[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 59 (Thursday, May 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2427-H2428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DISASTER ASSISTANCE NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. STEARNS). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from South Dakota [Mr. Thume] is recognized for 5 
minutes.

[[Page H2428]]

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, I am very disturbed by what has been going on 
around here lately. We have a disaster bill that is awaiting action by 
this body, but it is getting bogged down by all kinds of shenanigans, 
every shenanigan known to man. Granted, a supplemental appropriations 
bill always ends up being a Christmas tree that everybody tries to hang 
their favorite ornament on, but in the meantime we have people who are 
desperately in need of assistance.
  I have seen in my home State of South Dakota and the States of North 
Dakota and Minnesota the displaced families, the devastated homes and 
businesses, the dead livestock, some 200,000 in my State alone. I have 
seen the roads and bridges that have been obliterated by this year's 
weather. If we are going to help these people, then let us get on with 
it. Construction season in my State is very short. We have a limited 
amount of time to get the work done that is necessary to get our people 
back on their feet.
  I would be the first one in this body to admit that we have a budget 
process that is broken. In fact I am willing to lead the charge to fix 
it. An automatic continuing resolution has been suggested as a possible 
solution. I am the cosponsor of a bill that I think is a better 
solution, a budget reform act that would change the 1974 Budget Act and 
make it workable. But I do not think this is the time or the place to 
have a discussion about this issue. We are going to have an automatic 
continuing resolution. It may be good policy, but it is bad timing.
  I would suggest to this body that the people of my home State of 
South Dakota--and those like them in North Dakota and Minnesota and 
around this country who have been affected by disasters and are waiting 
the assistance that is in this disaster package--deserve to have that 
assistance. I am getting tired of all the games that are being played, 
the political games. We have loaded up this bill to the point that we 
cannot even recognize it anymore.
  The supplemental appropriations bill has desperately needed disaster 
assistance in it, and I think that it is high time that we took the 
action that is necessary to move the disaster bill forward through the 
House. The bill came out of the Senate today. Let's get it to 
conference and get the assistance to the people who really need it. If 
we do not do that, the people who have been affected by this disaster 
are going to be the real losers.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to move quickly and decisively next 
week to see that we in a very expeditious way get disaster assistance 
in the hands of the people in our States who are desperately in need of 
assistance.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. THUNE. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to comment on the gentleman's 
statement, as I just spoke about Federal employees. Obviously the 
shutdown of Government which the continuing resolution to which he 
speaks attempts to preclude that from happening, but I want to join the 
gentleman in his remarks that getting this disaster relief and getting 
this bill to the President as soon as possible ought to be our 
priority. Then he and I and others who want to make sure that the 
Federal Government does stay in operation so that not only employees 
but, as important if not more important, those who government serves 
are not adversely affected, will continue. But I agree with the 
gentleman that we ought to stop trying to load up this supplemental and 
move it as quickly as possible. I hope the gentleman's efforts are 
successful in that regard.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from Maryland 
that I very much want to avert any future Government shutdowns. This is 
not the appropriate vehicle to deal with that.

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