[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7741-H7754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2209, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1998

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 238 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.


                             Point of order

  Mr. HINCHEY. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York [Mr. Hinchey] 
will state his point of order.
  Mr. HINCHEY. My point of order, Mr. Speaker, is that the House is 
currently being operated in a disorderly fashion.
  Mr. McINNIS. That is not a point of order.
  Mr. HINCHEY. The propensity of the majority to schedule long hiatuses 
day after day in the middle of the proceedings in order that some 
Members may socialize betrays not just a lack of consideration----
  Mr. McINNIS. Regular order.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Of the Members, but it betrays also a deep-seated----
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, regular order.
  Mr. HINCHEY. The House is being operated in a disorderly manner.
  Mr. McINNIS. Regular order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has not stated a 
proper point of order.
  The gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] is recognized.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 238 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 238

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to consider the conference report to accompany the 
     bill (H.R. 2209) making appropriations for the Legislative 
     Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and for 
     other purposes. All points of order against the conference 
     report and against its consideration are waived.


[[Page H7742]]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall], pending 
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration 
of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate 
only.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 238 is a straightforward resolution. 
The proposed bill waives all points of order against the conference 
report and against its consideration. This resolution was reported out 
of the Committee on Rules by a voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, this appropriation bill, which provides the funds for 
operations of the House, the Senate, and entities such as the Library 
of Congress, often serves as a lightning rod for partisan conflicts. 
However, during the course of the debate on House Resolution 238 I hope 
Members will keep in mind that we are debating a simple, plain vanilla, 
rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] explained, 
this resolution is a rule waiving all points of order against the 
conference report to accompany H.R. 2209, a bill making appropriations 
for the legislative branch for fiscal year 1998.
  The bill appropriates a total of $2.2 billion for the operations of 
Congress and other agencies in the legislative branch. This amount is a 
modest 2-percent higher than last year's appropriation.
  Too often consideration of the legislative branch funding bill 
becomes an opportunity to criticize Congress. However, I want to take 
this opportunity to point out our achievements. Congress is the most 
responsive agency in the Federal Government. More than any other 
agency, we are the ones who can act immediately to solve problems and 
make changes.
  As the Federal Government expanded over the past two decades, 
Congress kept down the increase in its spending. The men and women who 
make up the Members and staff of this institution are honorable, they 
are hard-working public servants dedicated to making the country a 
better place.
  This year we approved a plan to balance the budget, and this is an 
achievement that will be a lasting contribution to future generations 
of Americans. So as we take up the bill to fund Congress, I want to 
emphasize that this is money well spent for the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, the rule was approved by the Committee on Rules on a 
voice vote with no objections. I urge adoption of the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Miller].
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, today, we are dealing with a rule on legislative 
appropriations for the House of Representatives. I rise to speak on 
this rule because I am also deeply concerned that while we are dealing 
with the funding of the formal operations of the Congress of the United 
States in terms of the nuts and bolts that keep this place going from 
year to year, I am deeply concerned that we are not addressing another 
problem of funding of the Congress of the United States. That is the 
manner in which Members of Congress fund their campaigns.
  Somehow we are able to deal with those provisions of law that deal 
with the paper clips, the pencils, the paper, the notebooks, and 
everything else that goes into the Congress of the United States, but 
what we are not able to deal with is the issue of how we fund our 
campaigns, how Members of Congress get here and how Members of Congress 
stay here.
  We now are witnessing across the entire Government of the United 
States, except for the House of Representatives, a commitment to debate 
and to propose campaign finance reform. The President of the United 
States has called for that. In fact, over 2 years ago, he shook hands 
with the Speaker of the House. Yesterday, he sent a letter to the 
Senate saying he would expect the Senate and would keep the Senate in 
session if a proper debate could not be had on campaign finance reform. 
Senator Daschle closed the Senate down yesterday, and finally Senator 
Lott agreed that they would in fact schedule a full and open debate on 
campaign finance reform measures in the Senate.
  Yet, we have had no response, in spite of bipartisan letters, in 
spite of calls from Members of the Republican Caucus, in spite of 
letters from the Democrats, in spite of a handshake with the President 
of the United States, an appeal by the President of the United States 
for campaign finance reform in a State of the Union Message, we have 
had no response except ``no'' from the Republican leadership of the 
House.
  A far more serious question than the formal funding that this 
resolution makes in order in the legislative appropriations bill is the 
informal funding that goes on around here. We are now seeing the 
influence of soft money on the decisionmaking process within the 
Congress of the United States, how bills are scheduled, how amendments 
are scheduled, how bills are not scheduled and how amendments are not 
scheduled.
  What we have learned in the hearings in the Senate is that soft money 
is about access; it is about access to committee chairmen, it is about 
access to the President of the United States, it is about access to the 
Vice President of the United States, it is about access to the 
leadership in the House and the Senate.
  Letters go out on almost a monthly basis saying, if you give us 
$10,000 or $25,000, you can sit down with the chairman of your choice, 
the committee chairman of your choice of jurisdiction where you have 
legislation, you can have a private meeting, a private dinner, a 
private lunch.
  That is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. That is the funding we 
should be discussing in the House of Representatives. But to date, 
unfortunately, in spite of all the public record that has been 
displayed, we are unable to address campaign finance reform.


                Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would advise Members they should 
not refer to debate on actions or inactions of the other body.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett].
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, the rule that we are considering at this 
time concerns legislative appropriations and the expenditure of $2.2 
billion of taxpayer money. But the American people should not labor 
under the misassumption that that is the only money involved in the 
operation of this body. The $2.2 billion pays for the actual operations 
of all aspects of this body. But a considerable additional amount of 
money is involved in what brings each Member of this body here to spend 
the $2.2 billion. That is, the hundreds of a million dollars that are 
being spent in the campaigns that bring Members to this legislative 
branch where that $2.2 billion is involved.

