[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3668-H3669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN AND OPERATING

  (Mr. SMITH of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Let me give Members my ideas why the President 
does not like the provision in the disaster relief bill that would 
continue Government operations at 100 percent of the previous year's 
level if for some reason an appropriation was not passed into law. It 
is because if the President passes that provision, he feels he cannot 
force Congress to put in those increases in appropriation bills that he 
would like to have. He found out in the last 2 years that he can win in 
deciding how much to spend on social programs

[[Page H3669]]

by vetoing appropriation bills and close down Government. He has 
learned and he thinks he knows that with the help of the liberal press 
he can spin this politically so he can demand any spending he wants out 
of Congress in those appropriation bills and simply say, ``If you don't 
put in those appropriation bills that I, the President, want, then I'm 
going to veto it and any government close-down is going to be the 
Republicans fault.
  If worse comes to worse, it is reasonable to keep Government open and 
operating at 100 percent of the previous year's level, and not let the 
President of the United States take over the spending responsibility of 
the legislative branch and dictate to Congress what is going to be in 
those appropriation bills.

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