[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3610, 
  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1997, AND PASSAGE OF H.R. 
          4278, OMNIBUS CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1997

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                               speech of

                      HON. WILLIAM F. CLINGER, JR.

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, September 28, 1996

  Mr. CLINGER. Mr. Speaker, I make these brief remarks to explain the 
provisions of section 631 of the Treasury, Postal Service and General 
Government Appropriations Act, 1997 which were incorporated in the 
Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997 and which were made a 
part of that bill at my suggestion. At hearings held this spring before 
the committee I chair, the House Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight, it was disclosed that several Federal agencies had engaged 
in significant lobbying activities, using appropriated funds, designed 
to affect the outcome of legislation pending before the Congress. It 
also became apparent that existing statutory restrictions on the use of 
appropriated funds for lobbying activities were ineffective in 
controlling agency lobbying. The conferees have, therefore, agreed to 
language which would apply a governmentwide limit on agency lobbying.
  The statutory language contains two prohibitions on the use of 
appropriated funds. The first applies to grassroots lobbying in which 
agencies make both express and indirect appeals to the public to 
contact Members of Congress in support of or opposition to pending 
legislation. The second applies more broadly to the preparation, 
distribution or use of specified types of publications designed to 
foster support or oppose pending legislation. Following enactment of 
this prohibition, which is similar to prohibitions found for a number 
of years in the Labor-HHS and Interior appropriations bills, all 
Federal agencies receiving appropriated funds will be subject to a 
uniform set of restrictions.

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