                              {time}  1215

  This morning we have had a series of votes. We have had a series of 
objections. And undoubtedly, there are some Members of this body who 
view those as inconvenient, as troublesome. But I would emphasize that 
they are about very serious, substantive matters.
  Unlike the other body, it is not possible under the rules of this 
House, under the rule that is being debated here this morning, for us 
to offer an amendment on campaign finance reform. Our hands are 
completely tied behind our backs in this House, unlike the other body, 
and our ability to come to this floor and say let us have a simple and 
direct ban on soft money which is being used to soften up the political 
leadership in this House, the corrupting influence of soft money, we 
cannot come forward and simply offer an amendment to this rule or to 
this bill to accomplish that objective. And, so, the only way to focus 
the attention of the American people on this issue is with the types of 
motions and objections that are being made, not out of any frivolity, 
indeed because they go to the heart of our democracy and the way that 
democracy is being corrupted by the soft money system.
  We are in the course, given the total stonewall we have, even after 
the

[[Page H7743]]

President says he will call this Congress back into special session, 
even after half the road is cleared thanks to the leadership of the 
minority leader and the Senate committees are stopped, even after all 
that we are told no vote, no consideration even of Republican proposals 
to deal with this campaign finance issue.
  All that we can do is go to the Speaker and say it is going to take 
him more time not to consider campaign finance reform than it would to 
consider campaign finance reform and let all of these proposals come 
forward. The freshmen Members, in a bipartisan basis, say ban soft 
money, do something about these problems. There are Members of the 
Republican side and of the Democratic side who have ideas to advance. 
But the Speaker's response is, we do not need less money in our 
campaigns. We need more, more campaign ads, more television ads.
  This bill deals with one part of the legislative process. But anyone 
who watches this process knows that it is much more than the $2.2 
billion; it is the influence peddling going on outside; it is the 
``yield right of way'' sign yielding to the special interests that 
influence this operation.
  Today we have a chance to begin to change that, and that is why we 
will have more motions and more votes and more action, because we 
cannot let this matter be delayed. This is our last chance to influence 
the cleanup of the 1998 elections.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I find the comments somewhat interesting from the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett] and from the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Miller].
  First of all, I note, with some interest, that both of the gentlemen 
have voted twice today to adjourn the House. I understand that there is 
a golf game or something recreational that is necessary. But let me ask 
them this. We have got work to do here. Today we have spent hours of 
time wasted on procedural motions to adjourn the House. What our side 
of the aisle is asking, and by the way, a good portion of your side of 
the aisle agrees with us, we need to go to work. We have got a lot of 
work to do. We have got a lot of budgetary issues to consider, and we 
ought to do it.
  Here is a perfect example. Mr. Speaker, this rule was 
noncontroversial. This rule was passed by voice vote out of the 
Committee on Rules last night. This rule is supported by the gentleman 
from Ohio [Mr. Hall]. In fact, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall] has 
encouraged a vote for it. But instead, we are now going to convert.
  They have invited me to participate in a debate regarding campaign 
finance reform, and I will accept that invitation, although somewhat 
limited. First of all, I would hope that the gentleman who brought this 
issue will also devote a good deal of time to the article in the 
headlines today, ``Democratic National Committee-Teamsters Traded 
Funds.''
  There are laws against that kind of thing. We have laws in the books 
right now. Listening to what my colleagues say out there, they give the 
perception to the American people that there are not laws regarding 
campaign finance reform. There are lots of laws out there.
  The fact is, in my opinion, that they have been broken. So instead of 
trying to divert from the fact that the laws have been broken by saying 
we need more laws, let us enforce the laws that we have got.
  I would hope that my colleagues put their energy and resources into 
going to the Democratic National Committee today and say, ``Hey, 
fellas, even though I am a Democrat, even though I have a special 
interest in this party, I want us to lay out to the American people, 
let us be truthful, let us find out what we did with the Teamsters.''
  Furthermore, I would suggest that maybe they take a foreign trip. We 
have got a break coming up. Help us find some of these witnesses like 
Charlie Trie or John Huang and some of these people that have 
conveniently disappeared out of our reach so we cannot find out what 
went on. Let us find out what went on, determine what we have to stop 
that, and what laws were broken. And then if we find a hole in the law 
or a way around the law, then let us do something about it.
  I also want to point out an article which I read in Roll Call. I 
think it was yesterday's Roll Call. ``With support building in both 
Chambers for a complete ban on soft money, sources said that Democrats 
like Fazio and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman 
Martin Frost,'' your colleague from the State of Texas, ``have been 
working furiously behind the scenes to reach a compromise that would 
save the currently unlimited and unregulated contributions from 
extermination.''
  Let us be serious about this. First of all, we have got work to do. 
Quit doing those motions to adjourn time after time. You know that 
every time, and I speak in a generic form, the people that support this 
motion, the people that make this motion to adjourn, the American 
people are out there, they do not vote to go home from work at 10 
o'clock in the morning. We were wasting our time here on this House 
floor voting on a motion to adjourn.
  By the way, on the first vote, only one Republican voted to go home 
at 10 o'clock in the morning. Every other Republican here said we ought 
to stay and work. But my colleagues from Texas and California voted to 
go home at 10 o'clock in the morning. And that was not good enough, the 
rest of the body said, no, we are not going to go home at 10 o'clock. 
We are going to work.
  We have got work to complete in these Chambers What happens? Well, 
the clock gets close to 12 and apparently some of my colleagues feel we 
put in a complete workday, time to adjourn and go home or go to the 
golf course or down to the racquet club.
  My colleagues, we have got business to do. Let us get on with our 
business, and let us focus on the subject at hand, which is a rule. If 
my colleagues want to debate the rest of the time we have this morning 
on this rule on campaign finance reform, I look forward to it.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. McINNIS. No, I will not yield. It seems to me, if I remember 
procedural order, I have the floor. Am I incorrect?
  If my colleagues would like to proceed with the people's business, 
which is to get this rule out of the way and let us get to the bill, we 
have got a lot of work to do, then let us proceed. It is up to my 
colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Frost].
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall] on 
the Committee on Rules for yielding me the time.
  Since the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] on the other side of 
the aisle mentioned my name, I did want to take this opportunity to 
make it very clear that I support the efforts to pass campaign finance 
reform this year.
  There is a difference of opinion as to what the content of that 
legislation should be. There are legitimate, honest differences of 
opinion on what should be in the bill. But I fully support the efforts 
of the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller] and others to force a 
vote on this legislation this year. There should be no misunderstanding 
about that.
  To the extent that the other side does not want this vote, does not 
want to have a vote on this issue this year, they are not serving the 
interest of the American public. There are legitimate differences of 
opinion about how we should reform the process. There is no difference 
of opinion about the fact that we should reform the process.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from California [Mr. Miller].
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I would just say that I 
appreciate that the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] has raised 
the issue of procedural motions.
  As the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett] has pointed out, there is 
nothing else we can do. And he must understand what we have seen now 
throughout this entire session: If we do nothing, nothing will happen. 
Because the Republican leadership that controls the schedule, that 
controls the agenda has determined that we cannot have a debate on 
campaign finance reform.

