Mr. DREIER. I heard the unanimous-consent request, and I objected.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Wisconsin will proceed.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the rule just 
passed be amended to read as follows: ``It shall also be in order to 
consider an amendment by the minority leader or his designee adding at 
the end of H.J. Res. 334 a new title II, consisting of the text of H.J. 
Res. 131''----
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I object.
  Mr. OBEY. ``Continuing funding for many critical Federal departments 
through January 26, 1996, and authorizing----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I object.
  Mr. OBEY. ``A 2.4-percent pay raise for the Armed Forces of the 
United States.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
  Mr. DREIER. Now that he has completed, I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.


                         parliamentary inquiry

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. OBEY. Are we at the point in the procedures of this House where 
Members are gagged before they can even bring a question to the Chair? 
Are we really at that point, Mr. Speaker?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. If the gentleman will suspend, the Chair 
will give the gentleman an answer.
  The Chair was trying to get order, and the gentleman kept reading, 
and the Chair would have gotten order, and that is the regular order of 
the House.
  The objections would have been heard after the gentleman had finished 
stating the request. That is the normal order of the House.
  Mr. OBEY. I hope the gentleman from California will respect that.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 334, I call 
up the bill (H.R. 1643) to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory 
treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) to the products of Bulgaria, 
with a Senate amendment thereto.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.


                    motion offered by mr. livingston

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate 
amendment and the motion.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:

       Senate amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION.

       (a) In General.--Section 106(c) of Public Law 104-56 is 
     amended by striking ``December 15, 1995'' and inserting 
     ``January 12, 1996''.
       (b) Effective Period.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall be considered to have taken effect on December 16, 
     1995.

     SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.

       Beginning on January 2, 1996, any Federal employee who is 
     excepted from furlough and is not being paid due to a lapse 
     in appropriations shall be eligible for unemployment 
     compensation benefits with no waiting period for such 
     eligibility to accrue. With respect to any person who is 
     eligible for such benefits by reason of the preceding 
     sentence, any such benefits received shall be subject to 
     repayment in the same manner and to the same extent when 
     eligibility by reason of the preceding sentence ceases as if 
     such cessation were an end to the period of unemployment.

  The text of the motion is as follows:

       Mr. Livingston (or his designee) moves that the House 
     concur in the Senate amendment with an amendment, as follows:
       (1) In lieu of the matter proposed by said amendment, 
     insert:

                                TITLE I

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any 
     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. 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 Act) which were conducted in the fiscal 
     year 1995:
       All nutrition services for the elderly under the account 
     heading ``Aging services programs'' under the Administration 
     on Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services;
       All grants to States for child welfare services, authorized 
     by title IV, part B, subpart 1, of the Social Security Act, 
     under the account heading ``Children and families services 
     programs'' under the Administration for 

[[Page H204]]
     Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services;
       All Federal Parent Locator Service activities, as 
     authorized by section 453 of the Social Security Act, under 
     the account heading ``Children and families services 
     programs'' under the Administration for Children and Families 
     in the Department of Health and Human Services;
       All State unemployment insurance administration activities 
     under the account heading ``State unemployment insurance and 
     employment service operations'' under the Employment and 
     Training Administration in the Department of Labor;
       All general welfare assistance payments and foster care 
     payments, as authorized by law, funded under the account 
     heading ``Operation of Indian programs'' under the Bureau of 
     Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior;
       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;
       All administrative activities necessary to carry out the 
     projects and activities in the preceding two paragraphs;
       All projects and activities funded under the account 
     headings ``Dual benefits payments account'', ``Limitation on 
     administration'' and ``Limitation on railroad unemployment 
     insurance administration fund'' under the Railroad Retirement 
     Board;
       All projects and activities necessary to accommodate 
     visitors and to provide for visitor services in the National 
     Park System, the National Wildlife Refuges, the National 
     Forests, the facilities operated by the Smithsonian 
     Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the John F. Kennedy 
     Center for the Performing Arts, and the United States 
     Holocaust Memorial; and
       All projects and activities necessary to process VISAS and 
     passports and to provide for American citizen services, 
     notwithstanding section 15 of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956: 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 Act, 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 Act, 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.
       (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 Act, 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 Act.
       Sec. 105. Appropriations made and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this Act 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 Act.
       Sec. 106. Unless otherwise provided for in this title of 
     this Act or in the applicable appropriations Act, 
     appropriations and funds made available and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this Act shall be available until 
     (a) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or 
     activity provided for in this title of this Act, or (b) the 
     enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act by 
     both Houses without any provision for such project or 
     activity, or (c) September 30, 1996, except for the projects 
     and activities under the headings ``Family support payments 
     to States'' and ``Payments to States for foster care and 
     adoption assistance'', for which date shall be March 15, 
     1996, whichever first occurs.
       Sec. 107. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
     Act 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 Act 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 Act.
       Sec. 109. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
     authority granted pursuant to this title of this Act 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. 110. For the purposes of this title of this Act, the 
     time covered by this title of this Act shall be considered to 
     have begun on December 16, 1995.
       Sec. 111. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
     except section 106, funds appropriated under section 101 for 
     the payment of vested dual benefits under the Railroad 
     Retirement Act shall be made available so as to fully fund 
     the payments made on January 1, 1996, and the payments to be 
     made within the period covered by this Act including those 
     payments to be made on the first day of each month within the 
     period covered by this Act. In addition to the funds 
     appropriated under section 101 of this Act, $12,800,000 is 
     appropriated to restore full funding for payments made for 
     the period prior to January 1, 1996.
       Sec. 112. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, 
     except section 106, the authorities provided under subsection 
     (a) of section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
     Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236) shall 
     remain in effect during the period of this Act, 
     notwithstanding paragraph (3) of said subsection.

                                TITLE II

                            Veterans Affairs

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any 
     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. 201. 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. 202. Section 201 shall cease to be effective on 
     September 30, 1996.
       Sec. 203. For the purposes of this title of this Act, the 
     time covered by this title of this Act shall be considered to 
     have begun on January 4, 1996.

                               TITLE III

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any 
     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. Such amounts as may be necessary under the 
     authority and conditions provided in applicable 
     appropriations Acts for the fiscal year 1995 for paying 
     salaries of Federal employees excepted from the provisions of 
     the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 

[[Page H205]]
     1341 et seq) who are continuing projects and activities conducted in 
     fiscal year 1995 who work during periods when there is 
     otherwise no funding authority for their salaries.
       Sec. 302. Appropriations made by section 301 shall be 
     available to the extent and in the manner which would be 
     provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
       Sec. 303. No appropriation or funds made available or 
     authority granted pursuant to section 301 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. 304. No provision which is included in the 
     appropriations Act enumerated in section 301 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 
     Act.
       Sec. 305. Appropriations made and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this Act 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 Act.
       Sec. 306. Unless otherwise provided for in this title of 
     this Act or in the applicable appropriations Act, 
     appropriations and funds made available and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of the Act shall be available until 
     (a) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or 
     activity provided for in this title of this Act, 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 26, 1996, whichever first occurs.
       Sec. 307. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
     Act 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. 308. No provision in the appropriations Act for the 
     fiscal year 1996 referred to in section 301 of this Act 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 306(c) of this Act.
       Sec. 309. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
     authority granted pursuant to this title of this Act 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. 310. All Federal Employees Deemed To Be Excepted 
     Employees.--
       (a) In General.--Section 1342 of title 31, United States 
     Code, is amended for the period December 15, 1995 through 
     January 26, 1996--
       (1) by inserting after the first sentence ``All officers 
     and employees of the United States Government or the District 
     of Columbia government shall be deemed to be performing 
     services relating to emergencies involving the safety of 
     human life or the protection of property.''; and
       (2) by striking out the last sentence.
       Sec. 311. Excepted Employees Under Normal Leave Policy.--
     Federal employees considered excepted from furlough during 
     any period in which there is a lapse in appropriations with 
     respect to the agency activity in which the employee is 
     engaged shall not be considered to be furloughed when on 
     leave and shall be subject to the same leave regulations as 
     if no lapse in appropriations had occurred.
       Sec. 312. Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation.--
     Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, beginning on 
     January 2, 1996, any federal employee who is excepted from 
     furlough and is not being paid due to a lapse in 
     appropriations shall be deemed to be totally separated from 
     Federal service and eligible for unemployment compensation 
     benefits under subchapter I of chapter 85 of title 5 of the 
     United States Code with no waiting period for such 
     eligibility to accrue.
       Sec. 313. For the purposes of this title, Federal employees 
     returning to work under the provisions of section 310 shall 
     be deemed to have returned to work at the first regularly 
     scheduled opportunity after December 15, 1995.
       Sec. 314. Appropriations made pursuant to section 301 are 
     made notwithstanding section 15 of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956, section 701 of the United States 
     Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, section 313 
     of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 
     and 1995 (Public Law 103-236), section 53 of the Arms Control 
     and Disarmament Act, and section 10 of Public Law 91-672.

                                TITLE IV

       That the following sums are hereby appropriated, out of the 
     general fund and enterprise funds of the District of Columbia 
     for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1996, and 
     for other purposes, namely:
       Sec. 401. (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 Act) 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 Act, 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 Act, 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 Act, the pertinent project or activity shall not be 
     continued except as provided for in section 411 or 412 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. 402. Appropriations made by section 401 shall be 
     available to the extent and in the manner which would be 
     provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
       Sec. 403. No appropriation or funds made available or 
     authority granted pursuant to section 401 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. 404. No provision which is included in the 
     appropriations Act enumerated in section 401 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 Act.
       Sec. 405. Appropriations made and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this Act 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 Act.
       Sec. 406. Unless otherwise provide for in this title of 
     this Act or in the applicable appropriations Act, 
     appropriations and funds made available and authority granted 
     pursuant to this title of this Act shall be available until 
     (a) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or 
     activity provided for in this title of this Act, or (b) the 
     enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act by 
     both Houses without any provision for such project or 
     activity, or (c) September 30, 1996, whichever first 
     occurs.
       Sec. 407. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this Act, except section 406, none of the funds 
     appropriated under this title of this Act 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. 408. Expenditures made pursuant to this title of this 
     Act 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. 409. No provision in the appropriations Act for the 
     fiscal year 1996 referred to in section 401 of this title of 
     this Act 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 406(c) of this Act.
       Sec. 410. Appropriations and funds made available by or 
     authority granted pursuant to this title of this Act 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. 411. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this Act, except section 406, whenever the Act listed in 
     section 401 as passed by both the House and Senate as of the 
     date of enactment of this Act 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 401 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 401 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 Act bears to 366. For the 
     purposes of this title of this Act the minimal level means a 
     rate for operations that is reduced from the current rate 
     by 25 percent.
     
