[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 46 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION TO ENACT LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS 
                                  LAST

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                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 17, 1997

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution to 
ensure that the legislative branch appropriations bill is the last 
appropriations bill we enact. My resolution would amend the rules of 
the House to postpone final action on legislative branch appropriations 
for any fiscal year until all other regular appropriations for that 
fiscal year have been enacted. By doing so, we would both avert another 
shutdown and restore responsibility to the appropriations process.
  This resolution adds new points of order under House rules governing 
appropriations to prohibit final action on the regular legislative 
branch appropriations bill unless all other regular appropriations 
bills for the fiscal year are enacted. Similarly, a continuing 
resolution could not contain legislative branch appropriations unless 
it also included continuing appropriations for the same period for all 
other regular appropriations bills not already signed into law.
  Unless all other appropriations bills were signed into law, this 
means that there could not be final action on the conference report for 
legislative branch appropriations. It would not preclude the 
Appropriations Committee or the House from considering the legislative 
branch appropriations bill before other bills; the House simply could 
not vote on final passage of a conference report, a motion on a Senate 
amendment or a continuing resolution, if we have not first, or 
concurrently, provided appropriations for the other twelve bills.
  This resolution would demonstrate our commitment to govern 
responsibly and to put the American people before ourselves. By 
enacting our own funding bill last, we may be more likely to find 
common ground on the other bills and to avert another Government 
shutdown. We must never again shut down the Federal Government; it 
devastated our constituents who depend on Government services, our 
Federal employees, contractors and their families, and our communities. 
By linking our own funding to the enactment of all appropriations 
bills, we would ensure that we would take our responsibility seriously 
and work to find common ground.
  During the November 1995 shutdown, Congress made the mistake of 
passing the fiscal year 1996 legislative branch appropriations bill 
before taking care of all of the other bills. The President vetoed it--
not because of its content, but because of its timing. When it was 
enacted later that year, legislators lost that extra motivation to 
negotiate the remaining bills during the prolonged Government 
shutdown--after all, their salaries and their staffs were secured.
  I encourage my colleagues to join Representative Tom Davis and me in 
putting the American people first. Please help me to ensure that before 
we pay ourselves, we meet our obligations to take care of Government 
agencies and the public that we are here to serve.

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