[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 1996

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                               speech of

                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 14, 1996

  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to House Joint 
Resolution 163, the short-term continuing appropriations for fiscal 
year 1996. This is the 11th short-term fiscal year 1996 stopgap 
spending measure in 5 months. Who would have thought that 5 months into 
the fiscal year, and after 29 days of a Republican politically 
contrived shutdown of the Federal Government which cost the American 
people over $1.5 billion, fiscal year 1996 appropriations bills for a 
number of major Federal agencies upon which the American people depend 
still have not been enacted?
  Now, here we are again, just hours before the current continuing 
resolution expires, trying to pass an 11th stopgap spending measure to 
keep the Government operating. In fact, this stopgap measure will not 
be the last one for fiscal year 1996. Expiring on March 22d, House 
Joint Resolution 163 will keep the Government operating for only 1 
week.
  The bill being voted on today still does not address all of my 
concerns about critical programs under the jurisdiction of the 
appropriations subcommittee for the Departments of Veterans Affairs, 
Housing and Urban Development and independent agencies--on which I 
serve as the ranking member--or, those under the jurisdiction of the 
subcommittee for the Departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services, 
and Education on which I also serve. I am pleased, however, that our 
Nation's veterans will get their hardearned benefits, that our 
homeless, low-income families, seniors and disabled who depend on 
Federal housing assistance will retain support for shelter; and that 
our environment will be safeguarded for at least 1 more week.
  Nevertheless, I remain resolute in my opposition to the cuts in these 
programs including:
  The $1.1 billion cut in title I which will deny over a million 
disadvantaged children the teaching assistance they require in reading 
and math;
  The $266 million cut in safe and drug free schools which means that 
school systems will be denied the resources they need to provide 
children a safe crime free drug free classroom in which to learn;
  The elimination of funding for the Summer Jobs Program which means 
that over 600,000 young people who need and want to work will be 
deprived of the opportunity to do so;

  The anticrime block grants which will eliminate the successful 
community policing and crime prevention programs;
  The overall cut in funding for the Department of Commerce which will 
dramatically hinder our Nation's technology advancement effort; and
  The irresponsible and unjust slashing of funding for the Minority 
Business Development Program, the Commission on Civil Rights, and the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which will lead to the 
foreclosing of opportunities for many Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, who would have thought that our Republican colleagues 
would have let their blind desire--to give a tax cut to the wealthy--
outweigh the needs of seniors, children, veterans, and families across 
the country?
  This continuing resolution--like the 10 that preceded it--is part of 
the Republicans' strategy to hold the American people hostage in an 
effort to force the President to accept their outrageous and 
lifethreatening cuts in major critical quality of life programs.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the ultimate of irresponsibility. House Joint 
Resolution 163 is not a solution to the politically contrived budget 
crisis, it is only an interim step to keep the Government temporarily 
operating while our colleagues on the other side of the aisle decide 
what political game to play next. No amount of smoke and mirrors can 
hide the pain and suffering that is contained in the GOP's budget.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to put an end to this piecemeal, part-
time approach to operating the Government. Let's go back to the budget 
negotiation table and restore funding to critical programs and services 
including education, summer jobs, employment training, student aid, 
housing, environmental protection, veterans' medical care, heating 
assistance, meals for seniors, and crime prevention. I urge my 
colleagues to vote against House Joint Resolution 163.

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