[[Page H206]]

       Sec. 412. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this Act, except section 406, whenever the rate for 
     operations for any continuing project or activity provided by 
     section 401 or section 411 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 Act 
     bears to 366.
       Sec. 413. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this Act, except sections 406, 411, and 412, 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 Act that would impinge on final funding 
     prerogatives.
       Sec. 414. This title of this Act shall be implemented so 
     that only the most limited funding action of that permitted 
     in this title of this Act shall be taken in order to provide 
     for continuation of projects and activities.
       Sec. 415. 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 Act.
       Sec. 416. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title 
     of this Act, except section 406, none of the funds 
     appropriated under this title of this Act shall be used to 
     implement or enforce any system or 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 Act otherwise be used to implement or enforce D.C. Act 
     9-188, signed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia on 
     April 15, 1992.

                                TITLE V

                Clarification of Certain Reimbursements

       Sec. 501. Clarification of Reimbursement to States for 
     Federally Funded Employees.--
       (a) If a State used State funds to continue carrying out a 
     Federal program or furloughed State employees whose 
     compensation is advanced or reimbursed in whole or in part by 
     the Federal Government--
       (1) such furloughed employees shall be compensated at their 
     standard rate of compensation for such period;
       (2) the State shall be reimbursed for expenses that would 
     have been paid by the Federal Government during such period 
     had appropriations been available, including the cost of 
     compensating such furloughed employees, together with 
     interest thereon due under section 6503(d) of title 31, 
     United States Code; and
       (3) the State may use funds available to the State under 
     such Federal program to reimburse such State, together with 
     interest thereon due under section 6503(d) of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (b) For purposes of this subsection, the term ``State'' 
     shall have the meaning as such term is defined under the 
     applicable Federal program under subsection (a).
       (c) The authority under this section applies with respect 
     to any period in fiscal year 1996 (not limited to periods 
     beginning or ending after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act) during which there occurs a lapse in appropriations with 
     respect to any department or agency of the Federal Government 
     which, but for such lapse in appropriations, would have paid, 
     or made reimbursement relating to, any of the expenses 
     referred to in subsection (a) with respect to the program 
     involved. Payments and reimbursements under this authority 
     shall be made only to the extent and in amounts provided in 
     advance in appropriations Acts.
       (2) Amend the title so as to read: ``Making appropriations 
     for certain activities for the fiscal year 1996, and for 
     other purposes.''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 334, the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston] will be recognized for 30 
minutes, and the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey] will be recognized 
for 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston].


           request to modify motion offered by mr. livingston

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to modify the motion 
at the desk to include the following amendment at the appropriate 
place: In section 101, insert ``all authorized projects and activities 
and programs of the Department of Veterans' Affairs not otherwise 
provided for in this act.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.


           request to modify motion offered by mr. livingston

  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to modify the 
motion at the desk to include the following amendment: ``At the 
appropriate place under section 101, insert the following new citation: 
Black lung benefits administered by the Department of Labor and the 
Social Security Administration and the related administrative costs.''
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.


           request to modify motion offered by mr. livingston

  Mrs. THURMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to modify the 
motion at the desk to include the following amendment: ``At the 
appropriate place under section 101, insert the following new citation: 
Rehabilitation services administered by the Department of Education.''
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.


                             general leave

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the motion to dispose of the Senate amendment to H.R. 1643, 
now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I have another unanimous-consent request.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, who is recognized for the purposes of 
time?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Louisiana has the time.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring to floor a motion 
to dispose of the Senate amendment to H.R. 1643.
  This bill originated in the House as a grant of most-favored-nation 
status to Bulgaria. The Senate amended this bill by striking all of the 
text of the House-passed version and inserting a provision that would 
extend the expired continuing resolution until January 12.
  The motion that I am offering today would strike the Senate-proposed 
provision and insert instead a targeted appropriations bill. Most of 
the targeted activities are the same ones the Senate proposed in 
another bill it originated, S. 1508.
  Mr. Speaker, the targeted appropriations bill we have offered today 
would provide funding until September 30, 1996, for the following 
activities: nutrition programs for the elderly, which includes the 
Meals on Wheels Program, which serves 600,000 elderly; child welfare 
programs that provide assistance in 2,500,000 child maltreatment cases 
and the Federal Parent Locator service, affecting 20,000 child support 
cases; administration of unemployment insurance; general assistance 
payments affecting 53,000 native American families and foster care 
payments affecting 3,000 native American children; railroad retirement 
payments for 170,000 retired railroad workers; visitor services in the 
National Park System and the wildlife refuges, affecting 383,000 
visitors per day, in the 155 national forests, and in the national 
museums, affecting 102,000 visitors per day; passports, visa, and 
American citizen services abroad to enable processing 23,000 passports 
and 20,000 visas per day; veterans compensation, pensions for over 
2,500,000 veterans, and educational program payments for 170,000 GI 
bill students; and the operation of the District of Columbia using its 
own revenues.

                              {time}  1315

  The bill provides two other targeted appropriations until March 15, 
1996. They are aid to families with dependent children, affecting 13 
million recipients and foster care and adoption services.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to these targeted appropriations, this bill 
declares any Federal worker who has been furloughed to be an excepted 
employee, and when these workers return to their jobs they, and all the 
currently excepted employees, would be paid and would receive back pay 
from December 

[[Page H207]]
16, 1995. This provision would be effective until January 26, 1996.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, these are the major provisions of this targeted 
appropriations bill. Other more minor provisions cover authorization of 
payments to States for furloughed State employees whose salaries are 
reimbursed by the Federal Government, and authorizations dealing with 
the leave policy of Federal employees and eligibility for unemployment 
compensation.
  Adopting this motion, which provides a targeted appropriations bill, 
will provide funding for some of the most important of our governmental 
services that have been shut down since the last continuing resolution 
expired and will eliminate most of the inequity problems this situation 
created for our Federal workers. We need to pay the people who have 
been working, and we need to pay the others who want to come back to 
work. This bill will do exactly that.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will rectify some major problems of the 
current partial shutdown of the Government.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill while the bigger negotiations 
continue that will lead to the reopening of the entire Government. It 
is not a total answer to the situation we are in, but it is a step 
forward. I strenuously urge the adoption of this motion.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 8 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, as everyone in this House knows, the gentleman from 
Louisiana and I are very good friends, although he made the mistake of 
joining the wrong political party, and I think if our friendship can 
withstand these differences, it will be quite a testimony to the 
possibilities in life.
  But let me simply say that I think we are at a very serious point in 
the history of this institution. We have seen for the last month an 
incredibly silly situation in which Government workers were first paid 
for work that they were forbidden to do, and now they are forbidden to 
be paid for work which they are being required to do. I have had a 
situation in my own district where a very large number of people who 
are not Government employees have had their lives severely messed up by 
this silly situation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have such affected persons in Superior. I have a 
student at the University of Wisconsin in Superior who is Finnish. He 
is from Finland. He is a member of the university hockey team. He 
cannot get his entry visa into the United States because the Government 
is shut down. People like Tyler Radenz in my district, George Rohmeyer 
of Marshfield, Carrie Linder of Ashland, David Weber of Wausau, Carolyn 
Hern of Dedolth, Buckley Gilk of Merrill, Robert Vandeslice of Sheldon, 
Klaus Kroner of Stevens Point. These are real live human beings, with 
real names and real problems, and all of those problems have been 
caused by the Congress of the United States.
  I think we need to make certain people understand why we are in this 
situation, so let me go back to basics. The fiscal year began on 
October 1. By October 1, this Congress had not passed a single 
appropriation bill of the 13 bills before us, so a continuing 
resolution was required in order to keep the government open. One short 
continuing resolution was passed.
  But since then the situation has been quite different. Since then a 
number of appropriation bills have been passed. Six of them are still 
not passed. Three of them have been vetoed. Three have not even gotten 
to the President.
  We have been told time and time again by our friends on the 
Republican side of the aisle that the reason the Government is shut 
down is because the President vetoed appropriation bills. That is 
simply not the case. We have had Presidents veto appropriation bills 
throughout the entire history of this Congress.
  Since the Civiletti memo, which first required the shutdown of 
Government when appropriation bills were not passed in a timely 
fashion, and that was in 1981, we have had only 8 working days in 14 
years during which the Government has been shut down. Yet today we have 
gone an enormous amount of time with chaos, not just for Government 
employees, but for the taxpayers who we are supposed to be serving as 
well, and that is not because the President vetoed appropriation bills. 
The President, when he vetoed those three appropriation bills, asked 
the Congress to keep the Government open while those differences 
between the Congress and the President were resolved.
  Mr. Speaker, 70 percent of the dollars in dispute on appropriation 
bills, 70 percent are contained in appropriation bills which have yet 
to reach the White House desk. The District of Columbia appropriations 
bill, the foreign operations bill, and the Labor, Health, Education, 
and social services bill, none of those bills has gotten to the 
President because of disputes within the Congress itself.
  So let us not hear any more nonsense about the President shutting 
down the Government, because that is exactly what it is. That assertion 
is nonsense. The Government is shut down because this country was told 
since April by the Speaker of this House, Mr. Gingrich, and a good many 
others in the Republican leadership, that they intended at the end of 
the fiscal year to shut down the Government unless they got the 
President to buy into their budget deal. So that is why the Government 
is shut down today.
  Now we have had some new developments. We had Senator Dole, the 
leading Republican candidate for President, who decided to break with 
the Republicans in the House, and he offered a proposal to keep the 
Government open. I applaud him for that. That is exactly what we ought 
to do.
  First the Republican House caucus resisted that. Now, belatedly, they 
have decided to have a partial Government opening. But the problem is 
that the way they intend to reopen these parts of the Government will 
deal with some of the problems of Government workers, but they will not 
deal with the problems of taxpayers, who still will not get the full 
array of services to which they are entitled.
  As I said earlier, Pell grants will be held up; 400 cancer research 
grants are being held up; 300 Head Start programs are going to be 
squeezed; we are not going to be seeing contractors with the Government 
paid for the services they are providing. That is irresponsible, and it 
will be a very expensive decision long term, because contractors will 
demand higher reimbursement in the future, having seen the mess that 
has been created by the majority party.
  Then, the worst of all offenses, in my view, is that yesterday one 
Member of this House, a distinguished committee chairman, threatened to 
try to impeach the Secretary of the Treasury if he did everything 
possible to keep Government open, as he has been trying to do since 
this impasse first began. As a result of that threat, the stock market 
went down, the bond market sagged, and I would submit to you that means 
that millions of Americans have lost some of their own wealth, the 
value of some of their own hard-earned savings, including a lot of 
pensioners, because of some of the irresponsible and extreme comments 
coming at us from the majority side of the aisle.
  I think the time has come for this Congress not just to provide this 
limited opening up of Government services, but to open up the 
Government to provide the full range of services to which the taxpayers 
are entitled. That is what we wanted to do on the previous motion.
  Mr. Speaker, I would urge Members to vote for this resolution, but I 
would also urge the majority to bring forward another resolution which 
fully opens up Government, because if you do not do that, what you are 
simply doing is engaging in a political retreat, but still shooting 
American taxpaying hostages as we go.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman should get time from his own 
side.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I am most pleased to yield 6 minutes to 
the distinguished majority whip, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay].
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding me time.
  Why I was asking the gentleman from Wisconsin to yield is the 
gentleman from Wisconsin is trying to rewrite history. The gentleman's 
claim that the reason that the appropriations bills are not passed is 
because the Republicans have not passed them and sent them to the 
President. The gentleman is correct that three of the bills 

