[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 85 (Thursday, June 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5302-H5303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION FOR ADJOURNMENT 
     OF HOUSE AND SENATE FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY DISTRICT WORK PERIOD

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on 
Rules, I call up House Resolution 491 and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 491

       Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution it 
     shall be in order, any rule of the House to the contrary 
     notwithstanding, to consider a concurrent resolution 
     providing for adjournment of the House and Senate for the 
     Independence Day district work period.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Diaz-Balart) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Slaughter). During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded 
is for the purpose of debate only.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Armey), distinguished majority leader.
  Mr. ARMEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Madam Speaker, we are about to take up a resolution for adjournment 
for the Independence Day work period. It will be a good period of time 
for all of us to go home, be in touch with our constituents in our 
districts, something we need to do, something we enjoy doing.
  While we are home, Madam Speaker, undoubtedly we are going to 
encounter so many constituents who are going to again express their 
commitment to and their concern for the education of their children. 
This is a major, major concern of the American people. The American 
people celebrate their good schools, and they worry about the schools 
that are not performing on behalf of the children.
  The American people take the education of their children very, very 
seriously. Where they can, when they have the resources, they couple, 
along with their wish that America have the best schools in the world 
for their children, their own personal commitment to put their own 
child in the best school possible. Every parent wants this, rich and 
poor alike.
  Madam Speaker, just a few weeks ago we passed on to the President of 
the United States a bill that would have provided scholarship 
opportunities for the parents of poor children so that those children 
might be moved from a school that was failing them to a school in which 
the child could succeed. The President vetoed that.
  Despite the fact that it was new money additional funding, the 
President vetoed that because he thought somehow that might be 
destructive to the public schools, without ever realizing that when the 
public schools are accountable to the parents, the public schools do 
better. When the parents have a right and an ability to move their 
children to a better school, the children are better off and the 
schools are better off.
  Today, Madam Speaker, we will enroll a bill before we go home on this 
district recess period that makes available again the opportunity for 
choice to parents, further enhanced by tax-deductible savings accounts 
for those parents who can afford it so that they might be able to save 
their own money, in addition to the taxes they pay for schools, save 
their own money and have the opportunity to move their child to a 
better school.
  Once again, the President says he is going to veto this because he 
says it is unfair to the poor children.
  Well, no, Mr. President, you were unfair to the poor children when 
you vetoed the earlier bill. Are you going to couple that now to be 
unfair to the children whose parents work, save, sacrifice and wish 
only that little bit of edge that could come in tax-free savings 
accounts for their children's education because, once again, Mr. 
President, your complaint is it hurts the public schools?
  This is no deduction in funds available for the public schools. It is 
only a modest increase in freedom and resources to living parents who 
know themselves to be the child's first, most dedicated teacher, to use 
their own resources to move the child to the best school possible.
  It is time, I believe, for all of this government, the House, the 
Senate, and the White House to respond to the needs of the parents of 
America. Give each parent, rich or poor, able to save or not, the 
opportunity to do what each parent wants most deeply in their heart to 
do: provide the best possible opportunity for their child.
  Do not veto that bill, Mr. President. Sign it. Show that you care for 
the parents who care for their children.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time a I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 491 provides for consideration in the 
House of a concurrent resolution providing for the adjournment of the 
House and Senate for the Independence Day work period.
  All points of order are waived against the resolution and its 
consideration.
  Madam Speaker, obviously this has been a very busy year in the House. 
We have spent a significant number of hours on the floor debating 
issues ranging from higher education priorities to transportation 
needs, from the self-determination of the people of Puerto Rico to 
financial services modernization.
  The House will have passed five appropriations bills by the time we 
leave for our Fourth of July district work period later today, and we 
will hopefully pass the other appropriations bills soon after returning 
from the break.
  While adjournment resolutions are usually privileged, a rule is 
needed in order to waive a point of order that could be raised against 
the Fourth of July district work period resolution on the grounds that 
it would violate section 309 of the Budget Act which prohibits the 
House from adjourning for more than 3 days in July unless the House has 
completed action on all appropriations bills.
  Independence Day is a time to be back in our districts, not only 
celebrating the birth of this great Nation but meeting with and 
listening to what our constituents have to say about the issues that 
are important to them. I personally, as I am sure most Members of this 
House, have numerous meetings with constituent groups scheduled in the 
next days.
  The Congress has very important spending decisions to make with 
limited funds, and time spent in our districts listening to the 
priorities of our constituents will be very worthwhile.
  Therefore, Madam Speaker, I feel it appropriate that we in the House 
return to our districts for the Independence Day work period to reflect 
together with our constituents on the principles that founded this 
Nation and also to consult with them and think out loud with them on 
the issues that confront us in the weeks ahead.
  I would urge adoption of this resolution, 491.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for 
yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, H. Res. 491 waives all points of order against the 
consideration of the resolution providing for

