[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 82 (Thursday, June 12, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           WHY THE PRESIDENT VETOED THE DISASTER RELIEF BILL

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, the reason the President vetoed the flood 
relief bill was because he wants to have the ability to shut the 
Government down. We put in a provision that said that if we cannot 
reach an agreement, we will continue Government. We will continue it at 
fiscal year 1997 levels.
  But no, that was not good enough for him. He wants to shut the 
Government down. The President wants to shut the Government down. The 
President wants to shut the Government down, and that is why he vetoed 
the disaster relief bill, not because of us, like the Congress wanted 
to shut the Government down. It is the President. We had a provision to 
prevent it from happening, and he simply wanted to say I want the right 
to shut the Government down and blame Congress, like he did last year, 
in 1995 and 1996. It is very simple.
  Once the truth is out and people understand it, they will understand 
why we want to continue the Government, we want to preserve what is 
going on. It is very simple. The President wants to shut the Government 
down.

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