[[Page H208]]
were vetoed by the President. What he fails to show you on his chart, 
the biggest part of that pie, the red part, is the Labor-HHS 
appropriations bill being held up in the Senate by liberal Democrats. 
We could pass that bill today if the liberal Democrats would stop their 
filibuster.
  So I come to this floor in support of this legislation that takes a 
dramatic step toward fiscal responsibility, while freeing the Federal 
workers from the perils of the President's poisoned veto pen and his 
lack of memory of commitments that he has made.
  This bill marks the beginning; this bill is the first day of the rest 
of the year. Let me explain. I am convinced that the President does not 
want a balanced budget. For 46 days the President could negotiate a 
balanced budget, and he has chosen not only not to negotiate, but the 
President has not even chosen to uphold the law that he signed on 
November 20 that expired last Wednesday. So I am convinced that there 
is not going to be a balanced budget. So what do we do for the rest of 
the year? We do what we were sent here to do, and that is to pass 
appropriation bills and send them to the President.
  Now, this President wants more spending. That is why he does not want 
a balanced budget, because the minute he lays a 7-year balanced budget 
on the table he has just cut $1 trillion of spending over the next 7 
years, and the liberals are fighting that with every fiber of their 
soul. They want to continue to spend the American family's money, they 
want to continue to raise the debt on the American family. That is what 
this is all about.
  So, we have found another way of funding these agencies, a very 
creative way. This is not giving in. This is not moving toward the 
President. This is what we were sent here to do. We are going to do a 
targeted appropriations, and we are going to fund those agencies that 
we want to fund. We are not going to fund those agencies that we do not 
want to fund.
  Now, I was asked, well, then why are you only paying the Federal 
employees to January 26? The reason I do not want to pay them for the 
rest of the year is I could guarantee, if this process continues, there 
are going to be some Federal employees sometime around January 26 or 
around February that are going to get notices that they better go look 
for another job because their agency or their program is not going to 
be funded.
  That is why we only paid them to January 26. That is where we are 
today. And I might say, later on this afternoon we are going to pass a 
CR triggered by the President.

                              {time}  1330

  Finally, if he just will lay out a 7-year balanced budget, honestly 
scored by CBO using honest numbers, he can open the Government and give 
those workers that my colleagues say have nothing to do, something to 
do, because he could open the Government until January 26. It is in the 
President's hands to give these people, especially the furloughed 
workers, something to do to earn their pay. The President could just 
simply do it by honoring his promises that actually started in his 
campaign.
  To those who question our resolve about getting to a balanced budget, 
let me just say that the Republicans will never surrender in our 
efforts to get a balanced budget, but we will not keep Federal 
employees on the firing line when it is Bill Clinton who should be 
fired for not coming up with a real budget using honest numbers.
  This legislation is a very important step to getting to that balanced 
budget. After all, we will not make targeted appropriations for 
programs that waste taxpayers' money for no reason. Do not expect 
Republicans to make targeted appropriations for Ron Brown's Commerce 
Department or Hazel O'Leary's Energy Department, or other wasteful 
Government agencies.
  We, in the House, are now in control. Members, we do not have to 
consult with the Senate, we do not have to consult with the Democrats. 
If we do not like an agency, we just do not have to bring it up here to 
vote on it and it is unfunded. It will not be funded.
  Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DeLAY. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.
  Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, do I understand the gentleman to say that 
the second resolution that will come up this afternoon will, in effect, 
say we will fund the entire Government; that all the President has to 
do is file his balanced budget amendment; is that correct?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is correct; all the President 
has to do is keep his promise, or at least obey the law that he signed.
  Mr. ROGERS. And if the gentleman will continue to yield, if the 
President files a 7-year balanced budget amendment, just files it, we 
do not have to act upon it, just file it, we will open up the entire 
Government?
  Mr. DeLAY. That is right. It has to be certified by CBO as being 
honest.
  Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, I think the gentleman has done a wonderful 
job and I commend him for it.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, and reclaiming my time, 
let me just finish by saying that the American people have seen the 
future of Government that is partially closed, and many have found that 
it works just fine.
  We will get to a balanced budget by weeding out wasteful and 
inefficient Washington spending, and this is a good way to start that 
process. So I urge all of my colleagues to support this very historic 
legislation.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Bonior], the distinguished Democratic whip.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time to 
me.
  Since my friend from Texas mentioned the issue of travel in his 
remarks, let me raise a question to the distinguished gentleman from 
Louisiana. The gentleman opened his remarks on this debate by saying 
that this resolution that we have before us right now would open up the 
most important Government services that have been shut down in this 
Government, and he listed them; named them.
  He also mentioned in that list all projects and activities necessary 
to process visas, passports, and to provide for American citizens' 
services. Now, American citizens' services abroad can very well mean 
and, in fact, does mean providing for taking care of legislators, 
Federal legislators, who travel abroad.


           request to amend motion offered by mr. livingston

  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that this resolution 
be amended to prevent congressional travel abroad.
  Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman from Louisiana yield for 
that purpose?
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I would 
say to the gentleman that the gentleman might have a valid point and 
this may be an issue we have to take up later on, but it is not the 
purpose of this legislation.
  Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from 
Kentucky [Mr. Rogers].
  Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, would the gentleman in the well be willing 
to include the White House travel office in that proposal?
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
do not think the gentleman included the Secretary of Energy's 
incredibly wasteful travels around the world, but because that may be a 
good subject for this House to resolve in the coming days and weeks, I 
would put that one on the table.
  Mr. Speaker, I object at this time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I expected there would be objection, but 
that just shows my colleagues where we are with this debate. Here we 
have a situation where we have really a half-baked resolution before 
us. To show Members how insane it is, we are opening up some areas of 
the Government, but we still have a resolution that does not address 
the issues of contractors who process Medicare claims. It will affect 
over 24,000 private sector jobs and millions of Medicare claims.
  We have no funds for small business loans, meaning that 260 small 
businesses are losing tens of millions of dollars a day, no funds for 
cleaning up the poisonous waste that is affecting our neighborhoods and 
our lands and our industrial sites around America. 

