[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7711-H7712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 4112, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4112) making appropriations for the 
Legislative Branch for fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, and for 
other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate 
amendment and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1230


               Motion To Instruct Offered By Mr. Serrano

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct conferees.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Serrano moves that the managers on the part of the 
     House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two 
     Houses on the bill, H.R. 4112, be instructed to bolster the 
     Capitol police force by concurring in the Senate amendments 
     that restore $4.197 million of reductions passed by the House 
     for Capitol Police salaries and Capitol Police general 
     expenses.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Calvert). The gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Serrano) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) each will 
control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh).
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I will withhold my comments until we hear 
from the gentleman from downstate New York.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a motion every Member can support. 
This has been an extraordinary year for the Capitol Police and its 
police force. We have seen the first deaths of Capitol Police officers 
in the line of duty in many years. U.S. embassies have been bombed by 
terrorists, and the U.S. has responded to this terrorism with missile 
attacks. All of this raises the perception of threats, if not the 
actual threats to U.S. interests and institutions all over the world.
  The Capitol, of course, is one of the great symbols of our Nation. 
Therefore, it is occasionally a target of people with seriously 
deranged thinking or violent anti-American views.
  The Capitol is also the seat of the people's branch of our government 
and the destination of thousands of visitors every day, both 
constituents and tourists, as well as high-ranking officials of our own 
government and leaders from all over the world.
  I suppose we could be much safer and perhaps also save money if we 
chose to wall the Capitol complex off from the people. But I believe 
everyone here would strongly oppose that approach to security.
  Instead, Mr. Speaker, the people's branch must remain open to the 
public. It is our duty, often through this bill, to make sure that the 
Capitol Police have the resources they need to keep this open campus 
safe and secure for Members, staff, employees, visitors, and guests.
  As threats evolve, responses must evolve, and the Capitol Police must 
have the resources for the personnel, training, and technology they 
need.
  Mr. Speaker, as I have said before and will no doubt say again, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) has done an excellent job in 
putting this bill together. I think our initial decisions on funding 
levels for the Capitol Police were entirely appropriate.
  But since our bill passed the House in June, we have seen the 
unfortunate murders of Officers Chestnut and Gibson, the bombings of 
U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the resulting missile attacks 
on terrorist locations.
  All of this has increased the obligations of the Capitol Police, 
increased the need for overtime, caused new thinking on the physical 
security needs for the campus and the need for additional resources.
  As a first step to that end, and of course there will be additional 
and more substantial steps, I urge my colleagues to support this motion 
to instruct conferees, to accept the Senate figures for the Capitol 
Police.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to accept the gentleman's motion to 
instruct the conferees. I think it is very constructive. It puts the 
House squarely in a position where we see the wisdom of the Senate's 
decision to fund these given the events that my good friend, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano) has mentioned, especially the 
tragic events that occurred last month involving the loss of our two 
officers, Chestnut and Gibson.
  We really need to enhance our security, and certainly we need to 
reward the professionalism and the high quality of service provided by 
our Capitol Hill Police.
  So we see this as constructive and support the motion.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the motion to instruct.

[[Page H7712]]

  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to instruct 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).
  The motion was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the motion to 
instruct and that I may include tabular extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair appoints the 
following conferees: Messrs. Walsh, Young of Florida, Cunningham, Wamp, 
Latham, Livingston, Serrano, Fazio of California, Hoyer, and Obey.
  There was no objection.

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