[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 56 (Monday, April 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4358-S4359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONFERENCE AGREEMENT ON THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION, H.R. 3019

 Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I am pleased I was able to support 
the conference agreement on H.R. 3019, the 14th and final effort to 
provide FY 96 funding for the various agencies of the Federal 
Government, when it passed the Senate on April 25 by a vote of 88-11.
  After a long and wrenching struggle, Republicans and Democrats 
finally reached agreement on the remaining fiscal year 1996 
appropriations measures that will fund nine cabinet departments and 
dozens of agencies for the balance of this fiscal year. These 
appropriations bills were supposed to have been completed on September 
30 last year. Meanwhile more than half of the fiscal year has expired. 
Hopefully, the exercise we have gone through this appropriations 
cycle--14 continuing resolutions and 2 long government shutdowns--will 
not be repeated. It's time to get on with the business of Government 
and run it in a business-like manner.
  Overall, appropriations levels for fiscal year 1996 have been cut by 
$23 billion. That represents a significant downpayment on reaching a 
balanced budget over the next 7 years. The dispute concerning these 
bills was a struggle over priorities. The House bill, as originally 
passed, made cuts in programs that the President and many of us in 
Congress believe are critical to the long-term economic and social 
health of the Nation. While nobody received everything he or she wanted 
in this long-awaited conference agreement, I commend the conferees for 
moving significantly closer to the President's position by providing 
approximately $5.1 billion more than the House originally sought for 
education, job training, environmental protection, technology, and law 
enforcement. These increases, which I believe are essential investments 
in our future, have been fully offset with cuts in other accounts. The 
lack of certainty about Federal education funding levels was playing 
havoc with school systems throughout the country. I am pleased that 
they will now be able to accurately plan their budgets and sign teacher 
contracts for the next school year.
  I would also like to commend the conferees for their efforts to 
eliminate

[[Page S4359]]

most of the extraneous legislative riders in the bill. Under the 
conference agreement, the President was given the authority to waive 
implementation of these riders, most of which are attempts to weaken 
our environmental laws and regulations. Knowing the strong commitment 
that the President and Vice President have to protecting our 
environment, I am quite certain that the President will exercise his 
authority to ensure that these riders are not implemented. These 
legislative restrictions have no place on an appropriations bill to 
begin with. More importantly, they seriously undermine our commitment 
to ensure a healthy and safe environment for our children. Every poll 
indicates that the public expects the Government to be the public 
steward of our precious natural resources--our public lands, our air, 
and our water. That stewardship must not be abandoned.
  This bill also addresses critical local issues. As all of my 
colleagues know, flooding in the Devils Lake Basin continues to pose 
serious problems for residents and businesses in North Dakota. Just 
this week, Devils Lake reached another 120-year high level and the lake 
is expected to rise by an additional two feet next June or July. When 
the lake rose to its current level last July, it caused $50 million in 
damages to roads and public and private property in the area. Similar 
damages are expected this year.
  Because of this serious situation, during the Senate's original 
consideration of this measure, Senator Conrad and I proposed two 
amendments to mitigate the flooding problems at Devils Lake. Those 
amendments were adopted by the full Senate. The first amendment added 
$10 million to the Economic Development Administration budget for 
hazard mitigation assistance in the form of road raises and water 
storage on private lands in the Devils Lake Basin. The second amendment 
provided an additional $2.8 million to the Fish and Wildlife Service 
for water storage and for necessary repairs on their already damaged 
lands in the Devils Lake area. The House bill had no similar 
provisions.
  I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, 
particularly Senators Hatfield, Byrd, Hollings, Gorton and Gregg, for 
ensuring that the bulk of the money provided in our floor amendments 
was retained in conference. While there are no earmarks in the 
conference agreement, the statement of managers report makes clear that 
the Fish and Wildlife Service should give every consideration to the 
needs at Devils Lake in allocating the $38.9 million in additional 
disaster relief funding made available to that agency in the conference 
agreement.
  The total pot of disaster funding in the bill for the Economic 
Development Administration--$18 million--is made available for 
disasters in the Pacific Northwest and for other disasters nationwide, 
so North Dakota will have to compete with other States for that money. 
Senator Conrad and I intend to work closely with the administration to 
ensure that Devils Lake receives its fair share of that funding. If we 
successful, we can take preventive measures to mitigate the anticipated 
flooding in the Devils Lake Basin this summer, and significantly reduce 
future Federal and State disaster assistance outlays.
  While this is not a perfect agreement, it's a good compromise, and I 
am pleased that the overwhelming majority of my colleagues supported 
it.

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