[[Page H209]]
Thousands of people are going to be laid off because they cannot do 
those jobs.
  Funds for home loans, people who have saved and scrimped to put the 
money together to get a home loan to make the American dream of 
ownership real for their families are being denied, and here we are 
going to allow Members of Congress to travel all over the world? And 
when I asked for a unanimous consent that they be excluded until we get 
this resolution problem with the budget taken care of there was 
objection.
  So I say to my colleagues, we are at this impasse, an unprecedented 
impasse. We have been through 220 years of government, 10 wars, a Civil 
War, they came in here and burned this building down and went over to 
the White House and burned the White House down, and we have never had 
the Government shut down longer than we have right now. And after 21 
days, even though my colleagues over here have not seen the light yet, 
they are starting to feel the heat, and part of the heat is keeping us 
here, doing our work, not globe trotting around the world while this 
crisis is before the American people.
  Now, my friend from Louisiana said, well, maybe another time we will 
do this. There is going to be a third continuing resolution today, 
maybe we can include that. That is another time. Maybe we can include 
that in that continuing resolution. So I urge my colleagues, as half 
baked as this is, we need to support the resolution, but believe me, we 
have a long way to go before we can get this thing straightened out.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute, and would say 
to the previous speaker that he has raised a good point. In fact, there 
have been Republicans and Democrats who have abused the travel rules. 
Personally, I think that we ought to take the travel abuse question 
before the standing committees, and thoroughly review the criteria 
under which travel is abused, not only in the House of Representatives 
and the other body but throughout the executive branch.
  This is a real and critical issue, and, in fact, I am going to invite 
my friend from Florida [Mr. Young], to conduct hearings on the use of 
military aircraft for the purpose of travel by the executive branch and 
the legislative branch that does not benefit the taxpaying citizen.
  Good and valuable travel is worthwhile and helps the relationship of 
this country to other countries around the world, but certainly we have 
seen evidence that there has been abuses. We have to look at the matter 
more closely.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes and 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from 
Maryland [Mrs. Morella].
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Every day I have said during this shutdown, let our people go back to 
work. This resolution that we have before us is going to do that. It is 
not the answer to the entire situation of the shutdown, but it is a 
major and very important first step.
  Some 760,000 Federal employees throughout the country, whether they 
are working or not working, whether they are accepted or not accepted, 
have not been receiving a salary. Like all of us, they have mortgages, 
rent, utilities, tuition, other living expenses that they have to pay 
and the check has not come in.
  This measure is going to do that. It is not only going to pay them, 
it is going to let them go back to work, because we do not believe that 
anybody who works for the Federal Government is not essential. They are 
there because they are essential.
  This is going to have targeted appropriations; targeted 
appropriations for the elderly, for the children, for child support 
enforcement, passports and visas, for administration of unemployment 
offices, for museums and parks, a long litany of the emergency 
situations where we do need to have funding. AFDC would be funded 
through March, the rest would be funded and be assured of that through 
the entire fiscal year, September 30.
  I think this is important. Now, we need more than that, I agree. We 
need to have our Federal contractors know that they can be involved 
with the Federal Government for those contracts. We need to make sure 
that those grants that NIH has are going to be able to be allocated 
where they belong, the National Science Foundation, and that will come 
with the next resolution that we are going to pass.
  Now we can say to the President, ``Mr. President, just submit what 
you said you would submit, a balanced budget scored by CBO in 7 
years.'' If I were he, I would submit one. I would probably submit it 
with no tax cuts in it. Let him do it. As soon as he does that, that 
triggers off the entire Federal Government fully operating in 
conjunction with the private sector and all the services.
  Please vote for this and encourage the President to come up with a 
balanced budget in 7 years scored by CBO.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro].
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today we will consider legislation that 
represents a retreat by the extremist wing of the Gingrich Republicans. 
Their agenda was to punish old people, punish children, punish 
veterans, and others by holding this Government hostage. Today, after 
relentless and rightful pounding public pressure, they are sounding 
retreat and some Federal workers will go back to work.
  This is a curious piece of legislation. The Republicans' strange 
strategy of shutting down the Government has been followed by an even 
stranger strategy of bringing employees back to work but not giving 
them the operating funds to do their jobs. They are going to pay 
Federal employees now to do nothing. Once again, the American people 
and the American taxpayers lose.

                              {time}  1345

  My Republican colleagues' strategy to link the budget to shutting 
down the Government failed, and now, quite frankly, they are 
scrambling. It failed because the values of these extreme Republicans 
do not represent the values of the American people, neither on a 
shutdown of the Government nor on the issue of the balanced budget.
  The American people believe that we must balance the budget, but only 
if we protect Medicare and Medicaid, education and the environment, and 
not provide one of the biggest tax breaks in this Government's history 
to the wealthiest Americans.
  In November, the Congress voted and the President agreed to a 
continuing resolution that would balance the budget by protecting 
America's values and America's priorities, including Medicare, 
Medicaid, education, and the environment. We need to honor that 
agreement.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest].
  (Mr. GILCHREST asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution. Mr. 
Speaker, we have all heard the awesome crash when an irresistible force 
hits an immovable object. Maybe in the last week we have gotten some 
insight into that particular explosion. We have seen the crash between 
a 30-year culture of deficit spending and the resolve of a nation to 
have some sense of fiscal responsibility.
  To my great regret, we have seen Federal employees and others 
squeezed between the forces of the past and those of a frugal future. 
For those of us who support a balanced budget, perhaps we were naive to 
think that the tradition of deficits would die quietly and easily, but 
today we have to govern. We have to recognize that the White House in 
all likelihood will probably not come to the table with a balanced 
budget any time soon, and we must put the Federal employees back to 
work.
  As George Will has pointed out, Britain's parliamentary system does 
not lend itself to train wrecks; we do not see this kind of showdown in 
Cuba; but the Founding Fathers vested Congress and this particular 
House with the power of the purse and the power of debate. The 
President, our Founding Fathers gave, apparently, which seems obvious 
now, the power to be an obstructionist.
  Unlike previous Congresses who chose to blame the President with the 

[[Page H210]]
  fiscal deficit, we have accepted the responsibility and the people have 
given us this idea to balance the budget. It is a superior idea, for 
today we will end the shutdown as prudent government requires, but the 
fight for a balanced budget will not stop here and it will ultimately 
succeed.
  As has been pointed out before, history knows no force more powerful 
than an idea, and the idea to balance the Federal budget; its time has 
come.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this resolution.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Hoyer].
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I am going to support this resolution because 
it is what I call a one-third measure. Not a half measure, it does not 
go that far, but a one-third measure.
  My friend, the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] who preceded 
me, is a gentleman for whom I have a great deal of respect and even 
more than that, affection, but I would remind the gentleman that when 
he talks about the President of the United States being an 
obstructionist, I would remind him in 1980, the entire debt of this 
Nation was $945 billion. It grew by $3.5 trillion over the next 12 
years under President Reagan and President Bush. Were they not 
obstructionists? Did they not care about this deficit? They could have 
stopped it, as the gentleman claims the President is stopping this 
process.
  Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is, we work together on policies 
to try to move this Government forward. The gentleman from Texas [Mr. 
DeLay], the whip, and so many of the Republicans have been talking 
about the President not meeting his obligation under the law. This is 
the law. It says nothing, nothing in section 203 about the President 
putting a balanced budget on the table. Nothing, my friends.
  Read it. Stop misleading the American public and intimating that the 
President has not told the truth or has not met his commitments. In 
fact, this President has spent more time negotiating with the 
Republican leadership in the Senate and the House than any President in 
history. Apparently, Senator Dole thought it was negotiation in good 
faith, because he unanimously led a unanimous consent for a continuing 
resolution to put Government workers back to work and to put Government 
back to service for the American public.
  My friends, we will pass this resolution, this bill. In my opinion, 
it is flawed at best; but it is necessary, and I will support it. But 
let us tell the truth.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume just to say that I am reminded that Bush and Reagan had 
Democrat Houses of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. 
Kingston].
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the gentleman from Michigan 
who spoke a few minutes ago brought up the travel situation, because 
Hazel O'Leary, the Democrat, the Clinton appointee, the Secretary of 
Energy, spent $500,000 going to Pakistan, $729,000 going to India, 
$663,000 going to South Africa, not to mention trips, trips, trips, 
Vienna, Paris, Moscow, all over the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is incredible that the Democrat Party is not 
outraged and demanding her resignation so that we can go on to try to 
balance the budget and get a firm grip on the situation right now, so 
that we can cut down on the deficit.
  It is absolutely absurd for her to be spending money like that when 
Federal employees are out of work because President Clinton will not 
negotiate, will not come to the table.
  The gentleman talked about history. I think it is important to bring 
history into it. Yet, when we talk about our Founding Fathers, we 
should always be reminded that they did not have a $5 trillion deficit. 
They would be alarmed to know that we spend $20 billion each month in 
interest on the national debt.
  Mr. Speaker, I think we need to pass this. We need to get the 
Government working again and we need to balance the budget.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California [Ms. Lofgren].
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am new to Congress, but when I reread the 
Constitution last night, I reminded myself again that the Constitution 
provides for systems of checks and balances, vetoes and veto overrides. 
Nowhere is there a provision to shut down the Government when we do not 
succeed in getting our own way.
  But as the majority whip, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay] said: 
``We are only going to vote today on what the Republicans want to do.'' 
I think it is important that the gentleman said that. We are only going 
to allow those agencies to go back to work that the gentleman from 
Texas and the Republicans like.
  One of the questions I have, although I will vote for this because I 
want the retirees from the railroads to get their money, is what 
happens to startup industries in Silicon Valley? If a startup industry 
wants to go public after next week, because the Securities and Exchange 
Commission is running out of money, this company, even after 18 months 
of work, will not be able to do so. It may be that we do not think that 
the Securities and Exchange Commission should be involved in this 
process at all, but we should not leave these companies hanging out to 
dry. We should be grown-ups, like Senator Dole.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox].
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Livingston motion, the Back to Work bill. This legislation will, for 
the first time in this Congress, bring furloughed Federal employees 
back to work with pay; and those employees who have been working, make 
sure they are also paid.
  It also has a very important additional element. It will make sure 
that there will be full funding through September 30, 1996, for the 
following agencies: the Nutritional Services for the Elderly, Federal 
Parent Locator Service, the State Administration of Unemployment 
Benefits, general assistance and foster care payments for Native 
Americans, grants to States for child welfare services, railroad 
retirement benefits, Visitors Services for the National Parks System, 
the National Wildlife Refuges, and National Forests, the Smithsonian 
Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the John F. Kennedy Center, 
and the Holocaust Museum.
  In addition, the issuance of passports and visas, the consular 
services for American citizens abroad, veterans' benefits and payments 
to the VA contractors for medical services, and, of course, the 
District of Columbia for their funds.
  This legislation is the right move and a bipartisan Congress should 
in fact adopt it. I expect that once we adopt it, the Senate will 
follow suit and hopefully the President will sign it into law. But at 
the same time we will also hopefully pass, this afternoon, legislation 
which will finally fund all government operations, only after Congress 
receives notice from the Congressional Budget Office that they have 
certified the President has submitted an honest 7-year balanced budget.
  Mr. Speaker, the country wants a balanced budget, and they want it 
for the reason that we can reduce for the first time the overburdening 
cost of carrying a deficit too large, too expensive, and one that has 
cost every single man, woman, and child more than the Defense 
Department's annual budget.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues, therefore, to join me in supporting 
this legislation which will make sure that we have our balanced budget, 
but we also make sure that our Federal workers who are providing 
constituent services and who want to support their families get back to 
work and are paid.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode 
Island [Mr. Kennedy].
  (Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, this bill is better than 
nothing, but for the 2,000 Almacs employees who just got their pink 
slips on September 15, this bill means nothing to them.
  There was a glimmer of hope, because the President and the Department 
of Labor promised them $2 million, one-third of which was going to go 
to them immediately to help get them the new jobs. For Richard and 
Robert 