[[Page H7744]]

  So there is nothing left for us to do than to raise these procedural 
motions to try to raise the visibility in the public's mind and in the 
press as to what is going on on the Republican side. And that is the 
old four-corner stall in UCLA. They are hoping to play ``beat the 
clock,'' that if they can pretend like they are doing the people's 
business, this is not about the people's business, but if they were 
doing the people's business, we would be reforming the campaign finance 
system.
  That locks the people out of the election, allows a special interest, 
this allows special money in and huge contributions to overwhelm people 
who try to participate in elections. That is why we have the majority 
leader in the Senate and Speaker of the House proposing a $50 billion 
tax rebate for the tobacco companies, because the tobacco companies 
were the biggest contributors to the party, and in the middle of the 
night they got what they wanted.
  But the people did not want a $50 billion tax cut for tobacco 
companies. It is rather interesting when we forced them to vote in the 
light of day, it was unanimous. Only three people voted against it in 
the Senate, unanimous in the House. That is the difference between 
doing the people's business and doing the special interest business.
  We will continue to call these votes because the gentleman from 
Georgia [Mr. Gingrich] leaves us no alternatives. We apologize for the 
inconvenience. But what is at stake here is the democratic institution 
of which we serve and the democratic process of electing people, 
whether or not we will turn that over to the special interests in this 
country, as opposed to the people from the constituencies which we are 
elected. That is what the struggle is here. That is what the debate is 
about.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am enthralled by the energy level of the gentleman 
from California [Mr. Miller]. I like that kind of enthusiasm, and I 
hope that the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller], No. 1, puts that 
enthusiasm to doing the people's business and quit supporting these 
motions to adjourn.
  We have got work to do. Put the golf game aside, forget the racquet 
club. They can do that on Saturday and Sunday. But more importantly, I 
hope the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller] finds time this 
afternoon to go back to the office and pursue this headline 
``Democratic National Committee-Teamsters Traded Funds.''
  What is going on? I hope that we have that kind of vigor and that 
kind of strength when he talks on the floor about saying we need to get 
to the bottom of what has happened to the Teamsters. We need to get the 
people's work done in this House.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. 
Wolf].
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. 
McInnis] for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I was sitting in my office, and I wanted to kind of tell 
the people what I feel, whether they like it really or not. I think 
both sides are destroying this institution.
  Your side ought to stop calling these votes, and our side ought to 
stop recessing between the hours of 6 and 9 so people can go to dinners 
downtown and then keep those of us who have families here in town 
locked in our rooms where we have to wait for people to come back.
  Last night we recessed from 6 until 9, we did no business. And we 
stayed here until 10:30. Tonight we are not going to do any business 
and votes between the hours of 6 and 9. Those of us who have families, 
those of us who live here, the staff, these people out here, the staff, 
the guards, the restaurants, and everybody else, they stay here when we 
stay here.
  Your side is destroying this institution, and our side is destroying 
this institution. Stop calling the votes. Stop calling the votes. Let 
me just tell the gentleman, I do not take money from the tobacco 
interests and I come from a tobacco State, And I am for abolishing soft 
money. And for this side, stop calling and recessing between the hours 
of 6 and 9. Let us work like regular people.
  My closing comment is, and I hope they do not take the time from me, 
we are living a dysfunctional life in a dysfunctional institution, and 
dysfunctional things come out of living it. Both sides ought to stop 
what they are doing.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, to the gentleman from 
Virginia [Mr. Wolf], let me just tell him, if I were the majority 
leader, we would work 24 hours a day. Every time they put up a motion 
to adjourn this House in the middle of the day or beginning of the day, 
and I used to be a majority leader in the State of Colorado, we will 
just work, we will just work around the clock. We have got business to 
do, and we ought to get it done.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume to respond to what my friend the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. 
Wolf] said.
  The gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Wolf] is my best friend in the 
Congress of the United States. I, 100 percent, endorse what he had to 
say. I think that we have had enough conversation on issues relative to 
campaign finance at this particular time. I think it is time to pass 
the rule.
  As I said before, this legislative branch funding is a very modest 
increase. I think that I have tried to point out the achievements of 
this Congress from the standpoint of some of the bills and some of the 
things that we have passed. I just want to say that there are 
tremendous people here in the Congress, both Republican and Democrat. I 
think that they are doing their best, people of good character. They 
work hard. And I think that sometimes we tear each other down to the 
point where it reflects upon us.

