[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3644-H3646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PASS THE EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maine [Mr. Allen] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, a few moments ago I told my wife I was coming

[[Page H3645]]

to this Chamber to talk on the supplemental appropriations bill. And 
she said, why do they not just pass a clean supplemental bill? Why do 
they not do it? There are flood victims out there who are waiting for 
relief. Why do they not do it?
  I think that those who have been following this issue over the last 
few weeks are asking the same question. Why do we not have a clean 
supplemental appropriations bill? Because clearly there are people in 
need.
  The Republican leadership's failure to pass a clean supplemental 
appropriations bill has today prompted a Presidential veto. It is not 
surprising. The President made his position perfectly clear. That 
Presidential veto is denying our people at home the resources they need 
to rebuild their lives. Moreover, it is denying our troops in the field 
the resources they need to carry out their mission. The supplemental 
appropriations bill provides $5.8 billion to individuals in 33 States 
hard-hit by disasters. It also provides $1.8 billion to peacekeeping 
efforts in Bosnia and southwest Asia.
  Eighty-three days ago, that is when the President asked this Congress 
for a disaster relief bill, 83 days ago. Since then the Republican 
leadership has been persistent in forging ahead with a relief bill that 
is so loaded down with extraneous and harmful positions that frankly 
that guaranteed the veto. I do not believe that many people around this 
country understand that position. Why are we loading up this bill?
  I can guarantee you, I do not think a disaster relief bill, if it 
came to this House pure and clean, disaster relief only, it would pass 
without a single dissenting vote. The Members in this Chamber want 
disaster relief. Civic leaders from Grand Forks, ND, and East Grand 
Forks, MN, and from numerous other communities have cried out that 
disaster relief is critical and that every day a disaster bill is not 
enacted is one more day that Americans are denied the necessary 
resources to rebuild their communities.
  I am also holding letters here from Secretary of Defense Cohen and 
the Chiefs of Staff of the Army and the Air Force which describe the 
effects on the military of the Republicans' failure to pass a clean 
bill. Training is curtailed. Maintenance is delayed. Rotations are 
canceled. Inventories are drained. Our soldiers, sailors, marines, and 
airmen need a clean supplemental bill.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a time for partisan politics and a time to set 
it aside. But when Americans are hit by a natural disaster, we must act 
together and act quickly. The American people and American troops need 
our support. We must do our job, and we must do it today. Let us pass a 
clean supplemental appropriations bill to support our troops in Bosnia 
and our people at home.
  There are two provisions I want to mention quickly in that bill that 
ought to be stricken. One is a provision that would prevent, 
permanently would prevent the U.S. Census Bureau from using statistical 
sampling in trying to determine how many people in the year 2000 live 
in this great country. Statistical sampling. Everyone in this Chamber 
knows what that means. Every one of us do polling. Every one of us 
knows that you cannot find out how many people live in a community by 
knocking on doors and counting. It is a very inefficient way to do it. 
You need something else, and statistical sampling is the way to go and 
do it.
  The Department of Justice under the Carter administration, under the 
Bush administration, under the Clinton administration has made it clear 
that statistical sampling is constitutional and appropriate as a way of 
determining the size of the population.
  Second, there is another provision in here that needs to go. That is 
a provision that sounds good on its face, which would prevent a 
Government shutdown, but in fact it removes the incentive for this 
Congress to pass a budget. We do not need another obstacle to passing a 
budget. We need to get down to business and do it.
  Mr. Speaker, to delay any longer is irresponsible. Playing with other 
people's lives is wrong. I urge my colleagues to pass a clean disaster 
relief bill. Only a clean bill will provide the disaster relief 
necessary and the resources our troops need in Bosnia and southwest 
Asia in order to do their jobs. Eighty-three days ago the President 
asked us for disaster relief and we passed a bill that was guaranteed 
to draw a veto. It is time to get serious, time to pass a clean bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the following:

                                      Department of the Air Force,


                                 Office of the Chief of Staff,

                                     Washington, DC, June 3, 1997.
     Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense

     From: HQ USAF/CC, 1670 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 
         20330-1670