[[Page H211]]
LaBreche, they went to the competitor and the competitor would only pay 
them $4.75 an hour. That is not enough for them to make ends meet. They 
were used to getting $30,000 a year.
  Mr. Speaker, they could get those new jobs if they got the retraining 
dollars they needed, but this bill does not open up the whole 
Government and that is what is wrong with it. We should open up the 
whole Government and let all the people get the representation that 
they are paying for as taxpayers of this country.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to respond to 
the gentleman that just spoke in the well.
  Mr. Speaker, I would point out to the gentleman that after this bill 
is through, we are going to come up with a bill that will allow the 
President of the United States to put the entire Government back to 
work, completely, unequivocally, and without exception, at least until 
January 26.
  Mr. Speaker, all the President has to do to trigger this bill is put 
a balanced budget on the table, which is scored by CBO as being honest 
and legitimate, that balances the budget by the year 2002.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Hyde], the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  (Mr. HYDE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation, it is creative 
legislation, but it is made necessary by the unusual circumstances in 
which we find ourselves.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that the Federal employees are innocent 
victims, caught in a crossfire between the White House and Congress. It 
is not only unfair, but really immoral to deprive them of their 
salaries. they are in this situation through no fault of their own and 
any remedy righting the situation requires that they get paid.
  So that is what this effort accomplishes and it is very worthwhile. 
More than that, it is an effort to bring the President to the table, 
living up to his word when he signed a bill on November 20 promising to 
produce a balanced budget scored by the Congressional Budget Office 
with honest numbers. He has yet to do that, and that is the real 
sticking point.
  I have heard people on the other side criticize us for not doing our 
job, for not coming forth with the appropriations bills. But, of 
course, we have. It is the Senate, the other body, rather, that has 
strange and peculiar rules that permit filibuster, and that has halted 
in its tracks the appropriation for Health and Human Services.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HYDE. I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, would the chairman of the 
Committee on the Judiciary tell this House whether in the Constitution 
it has shutdown as an alternative form of forcing a dialog between the 
executive branch and the legislative branch? Because I understood the 
Constitution to read that the President would have the power to veto, 
and in that instance the Congress and the President would get together 
and negotiate. The gentleman from Illinois is making a good point that 
the House is in between.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, the gentleman has consumed 
all my time. I am sure that was not his nefarious purpose. I am out of 
time; otherwise, I would have a very learned answer for the gentleman.

                              {time}  1400

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Florida [Mrs. Thurman].
  Mrs. THURMAN. Mr. Speaker, first of all, there is a document back 
here that says the President and the Congress shall enact. It does not 
say that he is going to bring forth. But I am more concerned about the 
continuing resolution that is before us.
  Just a few minutes ago, I offered a unanimous consent to put back in 
rehabilitation services because we have a major problem out there, 
folks. I have to tell Members, I got a letter from my community 
college, this is happening all over the State of Florida, it is 
happening all across this country, where in fact our departments of 
labor no longer can finance their agreement to provide these dollars 
for students to go back to school. They are walking into classes and 
being told that there is no money available to them. Here is a woman, 
shutdown effects rehabilitation. A woman who had been in a coma. She 
came out of the coma. She has gone back trying to get services so that 
she can be a productive citizen, so she can pay taxes to this country. 
She wants to be a good person. She is being denied this by this 
Government.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis].
  Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman of the 
Committee on Appropriations for yielding time to me.
  I would like to ask a couple of questions. We have, in addition to 
the Federal employees who have been furloughed and unpaid since 
December 15, in my district thousands of Federal contractors, a 
majority of whom have been working with fiscal year 1995 money, and 
their employees have been unpaid by the Federal Government because 
their contracting officers have not been able to work, according to 
EPA, and the contracting officers, technical representatives, and those 
who oversee these contracts. Under this these people would be put back 
on the work, those key contracting officers.
  Does the gentleman see any reason why the fiscal year 1995 money then 
could not be spent to these contractors at that point?
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DAVIS. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I know the gentleman understands that 
all Federal employees are now going to be paid because of the 
gentleman's valiant efforts. There seems, to this gentleman, to be no 
impediment toward using fiscal year 1995 money in its entirety to pay 
whatever contractors are out there who are eligible to receive those 
funds.
  Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, would it not seem to the gentleman reasonable 
that the administration, we would hope the administration would do 
everything possible at that point to utilize these contracts in the 
interest of the Government?
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, 
unless the administration has political reasons for acting in such a 
manner, I would think there would be no reason for them not to pay 
those contractors.
  Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  Let me finally say that I will support this, the bill before us 
today. It is not everything I had hoped for, as a representative of 
many Federal employees who have been furloughed and not paid during 
this time period, but it is a step in the right direction.
  We have really let the hostages off the plane today. Now the budget 
battle can be engaged between the President and Congress. I hope that 
leaders from both sides will sit together, act like grownups, and work 
out these agreements and we will not have to go through this again.
  This has been a long and difficult period for Federal employees. I 
want to personally thank those who have stayed in there, working over 
Christmas vacation, working through the new year, many of them being 
unpaid while we here have not been able to do our job in agreeing with 
the President. I think the Federal employees during this period have 
been the unsung heroes of this and the only people who can hold their 
heads high while Congress and the President have dithered.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Durbin].
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the national embarrassment of 
this Government shutdown is at least coming to an end temporarily. 
Throughout the shutdown I have been arguing for no budget, no pay. It 
was a simple concept. If Members of Congress did not do their duty and 
keep the Government running, Members of Congress would not receive 
their paychecks.
  That did not sit very well with some of the Republican leaders, and 
it has never been brought to the floor. And that is unfortunate. But 
today I have a compromise proposal for the gentleman from Louisiana 
[Mr. Livingston]. I would like to suggest that we say in the future 
that the very last appropriations bill which can be sent by 