                              {time}  1230

  I am sick and tired of it, too, like the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. 
Wolf]. I want to see us start to stand up for what we are all about. We 
do good things here. We have good staffs. I would say 99 percent of the 
people here are people of good character. Yet if you were to ask the 
people in the country about us, the way we fight, squabble, and jump up 
and down sometimes, we do not do ourselves justice. I think it is time 
to get on and pass this rule and get over with the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
I think that the gentleman from Ohio, who, by the way, in my opinion, 
is one of the most respected Members of the House, is certainly a 
professional, he is a gentleman, and his points are well taken. I 
should point out, though, contrary to what the gentleman from Virginia 
[Mr. Wolf] said, the gentleman from Virginia lives close to the 
Capitol. I live a long way from the Capitol. My district geographically 
is larger than the State of Florida. It takes me a long time to get 
there. It takes me a long time to get across there. I would rather work 
late hours at night so I can get back to my district.
  I think in defense of the majority leader, the fact that last night 
we scheduled votes so we had a bunch of votes at 10 o'clock instead of 
votes between 8 and 10 o'clock in the evening was to accommodate 
Members and their families so that they can go out and have dinner and 
know that we will delay the votes; or not delay them from voting, the 
debate still continues, the House still has action, but we will move 
the votes to a period of time. So I think the criticism here, while I 
understand the frustration of what is going on, I must say that some of 
this scheduling is done for the convenience of Members so they can have 
dinner with their families.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. 
Hayworth].
  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for 
yielding me this time. I listened with great interest to the debate. I 
do respect the gentleman from Ohio a great deal, the minority member 
who is managing his side's debate on this rule.
  I have just one point to clear up with the gentleman from California. 
Rather than some sort of sports tactic involving basketball, sadly what 
we are seeing from some intense partisans on the other side is more of 
a football technique called the misdirection play,

[[Page H7745]]

where you try to draw attention away from misdeeds and causes of 
concern.
  I believe it is especially important for us to go on record in this 
Congress as saying that everyone who runs for political office, 
including those in the executive branch, should obey existing law. 
There is the point from whence the problem stems, not any far-flung 
notion or vision of new campaign reform. And the question comes, sadly, 
as questions develop as relevant as today's headlines, what type of 
influences are out there? We should answer those questions with 
existing law.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  First of all, Mr. Speaker, again I want to express that I consider it 
a privilege to work with the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall] in these 
kind of things. Again I appreciate his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). The question is on ordering 
the previous question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the 
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a 
quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  Pursuant to clause 5 of rule XV, the Chair will reduce to a minimum 
of 5 minutes the period of time for any electronic vote, if ordered, on 
the question of agreeing of the resolution.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 237, 
nays 186, not voting 10, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 430]

                               YEAS--237

     Aderholt
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker
     Ballenger
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bereuter
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bliley
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bono
     Boucher
     Brady
     Bryant
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins
     Combest
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Cox
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeLay
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dingell
     Doolittle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Ensign
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fawell
     Foley
     Forbes
     Fowler
     Fox
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Goss
     Graham
     Granger
     Greenwood
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hamilton
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Herger
     Hill
     Hilleary
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hulshof
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Jenkins
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kim
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Manzullo
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Mollohan
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Obey
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pappas
     Parker
     Paul
     Paxon
     Pease
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Riggs
     Riley
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roukema
     Royce
     Ryun
     Sabo
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer, Dan
     Schaffer, Bob
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Skeen
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (OR)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith, Linda
     Snowbarger
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Stearns
     Stump
     Sununu
     Talent
     Tauzin
     Taylor (NC)
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Tiahrt
     Traficant
     Upton
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Watkins
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                               NAYS--186

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Andrews
     Baldacci
     Barcia
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Blumenauer
     Bonior
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boyd
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Capps
     Cardin
     Carson
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Cummings
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Deutsch
     Dicks
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fazio
     Filner
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Frost
     Furse
     Gejdenson
     Gephardt
     Goode
     Gordon
     Green
     Gutierrez
     Hall (TX)
     Harman
     Hefner
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     John
     Johnson (WI)
     Johnson, E.B.
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind (WI)
     Kleczka
     Kucinich
     LaFalce
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manton
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHale
     McIntyre
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (CA)
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Nadler
     Neal
     Oberstar
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Pickett
     Pomeroy
     Poshard
     Price (NC)
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sawyer
     Schumer
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sherman
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith, Adam
     Snyder
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stark
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Strickland
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor (MS)
     Thompson
     Thurman
     Tierney
     Torres
     Towns
     Turner
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Waxman
     Wexler
     Weygand
     Wise
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yates

                             NOT VOTING--10

     Bonilla
     Dellums
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Gonzalez
     Hastings (FL)
     Hunter
     Kennelly
     Redmond
     Schiff

                              {time}  1252

  Mr. CLYBURN and Mr. SPRATT changed their vote from ``yea'' to 
``nay.''
  Mr. EWING changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the previous question was ordered.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). The question is on the 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 408, 
noes 5, not voting 20, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 431]

                               AYES--408

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Andrews
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker
     Baldacci
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Barrett (WI)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berry
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Bliley
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boyd
     Brady
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Capps
     Cardin
     Carson
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cubin
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeFazio
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Ensign
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fawell
     Fazio
     Filner
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fowler
     Fox
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Furse
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman

[[Page H7746]]


     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Graham
     Granger
     Greenwood
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hamilton
     Hansen
     Harman
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hefner
     Herger
     Hill
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Hooley
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hulshof
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (WI)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kim
     Kind (WI)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kucinich
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Leach
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manton
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHale
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meek
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (CA)
     Miller (FL)
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Pappas
     Parker
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Paul
     Paxon
     Payne
     Pease
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pickett
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Portman
     Poshard
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Reyes
     Riggs
     Riley
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rothman
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryun
     Sabo
     Salmon
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sanford
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Schaefer, Dan
     Schaffer, Bob
     Schumer
     Scott
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Sisisky
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (OR)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith, Adam
     Smith, Linda
     Snowbarger
     Snyder
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Stump
     Stupak
     Sununu
     Talent
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Thurman
     Tiahrt
     Tierney
     Torres
     Towns
     Traficant
     Turner
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Watts (OK)
     Waxman
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Weygand
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yates
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                                NOES--5

     Green
     Largent
     Meehan
     Scarborough
     Strickland

                             NOT VOTING--20

     Berman
     Bonilla
     Boucher
     Brown (CA)
     Buyer
     DeGette
     Dellums
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Gonzalez
     Gutierrez
     Hastings (FL)
     Hoyer
     Hunter
     Kennelly
     Redmond
     Schiff
     Skaggs
     Smith (MI)
     Watkins

                              {time}  1301

  Mr. BERRY changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


                          personal explanation

  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 431. I was 
detained presiding over a Budget Committee meeting on Social Security. 
Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''


                          personal explanation

  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 430 and 431 I was not 
present. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' for both votes.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 238, I call up 
the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2209) making appropriations for 
the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, 
and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). Pursuant to House Resolution 
238, the conference report is considered as having been read.
  (For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of 
September 18, 1997, at page H7580.)
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York [Mr. Walsh] and 
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Serrano] each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Walsh].


