[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 135 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2378, TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL 
                  GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 30, 1997

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the 
overall fiscal year 1998 Treasury, Postal Service Appropriations 
Conference Report. But I also want to restate my concern over the way 
in which we were not given the opportunity to vote up or down on the 
cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress during the fiscal 
year 1998 appropriations process. If I had been given the chance, I 
would have voted against it.
  I am a strong supporter of a number of important provisions in the 
conference report that has returned from the House/Senate Conference 
Committee, and that is why I feel compelled to support it. These 
provisions include funding levels that are consistent with the 
bipartisan IRS restructuring and reform legislation I am sponsoring, 
including $377 million of critical funding to address the Year 2000 
problem in IRS computer systems. It also includes $326 million in 
needed information technology investments for the IRS.
  Furthermore, this conference report includes $1.6 billion for 
activities related to drug abuse. It includes critical funding for the 
Drug Free Communities Act, which I authored this year to encourage 
effective community-based drug prevention programs.
  And, given the recent reports about questionable usage of the White 
House for political fundraising, it has important provisions to 
increase accountability for the financing of political events at the 
White House to ensure that taxpayers are not subsidizing fundraisers.
  After weighing the overall effect of this legislation, I felt it 
would be improper to oppose the entire legislation package over the 
issue of the COLA. That issue has already been debated before this 
body--where I expressed my opposition.

                          ____________________