[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 159 (Wednesday, November 12, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12511-S12512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS BILL

 Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, on Sunday evening, the 
Senate completed its work on H.R. 2607, a bill providing appropriations 
for the District of Columbia for fiscal year 1998.
  I have serious concerns with several provisions of this bill--
provisions which I, in good conscience, cannot support.
  Perhaps these problems could have been resolved had this bill been 
considered early and passed on time. There is a time to debate, 
however, and a time to act. This session of the 105th Congress is 
nearing a close, and that fact means that we must enact a D.C. funding 
bill--now.
  One of my concerns centers on a provision included in the bill that 
will grant permanent residence to almost 250,000 nationals of Central 
America and Eastern Europe. Those covered by the provisions, including 
Nicaraguans, Cubans, Salvadorans, and Guatemalans, fled to the United 
States and sought haven during the civil wars in Central America in the 
1980's. These individuals have been allowed to remain here temporarily 
under various Government immigration programs and court settlements.
  The 1996 Immigration Act, however, denied recourse to permanent 
residency for most of this class. This provision grants permanent 
residence to these nationals on a case-by-case basis if their return 
would pose unusual hardship.
  While I support this provision, I must once again state for the 
record my strong objections to the decision by the conferees to exclude 
approximately 18,000 Haitian refugees from this provision. This 
exclusion was not only patently unfair, but suggests almost a tin ear 
on the racial implications of this action. In the absence of a good 
reason for this exclusion, I can see no other justification for denying 
these individuals equal relief. I am certain that this is not the 
signal this body intended to send.
  I am heartened, however, that an agreement has been reached with the 
Justice Department that will allow 

[[Page S12512]]

these Haitians to remain in the country until this matter is resolved 
legislatively. I am also encouraged by the commitment made by 
congressional leadership to take up this issue during the next session 
of Congress. I encourage all of my colleagues to support legislation 
that I have cosponsored, along with Senators Graham, Mack, Abraham, and 
Kennedy that would resolve this issue.
  I am also troubled by a provision in this bill that would prohibit 
the District of Columbia from using local revenues to fund full 
reproductive health services for women.
  Clearly it is within the jurisdiction of Congress to restrict Federal 
funds for abortion services. That decision was upheld in 1980 by the 
Supreme Court in the Harris versus McRea decision. In that same ruling, 
however, the Court clearly asserted that decisions on abortion services 
for poor women, financed with State funds, were within the authority of 
the States.
  Unfortunately for the people of the District of Columbia the Court 
has provided no such protection. The people of this city, therefore, 
cannot make decisions regarding the use of locally raised revenue, for 
abortion services or any other purpose.
  The result is that the District is used as a guinea pig for Congress' 
social experiments. In this instance, opponents of full access to 
reproductive health services, including abortion, for poor women are 
furthering their agenda at the expense of democracy.
  Again, I would have liked to have these matters resolved before the 
vote, however, I am hopeful that we can rectify them in the next 
session.

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