[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11369-S11370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FISCAL YEAR 1998 TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, GENERAL GOVERNMENT 
                    APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT

 Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to discuss my vote on the fiscal year 1998 Treasury, and 
Postal Service, general government appropriations conference report.
  When the Treasury, Postal Service, general government appropriations 
bill passed the Senate, we included a provision to prohibit a cost-of-
living allowance for Members of Congress. I voted for that prohibition 
because I thought it was the right thing to do.
  The U.S. House, meanwhile, passed its own version of this bill--a 
version

[[Page S11370]]

which did not contain the restriction against a cost-of-living 
allowance.
  The Senate and House bills went to a conference committee, and when 
the conference agreement came back to the Senate for final passage, it 
had adopted the House position, which included no restriction on a 
COLA.
  I voted for the conference report because it contained over $20 
billion of needed funds, including 40 percent of all Federal law 
enforcement moneys and funds to wage war on gangs and drugs in this 
country.
  However, I think Congress should have had a separate vote on the 
cost-of-living adjustment, and if there is an opportunity to have a 
separate vote, I intend to vote against the COLA.

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