[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 46 (Friday, March 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3190-S3191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  Mr. SPECTER. I have sought recognition, Mr. President, to express my 
chagrin and disappointment that we are apparently not going to have an 
omnibus appropriations bill, but later today are going to proceed with 
another continuing resolution. Perhaps it is appropriate on April 1, on 
April Fool's Day, that Washington, DC, again looks like a collective 
group of April fools unable to pass a budget, and on April Fool's Day 
unable to finish the business of the preceding year, 1995.
  Within the past hour I have come from the conference of the House and 
Senate where very strenuous efforts have been made for the past several 
days to find a compromise on appropriations.
  I have the honor to chair the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health 
and Human Services. Perhaps I use the wrong word when I say it is an 
``honor.'' It has been really an embarrassment that we have not been 
able to bring a bill, the legislation, to fruition for funding which 
should have been in place by last October 1. But that bill has been 
tied up for a variety of reasons, with equal blame apportioned on both 
sides of the aisle, while we have been in gridlock on a number of 
matters.
  For many, many weeks I have been pressing very hard to try to get the 
matter resolved, have been working with Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to 
find offsets, have scheduled a series of hearings with the Secretaries 
of the three Departments--Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education--and we finally brought the bill to the Senate floor and 
finally got it passed by a very substantial number, 79 to 21.

  The key part of that bill was a bipartisan amendment worked out by 
the distinguished Senator from Iowa, Senator Harkin, and myself, 
Senator Harkin being the ranking member of the committee. We passed 
that amendment 84 to 16. During about 20 hours of conferencing, Mr. 
President, I think we had been able to finally thread the needle to 
find a bill which would probably have been signed by the President and 
which was acceptable to the House of Representatives.
  That is pretty hard to do in Washington, DC, today. There is 
considerably more flexibility in the U.S. Senate in trying to arrive at 
accommodation. We passed the bill which had the amendment which Senator 
Harkin and I had constructed and fashioned, which added $2.7 billion to 
some very important functions, to education, worker safety, and to 
health and human services.
  Notwithstanding that addition, the President had sent word that he 
wanted some $484 million more. Well, we were at the break point with 
the bill which we conferenced with the House of Representatives when we 
had called for $2.7 billion more in spending.
  Let me point out that that $2.7 billion was endorsed by both leaders, 
Senator Dole and Senator Daschle, 37 out of the 53 Republicans voted 
for the amendment, 37 Republicans voted for it and 16 voted against it, 
more than two-thirds of our Republican body voted for it, which is a 
very, very strong showing, given the constituency of our Senate caucus, 
and the amendment received all of the 47 Democratic votes. So, when we 
went to conference with this bill I thought, Senator Harkin thought, 
Senator Hatfield thought, that we were within range to have it signed 
by the President. We were not sure, but we thought we were within that 
range.
  We also constructed the bill so that it would be agreed to by our 
House colleagues. We were not sure about that either. It was very, very 
tough on negotiations. Finally, the House Labor, Health and Human 
Services conferees approved the bill by a vote of 6 to 5. You cannot 
get any closer than 6 to 5. But what we were veritably doing is running 
between the raindrops in a hurricane to find something which would 
satisfy our House colleagues and something which might be signed by the 
President.
  Regrettably, that is all for naught or mostly all for naught--mostly 
for naught or probably for naught--because when we do not get the bill 
and have a 3-week hiatus, it all unravels.
  Senator Baker was the majority leader when I first came to this body. 
I learned a great deal from Senator Baker. One of his famous 
statements--we were here at 11:30 one night. We were on the finance 
bill. There were 63 amendments pending. Senator Baker said, ``We're 
going to proceed and finish this bill because amendments, like 
mushrooms, grow overnight.'' We stayed through until 6:30 in the 
morning. We had some accepted. We had half a dozen votes. Many dropped 
by the wayside. We finished the bill.
  The dynamism in the U.S. Senate and the House is, if you do not push 
to get it through, it all unravels. We were on the verge of getting it 
through. I compliment our distinguished colleague, Senator Hatfield, 
for his prodigious work in shepherding this matter through and would 
note his consternation and amazement when he heard last night that we 
were going to have a continuing resolution. That was not known by the 
chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who was chairing the 
conference.
  I think it is very regrettable because, if we were going to have the 
time to present this bill on the floor today, or perhaps tomorrow--it 
would not be unheard of or out of line for us to work on a Saturday, 
even if it would mean a day less of the recess. That has happened 
before.
  These matters just do not coalesce until the very last minute. If 
there is more time for argument, more time for discussion, and more 
time for disagreement, when we finally work it out, it is an 
accommodation and a compromise. Nobody is really happy, and if you have 
more time to argue it some more, you expected to be in session last 
night until past midnight and then again today.
  With that pressure on, we were on the verge of having an omnibus 
appropriations bill, which I think would have concluded the matter. It 
is with considerable chagrin and considerable disappointment, speaking 
for myself, that we are not finishing. I think it is with considerable 
chagrin and considerable disappointment that the American people are 
watching the process and seeing April 1 come and seeing a bunch of 
``April fools'' in Washington, DC, at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, 
unable to get the matter done. There is a responsibility in both 
Houses, a bicameral responsibility, and a responsibility on both sides 
of the aisle--Republicans and Democrats are equally at fault--and 
responsibility at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, because there is no 
easy compromise and no meeting of the minds without an elaborate, 
inordinate thrashing process where the White House always wants more 
and some here always want less. We are on the verge of getting it done.