[[Page H212]]
this Congress to the President is the legislative appropriations bill. 
After we have done all the other appropriations bills, we will take 
care of ourselves.
  The concept is simple. We do not get dessert until we have cleaned 
our plates. And when Members of Congress realize that they cannot play 
with the lives of innocent Federal employees unless they risk their own 
staff and their own time here in Congress, I think they will take it 
more seriously. Let us hope this embarrassment is not just over 
temporarily. Let us hope it is over permanently. But let us get down to 
a balanced budget but not on the backs of innocent people.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on both sides?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bunning of Kentucky). The gentleman from 
Louisiana [Mr. Livingston] has 6 minutes remaining, and the gentleman 
from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey] has 10 minutes remaining.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
North Carolina [Mr. Hefner].
  Mr. HEFNER. Mr. Speaker, I just would like to make a couple of points 
here.
  I am glad to see that we are finally moving in the right direction. 
This absolutely does not do a whole heck of a lot, but it gets people 
back on the payroll. I am hearing so much from many from this side of 
the aisle about a balanced budget, that the President is not bringing 
forward a balanced budget. I did a little research. The last Republican 
President to offer a balanced budget was Richard Nixon. There were two 
budgets offered by Ronald Reagan.
  There were two votes taken on budgets by Ronald Reagan, neither one 
of which was balanced. One of them got one vote, Jack Kemp gave it one 
vote; and the other got 37 votes. So to say it is an obligation of the 
President of the United States to offer a balanced budget and hold the 
President hostage and these people hostages because the President will 
not present a balanced budget.
  I would like to know what compromises the Republicans have made on 
the budget that passed here and was legitimately vetoed. We do not know 
what concessions they have made. They have not come by. They have not 
come back with a budget that is balanced in 7 years and scored by CBO 
and done the protection that the President insisted on. So I think it 
is a little bit unusual to demand that the President offer a balanced 
budget before we can negotiate to put all these people back to work. It 
is a little bit, I would say, in my opinion, it is a little bit 
hypocritical to blame the President of the United States for us not 
doing our job and sending these appropriations bills to us, at least 2 
months overdue and then even objected to from the majority of this 
body.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas 
[Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier this 
morning, Mr. Speaker, I wanted us to approach this in a bipartisan 
manner. I was before the Committee on Rules last evening at about 10:30 
to offer to them House Joint Resolution 155, a resolution that would 
comply with the intent of this Congress to put Federal workers back to 
work on behalf of the American people but in fact give them the 
resources to do their job.
  With this present legislation on the floor of the House, we still 
will have--come Monday or whenever this Government opens--Federal 
mortgages and housing vouchers will be halted. Contractors handling 
Medicare claims will still not be paid. Federal funds to States for 
Medicaid will still be limited. Grants for State JOBS programs and 
social services will still not be issued. Assistance to small 
businesses, the very backbone of America, small businesses that in fact 
provide the opportunity for people to work, will not be able to get SBA 
guaranteed loans.
  We can do this together, Mr. Speaker, if we pass a continuing 
resolution to fund the entire Government, a clean CR, House Joint 
Resolution 155. This is not a good piece of legislation. It does not 
help workers do the job for America.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
Washington [Mr. McDermott].
  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition.
  Sometimes we look at all of this and we wonder where these numbers 
come from, a 7-year balanced budget. What is magic about the 26th of 
January? Why does this only go to the 26th of January? Is it tied to 
the State of the Union Message?
  I would suggest that this is a resolution to allow the Speaker to go 
on a fundraising trip across this country. He will be in Seattle on the 
10th of January. I do not know where else he is going to be, but this 
is simply to get people out of town so they can raise money for the 
next election. It is not to deal with the problems of this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Republican plan to 
partially reopen the Government and will not be a part of their cynical 
political game to hold the Federal Government hostage until they can 
pass their extreme and irresponsible agenda.
  The House Republicans are offering two separate bills today. They 
want to partially reopen the Government by paying some Federal 
employees to go back to work, but without giving them the resources to 
serve the American people. For example, they want to send the Small 
Business Administration employees back to work, but will prohibit them 
from disbursing loans. They want to send Environmental Protection 
Agency employees back to their offices, but not allow them to make sure 
that the Nation's waterways remain clean. Everywhere you look, the 
lights will be on, but no one will be allowed to serve and the public's 
business will go undone.
  All Federal workers should be allowed to go back to work immediately, 
with full pay, but, in my view it is absurd and foolish to put Federal 
employees back to work without giving them the resources to serve the 
people who rely on them.
  The second part of the Republican strategy seeks to blackmail the 
President by holding Federal employees and the services they provide 
hostage until he agrees with their extreme political agenda. This 
legislation states that Congress will pass a clean continuing 
resolution, one that would both put Federal employees back to work and 
allow them to adequately serve the American people, if and only if the 
President supports their economic agenda of destroying the safety net 
and giving a huge tax cut to America's wealthiest.
  I will not vote for legislation which seeks to blackmail the 
President and engages in a blatant attempt to supersede the powers 
given to Congress by the U.S. Constitution.
  Mr. Speaker, we could avoid passing this ruinous legislation 
altogether, if the House Republican leadership would be willing to join 
their Senate colleagues in passing a clean continuing resolution--with 
no strings attached. In doing so, they could easily reopen the 
Government without holding the American people who rely on it for 
needed services hostage.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, they are unwilling to even allow the 
Senate-passed continuing resolution to come to a vote.
  Let's get America back on track, let's pass a clean continuing 
resolution. Most importantly though, let's not put Federal employees 
back to work without allowing them to do their job.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, I think the previous speaker has just summed up what is 
at hand here or what is afoot, is a better way to put it. What this 
simply is is a very strange and goofy way to provide an opportunity for 
Members of Congress to get out of town for the next 2 weeks, put 
Government people back on the payroll, but limit what they can do.
  It solves the problems of Government workers who are not getting 
paid, but it leaves an awful lot of problems for taxpayers who are 
still not getting served. That is a fundamental problem. If that is as 
far as the majority party will go, then we have no choice but to 
support it because it is a partial opening up of the Government.
  I wanted to point out another interesting bit of strangeness. The 
Prompt Payment Act requires that the Government pay its bills within 30 
days. If no payments are made, the Government is required by law to pay 
interest on those outstanding obligations at a rate of 6 percent. That 
means that, because these obligations are piling up, we are going to 
have to pay added interest, added interest at a time of such a large 
debt, because of the stubbornness of Members in this House who insist 
on putting their ideology ahead of our obligation to serve all of the 
taxpayers 

[[Page H213]]
whether they be Republican, Democrat, Independent, or anything else.
  I would urge Members to vote for this resolution, but would urge the 
majority party to bring a resolution before this House that truly opens 
up all of Government so that we can provide all of the services that we 
are obligated to provide.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the very 
distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Forbes], a member of the 
Committee on Appropriations.
  (Mr. FORBES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution and this 
effort before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, this is about the President keeping a promise that he 
made, a promise that he made on November 20 to the American people that 
he was going to participate, participate in creating balanced budget 
over the next 7 years, a balanced budget that would be with honest 
numbers, no more smoke and mirrors. That is really what we have before 
us. Is this opportunity to unite as Americans in favor of a balanced 
budget, something my friends in the minority have long expressed 
support for, something the President of the United States has long 
expressed support for.
  Going back to 1992, when he was a candidate for the Presidency of the 
United States, he said he wanted a balanced budget. We have pleaded 
with him, we have begged him. We have spent 20 hours in concert with 
the President of the United States, 20 hours of face-to-face 
negotiations begging and pleading, Mr. President, bring us the balanced 
budget. Here is the blank slate, Mr. President. Tell us how you want to 
balance the budget and we will be with you.
  We have an opportunity today to give the President again another 
opportunity to fully open up the Government, move forward on a balanced 
budget and let us get Americans back to work.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Young], the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on 
National Security of the Committee on Appropriations.

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I detect a breath of 
bipartisanship as we approach a vote on this important piece of 
legislation, not a heavy breeze, or not a big wind, but at least a 
breath of bipartisanship, and that is what it is going to take to get 
our job done. We need to pass this legislation, which I strongly 
support, and allow the people, who are not responsible at all for the 
dilemma that we find ourselves in, to get back to work and to get paid.
  There have been a lot of delays. The gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. 
Obey], our friend, has presented charts so many times indicating the 
delays and the bills that did not get to the President. The fact is all 
but three of the appropriations bills got to the President, and he 
vetoed four of them.
  But that is not the issue today. The idea is not who do we blame, but 
how do we get most of the job resolved, and that is what we are going 
to do by passage of this legislation today.
  In addition I wanted to say to my dear friend, the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Bonior], who raised a very good point about the use of 
Federal funds for travel, that I plan to pursue this issue. During the 
early consideration of the defense appropriations bill I announced to 
the House that we intended to find out how much money was being spent 
for the use of military aircraft for nonmilitary travel by all branches 
of Government.
  We would have already had those hearings, except for the delays that 
were caused by the many issues preoccupying the President and Congress. 
But all of that is in the past now, Mr. Bonior. We are going to have 
those hearings that the gentleman is interested in.
  But I would like to close on this thought. The bipartisanship that we 
feel today would serve this Nation and this Congress well if we could 
remember that here in this hallowed Chamber is where we do the people's 
business, and if we would take our political activities and our 
campaigning for the next election back to the precincts and our 
districts where they belong, then the people's business would be better 
served.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Coleman].
  (Mr. COLEMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
express my support for the effort to reopen the Government. The 
shutdown is costing taxpayers $50 million a day. The total cost of the 
21-day shutdown, by far the longest in history, now exceeds $600 
million. Democratic appropriations members have made over 30 attempts 
to reopen the Government without restrictions while budget negotiations 
continue. However, all of these attempts have been blocked by the 
Republican majority.
  I have also been opposed to all motions to adjourn and/or recess 
before the Congress has passed all of its appropriations bills. The 
Gingrich revolution has not allowed the necessary work of the Congress 
to be completed. We should not go home until our work here is 
completed.
  I have been a member of the Appropriations Committee when the 
Democrats held the majority in the House and we served under a 
Republican President. During this period, the Republican President 
vetoed appropriations bills many times. However, the Democratic 
majority allowed the Government to continue operations while the 
parties settled their differences. In fact, while President Reagan was 
in office, the Government functioned under a continuing resolution that 
lasted for 1 year.
  By October 1, not 1 of the 13 appropriations bills had been passed by 
this Congress. Today, six appropriations bills have not become law. 
Instead of working out the differences and passing this critical 
legislation, the Republicans have staged this showdown between Congress 
and the President. In every instance in the past where Congress failed 
to pass one or two appropriations bills, the majority has passed a 
continuing resolution to allow those agencies to be funded at no 
increased level of spending. It is simply wrong to hold millions of 
Federal workers and Americans who rely on the Government services to 
the whim of this majority.
  Today, the Republicans are offering a targeted continuing resolution. 
I am in opposition to this targeted approach. While this approach 
represents progress toward ending the Gingrich Republican shutdown, it 
still does not cover critical needs such as Federal Medicaid matching 
funds, payments to Medicare contractors, small business loans, worker 
protection, environmental protection, and Superfund cleanup.
  Under this bill, some workers would be provided pay until January 26, 
others until March 15, and still others until September 30. This 
chaotic approach is ludicrous. The Republicans are already allowing 
people to stay home from work and get paid, now they are allowing 
people to go back to work but not to perform all of their duties. Why 
not give the American taxpayers the full value of their Government? Why 
approve only a restricted temporary Government?
  The Republican effort to tie budget negotiations to appropriations 
funding is one I disagree with. This tactic is economically and morally 
wrong. The President of the United States has the power, under the 
Constitution, to veto any legislation he feels is not in the best 
interest of the country. The Congress has the ability to either 
override the veto or negotiate with the administration. Congress does 
not have the constitutional right to hold Federal workers hostage 
because the President has acted in opposition to their efforts.
  This bill is the result of the fanaticism by a minority of 
Republicans. There are enough votes in the House to open the Government 
without these ridiculous restrictions. However, because the Republican 
freshmen have been opposed to compromise, the leadership has not 
allowed a clean continuing resolution to be voted on.
  Although I am opposed to the limited nature of this bill, it is the 
only effort the splintered Republican majority is able to offer and I 
will support it as a better alternative over the current shutdown.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield our remaining 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt], the distinguished Democrat 
leader.
  (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, it is with great reluctance and 
disappointment that I rise in support of this legislation. I have been 
disappointed by suggestions by those on the other side of the aisle 
that the President of the United States has somehow broken a promise or 
gone back on his word. I think that assertion is absolutely wrong.

