[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 64 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H4755-H4756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 1296, PROVIDING FOR ADMINISTRATION OF 
                      CERTAIN PRESIDIO PROPERTIES

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take 
from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1296) to provide for the 
administration of certain Presidio properties at minimal cost to the 
Federal taxpayer, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the 
Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alaska?
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, 
and I do not intend to object, but I would like to take a moment to 
engage the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young], the chairman of the 
committee, in a colloquy.
  My concern, and I think the concern of others, is that recognizing 
that in both the House and Senate there has been strong bipartisan 
support for the underlying bill of the Presidio, but as is sometimes 
true to their nature, the Senate has added some 34 unrelated titles to 
the bill, some of which have not had hearings in our committee. That 
traditionally has opened the door for others who seek to have the same 
courtesy extended to them to add bills when we are in conference.
  Mr. Speaker, my concern is that hopefully there will be some ground 
rules to the controversy of those items that might be added. I think 
most of the items currently in either the Senate or in the House bill 
are essentially noncontroversial. My concern is that as people start to 
see that this bill has a chance to leave the Congress and go to the 
President, more and more people will want to jump in the boat here, and

[[Page H4756]]

we will start taking on water, and all of a sudden we will find out 
this boat cannot handle it.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. MILLER of California. I yield to the gentleman from Alaska.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I will say that I have been one 
that knows just about how much hay a team of mules can pull. I am not 
going to say that we are not going to add a little bit to what the 
mules are pulling now.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, that is the gentleman's 
prerogative.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I want to suggest respectfully that whatever 
happens, the gentleman will be in on the conference. It is my intention 
to see that the Presidio bill becomes a reality, but I cannot say that 
we will not add a few more straws to this wagonload that I hope the 
gentleman might see the wisdom of accepting, and where we disagree, I 
am confident that with the Senate side, we may not reach that point 
where they will be added, but I cannot say what will and will not be 
added to this wagonload, and it is a wagonload.
  Most of those parts of hay have already been voted on in this House. 
There are a couple on the Senate side that were not, but have great 
interest to House Members on this side, and we have been reviewing each 
one of those that have been added. There may be a couple of others that 
we would like to solve a problem with on this side which I am sure the 
gentleman will support. Some he may not be too happy with.

                              {time}  1830

  But we are going to talk about that.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
comments, and I am sure that the threshold will not be whether I am 
happy or not but we will try to determine another one. As many Members 
of the Congress are aware of the gentleman's past employment record as 
a river boat captain, I am sure he will understand that there is some 
point at which we cannot take on additional baggage without running 
aground here.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of that. As an old 
river boat captain, I have never been on a sandbar yet. I know how to 
read the water. I know how fast the current is, and I know where I am 
going. Just help me out and we will get there together.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I am feeling happier already.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of 
objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boehner). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Alaska? The Chair hears none and, without 
objection, appoints the following conferees: Messrs. Young of Alaska; 
Hansen; Allard; and Hayworth; Mrs. Cubin; and Messrs. Miller of 
California; Richardson; and Vento.
  There was no objection.

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