[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 96 (Friday, July 17, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8452-S8453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, as I said, I was planning to ask 
unanimous consent that we proceed to S. 2137 and outline a series of 
amendments that would be in order. We are still working on that 
agreement between the majority leader and the minority leader who, I 
understand, are talking on this issue right now.
  When we do go to that appropriations bill, I will make a point of 
thanking Senator Dorgan for his assistance as the ranking member. Since 
I have been chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee and he has 
been my ranking member, we have not had, in my memory, a single point 
of major disagreement. Senator Dorgan has been more than diligent in 
attending all of the meetings of the subcommittee. His staff has been 
very cooperative with the majority staff in working out the 
difficulties, and I think it has been the kind of legislative 
relationship that I looked forward to, when I ran for the Senate, 
between members of the different parties.
  The legislative branch bill will provide $1,585,021,425 in new budget 
authority, exclusive of the House items for fiscal year 1999. Comity 
between the two Houses allows the House to set its amount and the 
Senate to set its amount, without difficulty from each other. This is a 
$53,704,925 increase, or 3.5 percent above the fiscal year 1998 level. 
But it is $72,359,575 below the amount included in the President's 
budget. The majority of the increases in the bill are for cost-of-
living adjustments, estimated at 3.1 percent.
  The Senate portion of the bill includes a 1.8 percent increase over 
the fiscal year 1998 funding, which I think demonstrates some fiscal 
responsibility on our part. The Library of Congress and the GAO were 
provided funds for additional FTEs to assist the Congress in the 
information technology area, particularly addressing the year 2000 
computer problem.
  The Presiding Officer and others in the Chamber know I have made this 
something of an obsession. The Senate has created a special committee 
on the year 2000 technology problem, which I chair. We recognize that 
most of the expertise to provide the committee with the guidance that 
it needs will come from detailees to the special committee and from 
those experts in the Library of Congress and the GAO who already have a 
background in this area. So, to make sure the year 2000 problem is not 
exacerbated by lack of funds, these additional FTEs were included in 
this bill. That is part of the 3.5 percent increase over last year's 
level.
  Approximately 21 percent of the Architect's budget is for capital 
projects; the balance, of course, of 79 percent is for the operating 
statement.
  These are the outlines of the overall bill. As far as I know, and 
Senator Dorgan knows, the bill is noncontroversial except for those 
amendments that some Senators have indicated they would be willing to 
offer.
  With that background of the bill that we have in mind, I yield the 
floor. I understand Senator Brownback will be talking about some of the 
amendments that he would offer once the bill does come before us, and 
we can proceed then in morning business with that matrix. I see the 
Senator from Kentucky. I will be happy to yield.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, may I ask Senator Brownback how long he 
thinks he will take? We have some Senators with time problems, and I 
want to try to accommodate them. If I know how long he will be 
speaking, and others, I can probably accommodate them.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. I don't know for certain who all will be interested in 
speaking on this.
  Mr. FORD. You are asking for more than 10 minutes. I am wondering how 
long.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Probably around 30 minutes.
  Mr. FORD. Will the Senator be willing to say no longer than 30 
minutes?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Not at this point in time, but I think that will 
probably----
  Mr. FORD. If that is the way we are going then, no one else will get 
more than 10 minutes.
  Mr. BENNETT. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith of New Hampshire). The Senator from 
Kansas is recognized under the previous order.

[[Page S8453]]



                          ____________________