[[Page H5303]]

the adjournment of the House and Senate for the Independence Day 
district work period.
  Madam Speaker, why do we need to waive points of order on this 
adjournment resolution? Because the Congressional Budget Act, section 
309, states, ``It shall not be in order in the House of Representatives 
to consider any resolution providing for an adjournment period of more 
than 3 calendar days during the month of July until the House of 
Representatives has approved annual appropriations bills providing new 
budget authority under the jurisdiction of all subcommittees on the 
Committee on Appropriations for the fiscal year beginning on October 1 
of such year.''
  Unhappily, the House has not met this legal requirement. Even after 
today's actions, we will have passed fewer than half of the 13 
appropriations bills. This failure to meet our legal budget 
appropriations timetable is one more in a series of missed deadlines. 
Congress is required by the Budget Act to complete action on the budget 
resolution by April 15, but the House did not pass its version of the 
budget resolution until June 5. And the leadership has refused to 
appoint conferees on the resolution; so who knows when or if a final 
budget resolution will be adopted?
  The Budget Act also requires the Committee on Appropriations to 
report all annual appropriations bills by June 10. No appropriations 
bills were reported by June 10 and, to date, only 6 have been reported.
  By June 15, Congress is required by law to complete action on 
reconciliation legislation. However, since we have no budget 
resolution, we do not even know whether we will have a reconciliation 
bill this year or not. So, Madam Speaker, the House has not met its 
basic responsibility to consider the appropriations bills that fund the 
Federal Government.
  Is this because we have been diligently considering other urgent 
business? No. Unfortunately, this session the House has passed very 
little legislation that has a chance of being signed into law. Instead 
we are voting on bumper sticker bills and the constitutional amendment 
of the week.
  The American public is asking us to address issues that affect their 
lives. But the leadership refuses to move any legislation that might 
benefit the public if it has the slightest chance of upsetting its 
friends.

                              {time}  1030

  We should be working on bills to protect patients' rights, like H.R. 
306, which would ban genetic discrimination in health insurance. We 
know Americans are profoundly concerned about the future of their 
medical care. Last week a Pew Research Center study showed that 69 
percent of Americans believe the debate over HMO regulation is very 
important to the Nation, and 60 percent said it is very important to 
them personally. But instead of acting on pending health care bills, 
several supported by more than 200 bipartisan cosponsors, Congress 
continues to blatantly ignore this mandate from the American people.
  Similarly we should be addressing child care and after-school care 
legislation, like the America After School Act. This program would 
expand after-school programs so that young people would have a safe 
place to go, with stimulating activities and tutoring when the school 
day ends. This after-school care would decrease juvenile crime while 
increasing student achievement, self-esteem and positive behavior.
  Another pressing matter is genuine campaign finance reform. Instead 
of a structured debate that allows Members to make rational choices, 
leadership has imposed a procedure designed to debate reform to death. 
Their unfair rules call for the consideration of one constitutional 
amendment, 11 substitute bills, 258 non-germane amendments, and an 
unlimited number of germane amendments. But so far we have only 
considered one constitutional amendment, one substitute bill, and three 
amendments. That leaves us with 10 bills, hundreds of nongermane 
amendments, and an unknown number of germane amendments to deal with 
and we are going on recess for nearly 3 weeks.
  Federal campaigns are becoming little more than a money chase to pay 
for increasingly expensive elections. In the most recent election 
cycle, spending on Federal elections shattered all records, reaching an 
estimated $1.6 billion. An all-time high of $500 million was spent on 
just one type of advertising, broadcast television, and yet voter 
turnout is at an all-time low. Fewer than half of all eligible 
Americans exercise their right to vote. The American people are 
discouraged by a system in which money seems more important than issues 
and the interests of large contributors seem more important than the 
concerns of working families. If Congress were serious about fixing our 
broken political system, we would pass campaign finance reform before 
going out of session for nearly 3 weeks.
  Madam Speaker, I could go on about the unfinished agenda of the 
House, but the bottom line is we have failed to meet our legal 
responsibilities under the Budget Act, and we have failed to address 
the issues our constituents have told us are important.
  Madam Speaker, in light of the importance of our unfinished work, I 
must oppose this rule providing for a nearly 3-week hiatus in the 
legislative work of this Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am a firm believer that history is a very important 
teacher. With regard to what was stated by my distinguished colleague 
and friend on the Committee on Rules that we have not fulfilled the 
requirements of the Budget Act in that all the appropriations bills 
have not been passed, I myself stated that earlier, but I think it is 
important to look at history, even recent history, when our friends on 
the other side of the aisle controlled the majority in this House and 
had the presidency, also, by a member of their party, which obviously 
it is much easier when you do not have to negotiate every single 
appropriations bill between the White House and the Congress in divided 
government. Even then in the 103rd Congress, all the appropriations 
bills were not passed before July 1. If we go back just a few years 
before that, to the 101st Congress, for example, only one 
appropriations bill had been passed before the July recess in the first 
session and we will have passed five today. If we go back just a few 
years before that, to the 97th Congress, no appropriations bills had 
been passed by this House before the July recess. I think it is 
important to point that out.
  I think that it is also important to point out and to put in context 
what we have done, that it is the 105th Congress, with a majority on 
this side of the aisle, that has balanced the Federal budget for the 
first time in 30 years, and that is, I think, an accomplishment that is 
something that we can all in this House feel proud of.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, accordingly, I would simply reiterate 
that this is an important resolution, that it is appropriate that we be 
able to think out loud and consult with our constituents in the next 
days.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam 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. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I, further 
proceedings on this resolution will be postponed until later today.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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