[[Page S3191]]

 I think it is very regrettable we did not conclude it.
  Mr. President, when we added the $2.7 billion included in the 
Specter-Harkin amendment, we were able to add to some very, very 
important programs on education--that is a priority, second to none--
and important matters on worker safety, important matters on Health and 
Human Services.
  I know my distinguished colleague from Rhode Island is on the floor 
waiting to speak, and I will not go through the detail which I would 
have. Sometimes on Friday afternoon at 1:30 there is nobody seeking 
recognition on the floor. Instead, I will have printed in the Record 
this chart which shows a comparison, a transition, as to where the 
appropriations process had been, how we made the additions, how we came 
to the accommodations and compromises, and finish within $20 million, 
which is a small fraction of the $2.7 billion, we came in $20 million 
under the $2.7 billion, and actually only $14 million, because a $6 
million addition was added by Congresswoman Pelosi on an education 
program, which I thought was fine.
  So we did the job. Regrettably, it is not altogether finished. 
Hopefully, a good part of this work will last, and we will be able to 
build on this when we come back, to finish this omnibus appropriations 
bill.
  There are a few outstanding matters on language and a few other 
outstanding issues, but I think they would have been resolved fairly 
quickly had the pressure been maintained to finish this, without the 
talk of a continuing resolution.
  I ask unanimous consent that this chart be printed at the conclusion 
of my remarks.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