[[Page H214]]

  If we look back at the agreement and the original continuing 
resolution, the President did not agree to put down a 7-year budget 
scored by CBO by a certain time, no more than the Republican side 
agreed that they would put down a budget that he would score as being 
sufficient for his priorities of saving Medicare and Medicaid and not 
giving tax cuts to the wealthy paid for by the cuts in Medicare and 
Medicaid. The agreement was that when a negotiation yielded a hoped-for 
settlement or agreement, that that agreement would balance the budget 
in 7 years. The President has kept that agreement, not just the letter 
of that agreement, but the spirit of that agreement.
  When we go from working in the Congress, as we do under the 
Constitution, to either override a veto or to pass another bill, we 
move into a different realm. That realm is now a room in the White 
House. It is a negotiation in private to try to reach an agreement that 
is good for the country. I have been in the meetings. I find it 
abhorrent for people to say that he is not acting in good faith. That 
is not what I have seen and heard.
  I participated in the summit in 1990 with President Bush. The 
negotiators spent all of about an hour with President Bush in 1990. I 
am not complaining. We talked with Richard Darman who was his 
representative in the negotiation.
  In this negotiation, which has been going on for days, this President 
has sat in the room for at least 40 hours, face-to-face with the 
Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader, and he is 
painstakingly working the details to find an agreement that, yes, will 
balance the budget in 7 years, by CBO judgment, but which will also 
meet his requirements of saving Medicare and Medicaid, saving education 
and the environment, and not slashing those programs to pay for tax 
cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
  Now because somehow the President has not passed somebody's sincerity 
test, and for what reason I cannot tell my colleagues, we now have 
before us a measure which makes no sense. Who can explain to anybody 
why we are going to bring people back to work and pay them, in some 
cases for doing nothing? Last week we paid people to stay at home; next 
week I guess we are going to pay them to do nothing. We ought to put 
another proviso in this to provide people crossword puzzles so they 
will have something to do in the office. This makes no earthly sense.
  I beg the majority to come to their senses. They have achieved what 
they wanted to achieve. This President is negotiating in good faith.
  In the name of sense and decency, let these negotiations go on, and 
let us get an honest compromise and a balanced budget that recognizes 
the priorities of the American people.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
  (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, decency, common sense, good-faith, all 
of those great words are nice but here is the agreement, in case we 
forget. But here is the resolution that passed the House of 
Representatives and the Senate and went to the President and he agreed 
to it. The wording in the law is as follows: ``The President and the 
Congress shall enact legislation in the first session of the 104th 
Congress to achieve a balanced budget not later than fiscal year 2002 
as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office,'' et cetera, et 
cetera, et cetera.
  I will say that the words are very clear in that law and the 
President is in violation of this agreement.
  Now where, Mr. President, is the balanced budget to be achieved in 
the next 7 years? The President has not produced it, and, when he does, 
according to the next piece of legislation that will clear this House 
of Representatives today, the Government will go back to work as 
planned on a normal basis. Until then, Mr. President, we are going to 
continue to be faced with a problem. The President wants the status 
quo. He wants to continue to fund the big bureaucracies. He wants to 
take the taxpayers' money and he wants to spend it as normal. We do 
not. We want to cut Government. We want to slice back the role of the 
Federal bureaucracy that the Democrats have created over the last 40 
years.
  And there it is the current situation, Mr. Speaker and my friends and 
colleagues. Let us put Government back to work temporarily, right now, 
until January 26.
  But the crisis is not over. The President must fulfill his 
responsibilities under this agreement to balance the budget in 7 years. 
If he does not, the crisis will go on because we are indeed committed 
to save this country, to save the economic future of our children and 
our grandchildren by putting the country back on a firm and normal 
fiscal track so that we pay our bills, and we save this Nation from 
economic catastrophe.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a balanced 
budget. In fact, I have consistently cosponsored and voted for a 
balanced budget amendment. However, I continue to be disappointed that 
we are in a stalemate about how to reach this goal.
  The Federal Government has been shut down for 21 days. This 
shutdown--the longest in history--has cost the taxpayers in excess of 
$600 million to date. Over 200,000 Federal workers have gone without 
pay since December 16. They, like other Americans, have mortgages, car 
payments, utility bills, and mouths to feed. In addition, millions of 
Americans depend on a variety of Government services that they have 
already paid for. Americans have needs that are not being met because 
the Republicans in the House refuse to agree on a compromise balanced 
budget.
  Today, the House will pass a resolution to provide funding for 
selected Government functions, including the Meals on Wheels Program; 
visitor services in the National Parks; passport and visa services; 
railroad retirement payments and unemployment insurance. While this is 
a small step in the right direction for our Nation, I am gravely 
concerned because this targeted approach does not cover other critical 
needs such as payments to Medicare contractors, Federal Medicaid 
matching funds, small business loans, worker protection, environmental 
protection, and Superfund cleanup. It could also lead to the ludicrous 
situation of paying Federal workers to do nothing.
  President Clinton and the majority leader in the Senate were right 
weeks ago when they agreed to separate the issues of funding the 
Government this year and finalizing a 7-year plan to balance the 
Federal budget. We should pass a clean continuing resolution to fund 
all operations of the Government, including small businesses that rely 
on Government contracts. Then we must focus on the people's business to 
get the budget balanced in 7 years.
  We operate in a democracy, not a dictatorship. People have paid in 
advance for Government services, they are not receiving. It is time to 
sit down and work out a 7-year balanced budget without denying the 
people Government services.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, though I do have some concerns with this 
measure, as a Member that represents over 4,000 Federal workers I will 
vote for this bill in attempt to end the plight currently plaguing my 
constituents.
  I am heartened at the fact that with the passage of this measure we 
will end the current practice of punishing Federal workers because the 
President is unable to offer a 7-year balanced budget with real 
numbers. I believe strongly in our efforts to sign into law a 7-year 
balanced budget with real numbers, but believe it can be accomplished 
through tough negotiations, and not by punishing our Federal workers.
  I do wish that Congress could offer a clean continuing resolution 
which would allow contractors with the Government to obtain the payment 
needed to continue performing the vital services they offer throughout 
our local communities.
  It is important that we in the Congress bear in mind that those 
Federal workers currently furloughed want to work. They have not been 
furloughed because of bad performance, but because they have been pawns 
in the budget impasse.
  Let me be clear. I believe strongly in the need for a balanced budget 
with real numbers, and I am encouraged that Congress is serious about 
achieving this goal. Accordingly, tough negotiations must continue 
between the President and the Congress. We must achieve a balanced 
budget.
  But I believe there is no reason why these tough negotiations cannot 
continue while Federal employees are on the job doing the work for 
which they are being paid.
  I ask my colleagues to support this measure and get our Federal 
employees back to work.
  Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, during my tenure in Congress I 
have been witness to a whole lot of things, but I have never seen such 
a despicable display of political gamesmanship and purely partisan, 
selfish maneuvering as is coming from the Gingrich Republicans these 
days. While I reluctantly 

[[Page H215]]
support the very limited continuing appropriations bill we are 
considering today, I am appalled at the tactics that have been employed 
by the GOP over the last 21 days to hold the Federal Government and the 
American people hostage to their extreme ideological agenda.
  Despite the fact that the majority leader in the other body, Senator 
Dole, said a few days ago, ``Enough is enough,'' and rightly called on 
the House to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the entire 
Government, the Gingrich groupies continue to play games. While H.R. 
1643 will reopen the Government for selected Federal activities, it 
remains an inadequate measure in that it leaves many critical Federal 
responsibilities unmet. In addition, while it properly returns our 
dedicated Federal employees to work with full pay, it neglects to fund 
many of the programs which they are charged to administer. In other 
words, it takes some of the political heat off the Republicans, without 
providing a real solution to the crisis we face.
  For instance, the legislation before us fails to reinstate much-
needed Federal Medicaid matching funds, payments to Medicare 
contractors, dollars for EPA toxic waste cleanup, student loans, HUD 
home loans, small business loans, Centers for Disease Control flu-
tracking and public health oversight activities, and the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency's food and shelter program, just to name a 
few.
  My constituents are fed up with the lack of respect shown by the 
Republican majority of this Congress for their needs and concerns. They 
are fed up with the shutdown of services vital to the proper 
functioning of their communities. They are fed up with the arrogance of 
the GOP Members that proclaim ``It's my way or no way at all.''
  Mr. Speaker, the House Republicans at every turn of these budget 
negotiations have simply refused to carry out their constitutional 
responsibilities to govern. It is unbelievable, it is childish, it is 
dangerous, and it is wrong. Believe me when I say that the American 
people realize this and the American people will act accordingly to 
make their displeasure known.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, we are all concerned about our Federal 
workers and the need to find a way to end this shutdown.
  While no one wants to see this situation continue, there is an even 
more overwhelming concern that is being voiced by the majority of the 
Members in the House. Their greatest fear is that if we comply with 
requests to pass a continuing resolution [CR] to get us through this 
month then the President will renege on his promise once again.
  As we all know, in an effort to work in a bi-partisan manner, back in 
November we passed a CR that would run through December 15. We did this 
in good faith. What happened to the promise made by the President to 
produce a balanced budget in 7 years using congressional budget 
numbers? We are still waiting that document to be put on the table. You 
know, Mr. Speaker, it makes it tremendously difficult to negotiate when 
only one side has produced the necessary budget that meets all the 
requirements that were previously set down by the President in his 
State of the Union Address in January of 1993.
  What caused this shutdown? Quite simply, the President vetoed 
appropriations bills that currently force this partial shutdown. The 
agencies that have not yet had funds appropriated for 1996 are the 
State Department, Justice Department, Commerce Department, Interior 
Department, Small Business Administration, Veterans Affairs Department, 
Forest Service, Housing and Urban Development Department, and the 
Environmental Protection Agency.
  People need to realize that most of the Federal Government would be 
open today if the President had either signed a balanced budget or 
signed the funding bills for the affected agencies. We are willing to 
work out a compromise with the President, but he has to tell us what he 
wants. So far, he has simply vetoed every bill that has hit his desk. 
That's not leadership, it's gridlock.
  Mr. Speaker, 40 years ago there was no national debt to speak of, and 
Americans paid only 3 percent of their income to the Federal 
Government. Today, we have a $5 trillion national debt, and the average 
American family pays a full 25 percent of its income to the Federal 
Government. Taxes at all levels of government now consume 40 percent of 
the average family's income--more than they spend on food, clothing, 
and shelter combined.
  The fiscal year 1996 appropriations process is proof of our 
commitment to balance the budget through thoughtful and sound spending. 
The representatives of the people of America have some very difficult 
spending. We have had to make cuts in many important programs; we have 
been forced to prioritize our spending--just as American families have 
been doing for years. We have done this because we are interested in 
the future of our country. We have put aside partisanship and self-
interest so that our country will not buckle under the burden of its 
debt, so that our children may have a future.
  I find it not only frustrating but also terribly disheartening that 
the President has chosen to veto a majority of the appropriations bills 
we have sent to him. He says that the appropriations bills don't 
provide enough money. The President feels that the Government does not 
spend enough money. Mr. President, we have a $5 trillion debt. This 
President has made it clear that his administration's goals are quite 
different from the vast majority of the American people.
  These Presidential vetoes make it abundantly clear that he is 
committed to more of the tax-and-spend policies that have nearly ruined 
our country financially; the bills he vetoes have caused the shutdown 
of portions of the Federal Government, thus punishing his own employees 
simply because he refuses to adhere to the promise he made to produce a 
7 year balanced budget using Congressional Budget Office [CBO] numbers. 
Congress has done what it had to do. We have proven our commitment to 
reduce Federal spending and to make the Government more efficient. 
Apparently, the President has a different agenda.

