[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS ACT AND 
                       OTHER APPROPRIATIONS BILLS

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I want to take just a few minutes of the 
Senate's time to comment upon the passage of Senate bill 1061, the 
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act.
  During the 104th Congress, the bill from this subcommittee was the 
center of political controversy between the Congress and the White 
House, and within the Senate itself. We did not succeed in passing a 
bill as a separate measure for these functions in the 104th Congress.
  Thursday's vote of 91 to 8 sent a clear signal of the Senate's 
support for the leadership shown by Senators Specter and Harkin. They 
crafted a bill that emerged from our Appropriations Committee 
unanimously.
  The statement of administration policy raised a few differences, but 
it indicated strong bipartisan support for this bill. The most 
contentious votes we have faced this year on appropriations bills were 
on the Labor, Health and Human Services bill.
  Despite the strong feelings generated by those issues, the debate was 
fair. The entire Senate came together to pass the bill, and sent the 
unambiguous message that I referred to--we want to see this bill 
enacted this year.
  Supporting the work of the subcommittee has been an extremely 
experienced and effective staff. Craig Higgins serves as clerk of the 
subcommittee. He is joined by Marsha Simon, who assists Senator Harkin 
as the minority clerk. Bettilou Taylor, Dale Cabaniss, Lula Edwards, 
and Carole Geagley round out the subcommittee staff.
  I commend not only the chairman and ranking member but all of the 
staff for the hard work and the effort they put into preparing the bill 
in a fashion that received such strong, strong support in the 
committee, and from the Senate.
  We eagerly now await the passage of that bill by the House, so we can 
have the conference commence and get the bill to the President prior to 
September 30, I hope.
  I also report to the Senate that the Agriculture and legislative 
conferences are proceeding. We should have those bills from conference 
today.
  We have just passed a military construction bill.
  We have in conference the Department of Defense conference which had 
its first meeting yesterday.
  The VA-HUD bill, the Energy bill, the foreign ops bill, and 
Transportation--we expect, Mr. President, all of those will be out of 
conference early next week.
  That will leave us five bills to still finish.
  The District of Columbia bill has not passed the Senate yet, nor the 
House.
  We have before us now, under the guidance of the Senator from 
Washington [Mr. Gorton], the Interior bill. We expect it to be finished 
here this week and go to conference and, hopefully, come back to the 
Senate next week.
  As I have said, the Labor, Health and Human Services bill, the House 
needs to pass that. We hope it will get to it soon. That will leave us 
the Commerce, State, Justice bill, and the Treasury bill--all of which, 
Mr. President, it is still our goal to try and get them to the 
President by the 30th of September.
  Mr. President, it will mean perhaps, though, we will have to have 
still a continuing resolution to give the President the time that he 
needs to review all of these bills. I am hopeful that the House will 
send us a continuing resolution--a clean continuing resolution--
sometime early next week.
  I commend the Senator from Washington on this bill. I am hopeful the 
Senate will work with us to make sure that this bill is finished here 
today, if it is at all possible.
  I thank the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who seeks time?
  Mr. STEVENS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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