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                                                                                                                                Conference,     Conference  3/    Conference,     Conference  3/
                                                            Fiscal year         House        Specter/Harkin       Senate      proposal,  3/27/    27/96 vs.     proposal,  3/28/    28/96 vs.   
                                                                1995                          floor amend.                           96             Senate             96             Senate    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labor:                                                                                                                                                                                          
    School to Work......................................        $122,500          $95,000          $91,000         $186,000          170,000          (16,000)         170,000          (16,000)
    Dislocated Workers..................................       1,228,550          867,000          333,000        1,200,000        1,100,000         (100,000)       1,100,000         (100,000)
    One-Stop Career Ctrs................................         100,000          125,000           18,000          110,000   ...............  ...............  ...............  ...............
    Summer Youth Jobs...................................         867,000                0          635,000          635,000          635,000                0          625,000          (10,000)
    Adult Training......................................         996,813          830,000          154,300          900,000          850,000          (50,000)         850,000          (50,000)
    OSHA................................................         311,660   ...............  ...............         289,000          289,000                0          289,000                0 
                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Total, Labor......................................       3,626,523        1,917,000        1,231,300        3,320,300        3,044,000         (166,000)       3,034,000         (176,000)
                                                         =======================================================================================================================================
HHS:                                                                                                                                                                                            
    HRSA:                                                                                                                                                                                       
        Consolidated Health Centers.....................         756,518          756,518   ...............         759,623          759,623   ...............         759,623                0 
        Natl Health Service Corps.......................         120,185          120,185   ...............         115,000          115,000                0          115,000                0 
        Health Professions..............................         278,977          278,977   ...............         235,669          260,162           24,493          260,162           24,493 
        Pediatric Emergency.............................          10,000           11,000   ...............          10,500           11,000              500           11,000              500 
        Ryan White, Title II............................         198,147          250,147   ...............         198,147          250,147           52,000          250,147           52,000 
        Health Care Facilities..........................          10,000           10,000   ...............          10,000           20,000           10,000           20,000           10,000 
    SAMHSA..............................................       2,180,668        1,883,715   ...............       1,800,469        1,859,146           58,677        1,859,146           58,677 
    AHCPR...............................................         135,290           94,186   ...............          65,390           94,186           28,796           94,186           28,796 
    HCFA Medicare Contractors...........................       1,604,171        1,604,171   ...............       1,584,767        1,604,171           19,404        1,604,171           19,404 
    ACF:                                                                                                                                                                                        
        Head Start......................................       3,534,129        3,397,429          136,700        3,534,129        3,570,129           36,000        3,570,129           36,000 
        Social Services BG..............................       2,800,000        2,520,000   ...............       2,310,000        2,420,000          110,000        2,311,000            1,000 
        Child Welfare Services..........................         291,989          277,389   ...............         268,629          277,389            8,760          277,389            8,760 
    Admin. on Aging:                                                                                                                                                                            
        AOA Research....................................          25,630                0   ...............           4,991            2,850           (2,141)           2,850           (2,141)
    HHS Office of the Secretary:                                                                                                                                                                
        HHS Gen'l Dept. Mgt.............................          88,150           96,439   ...............          96,439           98,439            2,000           98,439            2,000 
        Office of Minority Health.......................               0           27,000   ...............          20,000           27,000            7,000           27,000            7,000 
        Inspector General...............................          89,456           73,956   ...............          79,162           79,162                0           79,162                0 
                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Total, HHS....................................      12,123,310       11,401,112          136,700       11,092,915       11,448,404          355,489       11,339,404          246,489 
                                                         =======================================================================================================================================
Education:                                                                                                                                                                                      
    Goals 2000..........................................         371,870          362,000           60,000          350,000          350,000                0          350,000                0 
    Title I (Total).....................................       7,228,116        7,010,113          814,489        7,328,000        7,228,116          (99,884)       7,228,116           99,884 
        Basic Grants....................................      (5,968,235)      (5,405,895)        (700,228)      (5,960,089)      (5,792,897)  ...............      (5,968,235)  ...............
        Concentration Grants............................        (663,137)      (1,044,945)        (114,261)        (805,459)        (905,459)  ...............        (663,137)  ...............
        BIA Set-Aside...................................         (66,984)         (65,160)  ...............         (68,339)  ...............  ...............         (66,984)  ...............
    Drug Free Schools...................................         465,981          200,000          200,000          400,000          366,000          (34,000)         400,000                0 
    School to Work......................................         122,500           95,000           91,000          186,000          170,000          (16,000)         180,000           (6,000)
    Charter Schools.....................................           6,000            8,000            8,000           16,000           16,000                0           18,000            2,000 
    Ed. Technology......................................          22,500           25,000           10,000           35,000           48,000           13,000           48,000           13,000 
    Voc. Ed Basic Grants................................         972,750          890,000           82,750          972,750          953,105          (19,645)         972,750                0 
    Perkins Loans.......................................         158,000                0           58,000          158,000           75,000          (83,000)          93,297          (64,703)
    SSIG................................................          63,375           31,375           32,000           63,375           31,375          (32,000)          31,375          (32,000)
    Impact Aid..........................................         728,000          693,000   ...............         691,159          693,000            1,841          693,000            1,841 
    Bilingual Education.................................         206,700   ...............  ...............         150,000          167,000           17,000          175,000           25,000 
    Prison Literacy.....................................           5,100            4,346   ...............           5,100            4,723             (377)           4,723             (377)
    Pell Grants.........................................       6,178,680        5,423,331   ...............       4,814,000   ...............  ...............       4,967,446          153,446 
        Max Grant.......................................  ...............          (2,440)  ...............          (2,500)  ...............  ...............          (2,470)  ...............
    Howard University...................................         204,663          174,671   ...............         174,671          182,348            7,677          182,348            7,677 
    Ellender............................................           3,000                0   ...............           2,760            1,500           (1,260)           1,500           (1,260)
    Libraries...........................................         144,161          131,505   ...............         131,505          132,505            1,000          132,505            1,000 
                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Total, Education..................................      16,734,235       14,916,836        1,356,239       15,344,055       10,284,667         (245,388)      15,344,055                0 
                                                         =======================================================================================================================================
Related Agencies:                                                                                                                                                                               
    Corp Natl Comm Service..............................         214,624          196,270   ...............         201,294          198,393           (2,901)         198,393           (2,901)
    Fed Med Conciliation Service........................          31,344           32,896   ...............          32,396           32,896              500           32,896              500 
    Social Security Admin...............................       3,125,356        2,946,197   ...............       2,785,875        2,760,875          (25,000)       2,736,375          (49,500)
    Railroad Retirement Board...........................          90,816           90,816   ...............          89,094           89,955              861           89,955              861 
                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Total, Related Agencies...........................       3,462,140        3,266,179   ...............       3,108,659        3,082,119          (26,540)       3,057,619          (51,040)
                                                         =======================================================================================================================================
Scorekeeping Adjust:                                                                                                                                                                            
    1% Cap Perf. Awards.................................         (30,500)  ...............  ...............         (30,500)               0           30,500          (30,500)               0 
    Direct Loans Admin..................................  ...............  ...............  ...............         460,000   ...............  ...............         420,000          (40,000)
      Totals............................................      35,915,708       31,501,127        2,724,239       33,295,129       27,859,190          (51,939)      33,164,578          (20,551)
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  Mr. SPECTER. I yield the floor.

                          ____________________