[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3640-H3641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  STOP THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this evening I would like to 
talk about the battle of the bulge, or maybe it is a battle with the 
bulge. That is the emergency supplemental appropriations legislation 
that the Republicans seem to think will play politics with the lives of 
thousands and thousands and thousands of citizens in the Dakotas, 
Minnesota, and California, and 29 other States ravaged by flooding and 
other natural disasters.
  Coming from the State of Texas, we well know the tragedy of natural 
disasters, whether it is hurricanes or floods or tornadoes. Most States 
in this Nation have had their share. Therefore, it seems much more than 
a crisis, but a literal shame that the Republicans have decided to play 
politics with a simple act, and that is, show them the money and get 
them the money. That is the call, and that is what we need to be doing 
in the U.S. Congress.
  It is interesting that I stand here on June 10, 1997, for it was on 
March 19, 1997, that the President sent to this Congress, almost 3 
months ago, the need for emergency disaster assistance and urged this 
Congress to act promptly. There is no hardness or difficulty to this 
legislative act. It is simply to pass an emergency supplemental 
appropriations bill that will provide $5.8 billion of much-needed 
assistance to people hard-hit and hit in the pocketbook, if you will.
  In addition, it included $1.8 billion for the Department of Defense 
in related efforts for our peacekeeping needs in Bosnia and Southwest 
Asia. But yet, rather than send a clean supplemental appropriations 
bill, this Congress decided to load it down with ill-advised and 
unnecessary pieces of legislation.
  For example, rather than emphasizing the need of those individuals 
over and over again by passing this clean supplemental appropriations 
bill, we would find in this particular legislative package the battle 
of the bulge. We would find elimination of the ability to use sampling 
in the census.
  Someone might ask, why is that relevant? Why are we even having that 
in legislation without full discussion and

[[Page H3641]]

understanding whether that is a positive or a negative? Frankly, that 
is a good question, because in fact it has been clearly shown that 
sampling is an accepted method of creating the census. Politics again, 
allegations that sampling benefits one group over the other, Democrats 
versus Republicans, and yet the real question is providing the dollars 
for those who are in need in the Dakotas and Minnesota, California, and 
29 other States.
  What else is in here? Questions under the Department of Justice, 
issues dealing with the environment. One would wonder why that was in 
there, and other matters that are extraneous to the actual needs of 
these citizens.
  I would simply say that time is now overdue for clearly responding to 
the President's veto. He is serious. But more important, he cares about 
those, and we care about those who are in need of money to pursue the 
cleanup, the rebuilding, the rebuilding of lives and families. All we 
have to do is simply respond to the President's request, simple request 
coming 3 months ago: Pass a clean emergency supplemental appropriations 
bill. Stop taking away the ounce of prevention program, a program that 
helps communities work together to eliminate crime. Stop taking away 
money from the peacekeepers, the men and women in Bosnia who have given 
their lives for this country. Stop interfering with the environment by 
trying to undercut an environmental process with the Department of the 
Interior. Stop interfering with the Department of Defense with the 
dual-use technologies. All of these issues are in an emergency 
supplemental bill when all we want is the money for these people to 
rebuild their communities.
  I would simply say it is time now to stop the politics and act 
quickly, swiftly, certainly more so than we have done over these last 3 
months. Bring back a clean emergency supplemental appropriations bill. 
Let us deal with the people forthrightly in those areas that are in 
need, and then, if we must, have legislative discussions and hearings 
relevant to these other aspects of this bill, but let us stop the 
battle of the bulge, cut the fat and get down to the bottom line, serve 
the people who are in need and pass the emergency supplemental 
appropriations bill.

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