     Subject: FY97 DoD Contingency Supplemental

       I understand that quick passage of the Supplemental may be 
     in jeopardy. The purpose of this memorandum is to make you 
     aware of the impacts of delayed passage (beyond June) on Air 
     Force day-to-day operations.
       The Air Force is currently cash flowing over $700 million 
     in support of Bosnia and SWA operations. We are doing so out 
     of third and fourth quarter funding but are fast running out 
     of flexibility and must soon take very dramatic action to 
     avoid incurring an anti-deficiency in our O&M appropriation. 
     On or about 1 July, Air Force commanders must begin taking 
     the following kinds of actions:
       Severely curtail or cease non-flying training--skill and 
     proficiency levels reduced, e.g., weapons maintenance.
       Severely curtail or cease flying training--squadrons and 
     wings stand down--aircrew readiness degraded.
       Cease all non-mission critical travel.
       Defer further depot maintenance inductions--aircraft 
     grounded.
       Terminate benchstock fills--aircraft spares and consumables 
     inventories drained.
       Park non-mission critical vehicles.
       Place moratoriums on all but safety related facility 
     maintenance, including runway repair.
       Impose civilian hiring freezes.
       I know you are aware of the importance of this issue. We 
     are well beyond the point where we can avoid serious 
     disruption to Air Force operations if there is no 
     supplemental. Timing is now critical.
                                               Ronald R. Fogleman,
     General, USAF, Chief of Staff.
                                  ____

                                                        U.S. Army,


                                           The Chief of Staff,

                                     Washington, DC, June 3, 1997.
     Hon. William S. Cohen,
     Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Secretary: I need your assistance in expediting 
     the Bosnia Supplemental currently on the Hill. In early 
     April, I advised Congress that in the absence of supplemental 
     funding or the clear assurance that such funding would be 
     forthcoming, I would be forced to begin actions in early May 
     that would result in a degradation of readiness. I have not 
     initiated the panned actions to deal with the lack of 
     supplemental funding because the progress made had convinced 
     me that supplemental funding would be forthcoming.
       Recent developments indicate passage of the supplemental 
     may be at risk. This puts the Army in the position of having 
     to provide fourth quarter resource allocation to the field 
     without having supplemental funding in hand. We have a fiscal 
     responsibility to ensure that the allocation of fourth 
     quarter resources is done within current limitations. There 
     are several actions presently under consideration to cope 
     with this situation. Each will have direct readiness and 
     quality of life implications. Actions include the 
     cancellation of Army participation in JCS exercises, Combat 
     Training Center (CTR) rotations, home station training, 
     weapons qualification training, and the deferral of some real 
     property and depot maintenance. Some of these actions could 
     carry over into the next fiscal year. For example, canceling 
     home station training in the fourth quarter of this fiscal 
     year could impact on CTC rotations in the first quarter of FY 
     1998.
       We continue to monitor the supplemental very closely. As 
     the situation develops, the Army will initiate any and all 
     actions necessary to train and operate within the means 
     available to us.
           Very Respectfully,
                                                 Dennis J. Reiner,
     General, U.S. Army, Chief of Staff.
                                  ____



                                     The Secretary of Defense,

                                                   Washington, DC.
     Hon. C. W. Bill Young,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security, Committee on 
         Appropriations, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Bill: I want to thank you for your action to date on 
     the FY 1997 Bosnia/Southwest Asia Supplemental request, but I 
     want to share with you my concern and that of the Service 
     Chiefs about the impact on operations and training if the 
     supplemental is not approved soon.
       In my testimony and discussions with Congress, I have 
     emphasized the need for early action on the supplemental. 
     Based on its likely passage by Memorial Day, few actions were 
     taken by the Department to offset supplemental costs. 
     However, since our request was not approved last month, the 
     Chiefs of Staff of the Army and the Air Force have renewed 
     their concern over the possibility of delayed passage of the 
     supplemental. I have enclosed copies of recent memoranda from 
     them. To ensure that their overall operations are properly 
     funded, the Chiefs have indicated that they cannot risk being 
     left

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     with no options for funding Bosnia/Southwest Asia costs if 
     the supplemental is delayed much longer.
       I remain hopeful that quick action can be taken on the 
     supplemental to preclude the disruptive impact to the 
     Department's programs, especially those related to 
     maintaining our readiness capability.
           Sincerely,
     Bill.

                          ____________________