  Why is a 7-year balanced budget so important? Many leading economists 
believe that a balanced budget would result in a drop in interest rates 
of up to 2 percent. For a 30-year, $75,000 mortgage, that's $37,000 
saved over the life of the loan. Americans will have more take home pay 
because our budget includes a $500 per-child tax credit. We also have 
true welfare reform which is a No. 1 priority for most Americans.
  What happens if we don't achieve our goal of a balanced budget in 7 
years? Five years from now all Federal revenues will go to just five 
programs--health care entitlements, federal retirement, Social 
Security, and interest on the debt. Our children will be faced with 
lifetime tax rates of 80 percent just to pay interest on the debt. 
That's why it is so important that we stick to our principles. Our 
country needs to go in a new direction. We must cut taxes and cut 
spending. We must think of our children and their children. Currently, 
future generations will have to deal with a soaring debt and 
outrageously high taxes. Is this the legacy we want to leave them? I do 
not think so. I believe we will work out an agreement with the 
President. I pray that we do so for all those federal employees who 
have been asked to bear the brunt of this budget impasse.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask my colleagues to please give 
consideration to cosponsoring legislation I have introduced, H.R. 2828. 
This bill provides for the comparable treatment of Federal employees, 
Members of Congress, and the President during a period in which there 
is a Federal Government shutdown. Let's put our paychecks where our 
values are and disavow special treatment.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, the shutdown of the Government has affected 
Americans all across the country. The Federal government should be 
predictable and certain, but due to the inaction of this House under 
GOP leadership, the extreme accusations by some Republicans of an 
incompetent Federal Government are being made a self-fulfilling 
prophecy by these same Republicans.
  As just one good example, I have received dozens of calls from 
railroad retirees in Minnesota who live on fixed incomes and have had 
their retirement benefits cut because of the shutdown! In fact, the 
Railroad Retirement Board has had to cut January vested dual benefit 
payments by 64% for 160,000 railroad retirees across the Nation. This 
means that retirees who earned their pensions through many years of 
hard work and who live on fixed incomes are having trouble meeting 
their rent payments. And of course there are no assurances that they 
will receive any of their benefits in the future if this shutdown 
continues.
  The sad reality here is that these retirees are being denied the 
benefits they earned as the Republicans play political games 
and shutdown the Government and shut out Federal workers. This Congress 
ought to do its job and act today on a real continuing resolution to 
keep the full Government running--and provide the 160,000 railroad 
retirees with their earned benefits.

  This isn't about who is for a balanced budget, rather it's how to 
balance the budget. Nor is this shutdown about political honesty, in 
fact the more some boast of their monopoly on truth and honesty, the 
more firm you should hold on to your wallet. We are thirteen weeks into 
the fiscal year and have had four weeks of Federal Government shutdown 
because of GOP straw man arguments about economic forecasts and games 
to seek political advantage. This resolution finally provides some 
relief but leaves many programs, and most importantly the people we 
serve, in a lurch. Ironically, it pays Federal workers but ties their 
hands so they can't do their jobs. As Mark Twain stated, ``The more you 
explain it to me the more I don't understand it''.
  Mr. Speaker, it isn't the Federal Government that's incompetent, 
rather it is the Republican-

[[Page H216]]
led, know-it-all, arrogant Congress, which after a year can't have its 
actions blamed on inexperience. No, the problem is indifference and 
political one-ups-manship. Enough is enough. Free the hostages and let 
the railroad retirees have their pensions. Put the American people's 
Federal Government back to work--the full Government, not this half-
baked GOP political fig leaf designed more for political relief and 
which will just result in more shutdown threats and Federal Government 
uncertainty.
  Mr. PAYNE of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am going to join reluctantly in 
voting for this measure. It will send our Federal employees back to 
work and restore normal operations to our national parks, Meals on 
Wheels, the passport office, and several other vital programs. We will 
end for now this cruel game that has made innocent Federal workers 
pawns in a political dispute over which they have no control.
  As Senate Majority Leader Dole said Wednesday: ``Enough is enough.'' 
And this measure is better than nothing.
  But let there be no mistake, Mr. Speaker: This legislation is the 
most bizarre measure that I have seen in 8 years as a Member of 
Congress.
  With it, we'll send HUD's employees back to work, but they won't be 
able to perform all of the duties and services that they're charged 
with.
  Everyone would be back on the job at the Education Department, but 
there would be no new student loans.
  And for the many Federal contractors who have been burned badly by 
this Government shutdown, this measure offers no relief. Medicare 
contractors, NASA contractors, and even those who supply food to 
Federal prisons will be among those who will continue to be harmed by 
the games that some people are playing in Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, 1 year and 1 day ago, the Republican majority came to 
power pledging to run government like a business.
  Well before coming to Congress I built and operated businesses. And I 
have employed hundreds of people. And let me tell you something: This 
is not how you run a business.
  You don't send people to work and deprive them of the money or 
material they need to do their jobs and still expect to be successful.
  We need a clean continuing resolution to put the Government back to 
work, and then let's spend our time and energy balancing the budget in 
7 years. That's what we were sent here to do.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 334, the previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Louisiana 
[Mr. Livingston].
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 401, 
nays 17, not voting 15, as follows:

                              [Roll No 7]

                               YEAS--401

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allard
     Andrews
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker (CA)
     Baker (LA)
     Baldacci
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barrett (NE)
     Barrett (WI)
     Bartlett
     Bass
     Bateman
     Becerra
     Beilenson
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boucher
     Brewster
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Brownback
     Bryant (TN)
     Bunn
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cardin
     Castle
     Chambliss
     Christensen
     Chrysler
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clinger
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coburn
     Coleman
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (IL)
     Collins (MI)
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cooley
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cremeans
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis
     de la Garza
     Deal
     DeFazio
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     Dellums
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Ensign
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fawell
     Fields (LA)
     Filner
     Flanagan
     Foglietta
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fowler
     Fox
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (CT)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frisa
     Frost
     Funderburk
     Furse
     Gallegly
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Geren
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Gonzalez
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Green
     Greenwood
     Gunderson
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hamilton
     Hancock
     Hansen
     Harman
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hefner
     Heineman
     Herger
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hobson
     Hoke
     Holden
     Horn
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jacobs
     Jefferson
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Johnston
     Jones
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kim
     King
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lantos
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Lincoln
     Linder
     Lipinski
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Longley
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luther
     Maloney
     Manton
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Martini
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McDermott
     McHale
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Meyers
     Mfume
     Mica
     Miller (CA)
     Miller (FL)
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Molinari
     Mollohan
     Montgomery
     Moorhead
     Moran
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Orton
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Parker
     Pastor
     Paxon
     Payne (NJ)
     Payne (VA)
     Pelosi
     Peterson (FL)
     Peterson (MN)
     Petri
     Pickett
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Portman
     Poshard
     Pryce
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Reed
     Regula
     Richardson
     Riggs
     Rivers
     Roberts
     Roemer
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roth
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Sabo
     Salmon
     Sanders
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer
     Schiff
     Schroeder
     Schumer
     Scott
     Seastrand
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Shaw
     Shays
     Shuster
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Solomon
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Stump
     Stupak
     Talent
     Tanner
     Tate
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Tejeda
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thornberry
     Thornton
     Thurman
     Torkildsen
     Torres
     Torricelli
     Towns
     Traficant
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Volkmer
     Vucanovich
     Waldholtz
     Walker
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Ward
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Watts (OK)
     Waxman
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Williams
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yates
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)
     Zeliff
     Zimmer

                                NAYS--17

     Barr
     Barton
     Chabot
     Chenoweth
     Dickey
     Ganske
     Gibbons
     Graham
     Hastings (FL)
     Hoekstra
     Hostettler
     Largent
     Sanford
     Shadegg
     Smith (WA)
     Souder
     Tiahrt

                             NOT VOTING--15

     Bryant (TX)
     Chapman
     Fazio
     Fields (TX)
     Flake
     Hayes
     Lightfoot
     Myers
     Quillen
     Rose
     Stark
     Stockman
     Studds
     Wilson
     Wyden

                              {time}  1443

  Mr. FROST changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the motion was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``a bill making 
appropriations for certain activities for the fiscal year 1996, and for 
other purposes''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________