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and that I may include tabular and extraneous material on H.R. 2209.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to present today the conference report 
on the fiscal year 1998 legislative branch appropriations bill, H.R. 
2209. Before I proceed with my summary of the report, let me take a 
brief moment to thank my colleague, the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Serrano] for his help throughout this process. The gentleman is a 
friend and someone of the highest integrity. We would not be here today 
without his tremendous leadership and skill.
  My counterpart in the other body, Senator Bennett, was also very 
helpful as we worked to achieve this conference report. I consider him 
to be a person of the highest character.
  Last, to the majority and minority staff members in both bodies, 
their work is deeply appreciated. I speak for every Member of the House 
in recognizing their contributions. Their hard work reflects the 
dedication of all the employees in the Congress. As I said on this 
floor several weeks ago, Members need to look around their work 
environment every day and recognize those who work with us in this 
legislative body. These are good people who serve with pride and 
deserve our respect.
  Mr. Speaker, to summarize the conference agreement, the agreement 
appropriates $2.25 billion in the new budget authority to the Congress 
and the support agencies and offices of the legislative branch. This 
amount is approximately $146 million below the request of the 
President, which is a 6.1 percent reduction over what the President 
asked for.
  The actual funding level for 1998 is about a 2-percent increase over 
1997. This appropriation level is below the amount appropriated for 
legislative branch in 1994 and 1995, so we are still below 1994's 
level. So the downsizing program begun in the 104th Congress is still 
intact.
  The highlights of the conference report: Operations of the Senate are 
$461 million, operations of the House are $708 million; joint items, 
including Capitol police, et cetera, joint committees, $12.7 million; 
Architect of the Capitol, $179 million. This includes the Botanic 
Garden and the library buildings. Library of Congress, $346 million, 
including Congressional Research Service; Congressional Budget Office, 
just under $25 million. Office of Compliance, $2.5 million; Government 
Printing Office is about $100 million, plus a transfer of $11 million 
from the Government Printing Office revolving fund. General Accounting 
Office, which received an increase this year, will be at about $347 
million.
  I will include a table showing details and a list of the highlights 
of the conference agreement. It may be of some interest to compare the 
conference agreement to the bill that passed the House on July 28.
  As is customary, that bill did not contain funds for the operations 
of the Senate. The House bill, without the Senate, was $1.711 billion. 
For those same items, the conferees agreed to a level of $1.735 
billion. The House came up about $24 million, the Senate came down 
about $37 million, so the House conferees did well.
  The result is an increase of just about $13.7 million over the 
current year. That is an eight-tenths of 1 percent increase above 1997, 
well below even the modest rate of inflation in the economy. In 
addition, full-time equivalent positions have been reduced; in other 
words, we have reduced staff again by about 200 jobs.
  The adjustment to House-passed items agreed to includes: In the 
conference the conferees added $8 million over the current level for 
the General

[[Page H7747]]

Accounting Office. This level will allow price level adjustments in 
travel, training, and begin a technology upgrade delayed the past 3 
years. For the Architect, the roofing project at the library, an 
additional $1.5 million, adjustments to electricity and fuel costs at 
the Capitol powerplant, funds for the design of a new chiller system at 
the powerplant, funds for staff of the Conservatory and for the Library 
of Congress an additional $3.8 million to begin the $40 million 
replacement of the Library's bibliography records and a $1.25 million 
increase to begin a program to replace an additional 10,000 playback 
machines for blind and physically handicapped readers.
  Mr. Speaker, the other item of concern to the conferees was the 
funding for the Joint Committee on Taxation. For Joint Committee on 
Taxation, the conferees agreed to fund an increase of 2.5 FTE's. In 
addition, the Senate agreed to remove from the bill the provision that 
requires operational adjustment in their workload. Instead report 
language was inserted in the joint explanatory statement that addresses 
the problem to direct the Joint Tax Committee to be more responsive to 
Members who are not in the committees of jurisdiction for taxation, 
House Committee on Ways and Means, Senate Committee on Finance.
  Mr. Speaker, several legislative matters were agreed to in 
conference. Under the Capitol police, there is a provision providing 
authority for the Capitol Police Board to establish a unified pay and 
leave schedule for the police. For congressional printing, a 
longstanding provision carried in the House bill on availability of 
funds to pay printing costs has been retained.
  There is language under the Library of Congress specifying the amount 
available for the integrated library system project, along with report 
language directing the Library to secure approval before obligating the 
funds.
  Two administrative provisions were added under the Library. One 
establishes a revolving fund for reimbursable work at the Library. The 
other permits the investment of Library gift funds in the same manner 
as trust funds.
  Under the Government Printing Office revolving fund, $1.5 million is 
made available for management audit. Under title III of the bill, all 
the provisions in the House-passed bill were retained. In addition, the 
conferees agreed to a provision relating to Senate restaurant employees 
and a provision which will allow cost of living allowances for senior 
level staff in the Office of the Architect.
  Three House housekeeping provisions were also added at the request of 
Committee on House Oversight.
  In summary, Mr. Speaker, the bill provides $2.2 billion for the 
funding for the legislative branch. It is 6 percent below the request 
of the President. FTE levels have been reduced by just over 200. The 
bill retains a smaller legislative branch as established by the policy 
set in the 104th Congress and provides stability to those operations 
that must support our legislative needs. I urge the adoption of the 
conference report.
  Mr. Speaker, I include the following for the Record:

[[Page H7748]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH24SE97.000



[[Page H7749]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH24SE97.001



[[Page H7750]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH24SE97.002



[[Page H7751]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH24SE97.003



[[Page H7752]]

Conference Agreement--Fiscal Year 1998 Legislative Appropriations, H.R. 
                                  2209

       Total appropriation: $2.2 billion ($2,248,676,500); in 
     addition, $158,189,000 will be available from receipts and 
     reimbursements collected by the General Accounting Office and 
     Library of Congress.
       Appropriations compared to budget request: A reduction of 
     $145.9 million ($145,883,500) under the amounts contained in 
     the President's budget.
       Compared to fiscal year 1997: An increase of $45,795,300 
     above the amount appropriated in fiscal year 1997.
       Highlights:
       Operations of the Senate: $461,055,000 plus $52 million for 
     office building maintenance;
       Operations of the House: $708,738,000 plus $36.6 million 
     for office building maintenance;
       Joint items (Joint committees, Capitol police, guide 
     service, etc.): $12,656,500;
       Architect of the Capitol: $127,224,000, including the 
     Botanic Garden;
       Library of Congress: $346,424,000, including the 
     Congressional Research Service;
       Congressional Budget Office: $24,797,000;
       Office of Compliance: $2,479,000;
       Government Printing Office: $99,729,000, plus a transfer of 
     $11,017,000 from the GPO revolving fund; and
       General Accounting Office: $346,903,000 total funds 
     available, including $7,404,000 from offsetting collections.
       Specific items:
       The $24.6 million increase for House operations is 
     primarily for staff COLA's, employee benefits, and other 
     staff salary mandatory increases;
       There is an additional $31.6 million for Senate operations 
     and buildings;
       Several capitol budget projects are funded in the Capitol 
     buildings and grounds accounts under the Architect of the 
     Capitol:
       Dome repair: $1,500,000; various improvements in House and 
     Senate chambers: $1,230,000; renovations to the canine 
     facility: $200,000; physical security: $625,000; design of 
     chiller plant: $1,000,000; additional fuel and electricity 
     costs: $1,700,000; vertical roof replacement, Thomas 
     Jefferson Building: $1,500,000; fire, safety, and 
     telecommunication improvements; and grounds and buildings 
     improvements for physically challenged staff and visitors: 
     $6.6 million; and $550,000 for cooling the Botanic Garden and 
     National Garden learning center.
       For the General Accounting Office, the FY98 level is an 
     increase of $8,478,000 over FY 1997 and achieves a stable 
     resource base coming after the 25% reduction in FY 1996 and 
     FY 1997:
       Funding for 3450 FTE's, an increase of 137 jobs over the 
     3313 currently on board; and funds are provided for increased 
     travel, training, technology upgrades, and incentive salary 
     payments.
       For the Library of Congress, the funding for current 
     programs is maintained. In addition:
       $5.6 million is provided for an integrated library system 
     (ILS) to replace outmoded bibliographic systems, the initial 
     stage of a multi-year $40 million project; an increase in the 
     number of replacement playback machines from 48,000 to 55,000 
     for use by blind and physically handicapped readers; 
     authorization for the cooperative acquisitions program which 
     provides assistance to research and academic libraries 
     throughout the U.S.; and authority to reinvest gift fund 
     receipts.
       For the Joint Tax Committee, $5,818,500 is provided, 
     including funds for an additional 2.5 FTE's;
       For the Government Printing Office, level funding is 
     provided including authority to transfer from the revolving 
     fund; and
       A $1.5 million management audit of GPO will be conducted by 
     the General Accounting Office.
                                  ____


  Fiscal Year 1998 Legislative Appropriations, H.R. 2209--Differences 
          Between Conference Agreement and House Adopted Bill

       On July 28, 1997, the House passed H.R. 2209, the fiscal 
     year 1998 appropriations bill. The bill appropriated $1.7 
     billion ($1,711,417,000) for the salaries and expenses of the 
     House of Representatives, various joint items (Capitol 
     Police, Joint Committees, the Guide Service, etc.), 
     Congressional Budget Office, Office of Compliance, Architect 
     of the Capitol (excluding Senate office buildings), the 
     Library of Congress, Government Printing Office, and General 
     Accounting Office.
       On July 29, 1997, the Senate passed H.R. 2209 after adding 
     funds for Senate operations and amending the items contained 
     in the House bill for other legislative agencies. That bill 
     totaled $2.3 billion ($2,283,746,000).
       On September 17, the committee of conference reported an 
     agreement on H.R. 2209 which appropriates $2.2 billion 
     ($2,248,676,500). In addition, $158 million in offsetting 
     receipts and reimbursements are authorized.

                             DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HOUSE BILL AND CONFERENCE AGREEMENT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              Conference
                                                          House bill           agreement          Difference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New items not contained in House bill due to
 traditional House-Senate comity:
    Senate and Senate office buildings..............  ..................        $513,076,000       +$513,076,000
    Senate items in Capitol buildings and grounds...  ..................             500,000            +500,000
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal....................................  ..................         513,576,000        +513,076,000
                                                     ===========================================================
Comparable items contained in both House and Senate
 bills:
    House and House office buildings................        $745,919,000         745,348,000            -571,000
    Joint items.....................................          86,802,000          86,710,500             -91,500
    Office of Compliance............................           2,479,000           2,479,000  ..................
    Congressional Budget Office.....................          24,797,000          24,797,000  ..................
    Architect of the Capitol (excl. office                    85,694,000          90,114,000          +4,420,000
     buildings).....................................
    Library of Congress (incl. CRS).................         342,290,000         346,424,000          +4,134,000
    Government Printing Office......................          99,916,000          99,729,000            -187,000
    General Accounting Office.......................         323,520,000         339,499,000         +15,979,000
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal....................................      $1,711,417,000      $1,735,100,500     \1\ +23,683,500
                                                     ===========================================================
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Plus 1.4 percent.

       The conferees added funds to the House bill in three 
     programs: The Architect of the Capitol, the Library of 
     Congress, and the General Accounting Office.
       Architect of the Capitol:
       The conferees added $4.4 million above the House bill. 
     Primarily, the increase was for high priority projects that 
     cannot be delayed:
       $775,000 for additional fuel costs at the power plant 
     necessitated by the conversion of the 2 coal-fires burners to 
     natural gas. The need for this conversion was identified 
     after consideration of the House bill when the Architect was 
     notified by local authorities that power plant emissions are 
     exceeding legal standards;
       $1,500,000 was added to finish the roofing replacement at 
     the Thomas Jefferson Building. The additional funds will be 
     used to augment the current work underway so that the 
     vertical copper components of the roof are included in the 
     job;
       $1,000,000 was added for the design of the chiller 
     replacements necessary at the east refrigeration plant. 
     Replacement units are needed because the chlrofluorocarbon 
     coolant is no longer available and will require an extensive 
     replacement project; and
       The balance of the increase, $1,145,000, includes several 
     small projects and funds for the Conservatory staff who will 
     be needed during the Conservatory renovation project.
       Library of Congress:
       The conferees added $4.1 million above the House bill, for 
     two essential items:
       $3.8 million was added for the integrated library system 
     project, which will replace the currently outmoded 
     bibliographic records. This project is ready for bid and the 
     General Accounting Office is monitoring progress. Delaying 
     this project will result in added costs to the $40 million 
     now estimated, and will reduce or stretch out the savings and 
     benefits expected; and
       $625,000 was added to accelerate a replacement program for 
     playback machines being used by blind and physically 
     handicapped users of the Library's talking book collections.
       General Accounting Office:
       The conferees added $16 million to the House bill in order 
     to stabilize the GAO program. GAO has been downsized by 25 
     percent in funding in two years and 33 percent in staff over 
     a three year period. The conferees have provided an $8 
     million increase over 1997 ($16 million above the House bill) 
     to cover the ``mandatory'' increase necessary for the COLA's 
     and related employee benefits for the remaining 3,450 FTE's. 
     There should be sufficient funds for additional training, 
     travel (much of GAO's work is done in the field), technology 
     upgrades, and incentive salary payments which have been 
     curtailed for several years.

[[Page H7753]]

     
                                  ____
  Fiscal Year 1998 Legislative Appropriations, H.R. 2209--Differences 
 Between Conference Agreement and Enacted Amounts for Fiscal Year 1997

       On July 28, 1997, the House passed H.R. 2209, the FY 1998 
     appropriations bill. The bill appropriated $1.7 billion 
     ($1,711,417,000) for the salaries and expenses of the House 
     of Representatives, various joint items (Capitol police, 
     joint committees, the guide service, etc.), Congressional 
     Budget Office, Office of Compliance, Architect of the Capitol 
     (excluding Senate office buildings), the Library of Congress, 
     Government Printing Office, and General Accounting Office.
       On July 29, 1997, the Senate passed H.R. 2209 after adding 
     funds for Senate operations and amending the items contained 
     in the House bill for other legislative agencies. That bill 
     totaled $2.3 billion ($2,283,746,000).
       On September 17, the committee of conference reported an 
     agreement on H.R. 2209 which provides appropriates $2.2 
     billion ($2,248,676,500).

CHANGES BETWEEN HOUSE-CONSIDERED ITEMS IN THE FISCAL YEAR 1997 AMOUNTS AND FISCAL YEAR 1998 CONFERENCE AGREEMENT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        Enacted fiscal        Conference
                                                             1997              agreement          Difference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New items not contained in House bill due to
 traditional House-Senate comity:
    Senate and Senate office buildings..............        $481,498,000        $513,076,000        $+31,578,000
    Senate items within Capitol buildings and                    350,000             500,000            +150,000
     grounds........................................
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal....................................         481,848,000         513,576,000         +31,728,000
                                                     ===========================================================
Comparable items contained in both House and Senate
 bills:
    House and House office buildings................         716,654,200         745,348,000         +28,693,800
    Joint items.....................................          88,581,000          86,710,500          -1,870,500
    Office of Compliance............................           2,609,000           2,479,000            -130,000
    Congressional Budget Office.....................          24,532,000          24,797,000            +265,000
    Architect of the Capitol........................         113,633,000          90,114,000         -23,519,000
    Library of Congress (incl CRS)..................         331,758,000         346,424,000         +14,666,000
    Government Printing Office......................         110,746,000          99,729,000         -11,017,000
    General Accounting Office.......................         332,520,000         339,499,000          +6,979,000
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal....................................       1,721,033,200       1,735,100,500     \1\ +14,067,300
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Plus 0.8 percent.

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 2209, 
the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for 1998. This has not been 
an easy year for this bill, but the gentleman from New York, Chairman 
Walsh, has worked exceptionally hard to keep the bill moving and to 
forge a decent compromise in conference. He deserves great praise for 
his work, and I personally also wanted to thank the gentleman for the 
way he has treated me with dignity and respect and our staff.
  Mr. Speaker, it is our responsibility on this subcommittee to provide 
the people's branch of our Government with the resources needed to 
carry out our legislative and oversight functions effectively, although 
some in this House do not seem to understand that. We must also 
consider the health and safety of all who work in and visit the Capitol 
complex and the physical integrity of this Capitol building and the 
other historic structures on our campus. Again, we sometimes run into 
the problem of some Members do not seem to care about that. There are 
necessary investments that still cannot be made within the spending 
limits of this bill. However, on balance the conferees have moved the 
bill in the right direction.
  For the House alone, the conference report is about $25 million, or 
3.6 percent, above fiscal year 1997, which is not an unreasonable 
increase.

                              {time}  1315

  Not counting Senate items, the conference report totals not quite $14 
million, or less than 1 percent above fiscal year 1997. Levels in the 
conference report are modestly increased from the House bill for the 
Architect of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. The biggest 
difference between the House bill and the conference report is in GAO, 
which would receive the funding necessary to stabilize its staffing 
after 2 years of major downsizing.
  I should also mention the Joint Committee on Taxation. Some have 
characterized House Democrats' efforts to reduce a requested increase 
of 12 staff positions, or 20 percent, for Joint Committee on Taxation 
for the year after the historic tax bill as partisan. Let me point out 
that Senators are, at least, as dissatisfied with JCT, and, at least, 
as insistent on reining it in as we are.
  The concerns about the committee's role in making tax policy, its 
chief of staff, remember, acknowledged that tobacco lobbyists wrote the 
secret tobacco tax break that surfaced in the bill, and its 
responsiveness to Members are completely bipartisan. Indeed, the 
chairman of the Senate subcommittee was harshly critical of the Joint 
Committee on Taxation in conference. He was the author of bill language 
that would have cut the JCT increase to 1 staff position and required 
JCT to use that position to assist Members who are not on the Tax 
Committees.
  In conference, the Senate gave in on this bill language, but pressed 
very hard for compromise report language found on page 26 of the 
conference report that puts joint tax on notice with the following: 
That both House and Senate Members expect timely and responsive 
assistance with revenue estimates, regardless of the committees they 
sit on; the conferees will monitor the committee's responsiveness, and, 
if improvements are not evident, the conferees may take statutory 
action next year.
  So, we see the frustrations are real and held on both sides of the 
aisle and on both sides of the dome. The leadership of the Tax 
Committee should take note of this.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I support this conference report and urge my 
colleagues to support it so we can get the bill enacted before the 
start of fiscal year 1998 next week.
  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against an 
increase in pay for Members of Congress.
  The Federal Government is still spending more than it takes in. 
Despite the fact that we have passed the historic balanced budget bill 
which will balance the budget by 2002, until that date, we are still 
adding to the national debt that we will pass onto the next generation 
of Americans. I believe to allow a pay raise for Members of Congress at 
this point in time is not the responsible thing to do.
  Congress should not be increasing its pay while we have such a large 
national debt, especially when we are adding to that debt every day. 
This is one reason I am cosponsoring H.R. 632, the Balance the Budget 
First Act of 1997, introduced by Congressman Jon Christensen. This 
legislation not only repeals the automatic pay increase for Members of 
Congress, but it also expresses the sense of the Congress that pay of 
Members of Congress should not be increased until the Federal budget 
has been balanced.
  I appreciate that under current law, the pay increase for Members of 
Congress is tied to the pay increase for the Federal Judiciary. That is 
why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2517, introduced by my colleague 
from Alabama, Congressman Bob Riley. This legislation, like H.R. 632, 
would eliminate the automatic pay increase only for Members of 
Congress, not for Members of the Federal Judiciary.
  I hope that we will have the good sense to listen to the American 
people and prevent this pay increase for Members of Congress.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered on the conference report.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the conference report.
  Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XV, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 309, 
nays 106, not voting 18, as follows:

[[Page H7754]]

                             [Roll No. 432]

                               YEAS--309

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Andrews
     Archer
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker
     Baldacci
     Ballenger
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berman
     Bilbray
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Bliley
     Blumenauer
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Capps
     Cardin
     Castle
     Chambliss
     Christensen
     Clay
     Clayton
     Collins
     Combest
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cubin
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     Dellums
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Engel
     English
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fawell
     Fazio
     Filner
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fowler
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Furse
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Gordon
     Goss
     Granger
     Greenwood
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hamilton
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hefner
     Herger
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Horn
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hyde
     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (WI)
     Johnson, Sam
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kim
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lantos
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Leach
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     Livingston
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Maloney (NY)
     Manton
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (FL)
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Paxon
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pickett
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Redmond
     Regula
     Reyes
     Riggs
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ryun
     Sabo
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shaw
     Shuster
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skeen
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith, Adam
     Snowbarger
     Snyder
     Solomon
     Spence
     Stokes
     Sununu
     Talent
     Tanner
     Tauzin
     Taylor (NC)
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Tiahrt
     Tierney
     Torres
     Towns
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Waxman
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Wexler
     Weygand
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yates
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                               NAYS--106

     Barcia
     Barr
     Barrett (WI)
     Barton
     Becerra
     Berry
     Bilirakis
     Blunt
     Brady
     Bryant
     Bunning
     Burr
     Carson
     Chabot
     Chenoweth
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coburn
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Cox
     Davis (IL)
     DeFazio
     Deutsch
     Doggett
     Ensign
     Eshoo
     Fox
     Gejdenson
     Gibbons
     Goode
     Goodling
     Green
     Gutierrez
     Hall (TX)
     Harman
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hill
     Hilleary
     Hooley
     Hostettler
     Hulshof
     Hutchinson
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones
     Kind (WI)
     Kucinich
     Lampson
     Largent
     Lewis (KY)
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     McHale
     Miller (CA)
     Minge
     Moran (KS)
     Myrick
     Neumann
     Nussle
     Paul
     Pease
     Poshard
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Riley
     Roemer
     Roukema
     Royce
     Rush
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Scarborough
     Schaefer, Dan
     Schaffer, Bob
     Schumer
     Sensenbrenner
     Shadegg
     Shays
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith, Linda
     Souder
     Stabenow
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stump
     Stupak
     Tauscher
     Taylor (MS)
     Thompson
     Thurman
     Traficant
     Turner
     Watkins
     Watts (OK)
     Weller

                             NOT VOTING--18

     Armey
     Bonilla
     Coble
     Emerson
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Gonzalez
     Graham
     Hastings (FL)
     Hunter
     Inglis
     Kasich
     Parker
     Peterson (MN)
     Portman
     Schiff
     Smith (OR)
     Spratt

                              {time}  1341

  Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mrs. MYRICK, Mrs. TAUSCHER, and Messrs. BRYANT, DAVIS 
of Illinois, RILEY, SKELTON, GIBBONS, and HILLEARY, Ms. EDDY BERNICE 
JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. ESHOO, and Messrs. COX of California, BARR of 
Georgia, LAMPSON, SMITH of Michigan, FOX of Pennsylvania, CLEMENT, and 
HAYWORTH changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  So the conference report was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________