[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I would like to make a brief comment, on 
the appropriations process, and to express some concerns which I have 
about the procedures where some of the legislative proposals have not 
been considered in regular order and in due course--specifically, the 
legislation on the appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education.
  In articulating these concerns, I understand the tremendous pressures 
which have been presented to leadership to conclude our session with 
the target date of October 9.
  The Constitution gives to the Congress the authority and 
responsibility of the appropriations process. And that customarily 
proceeds with action in the appropriations subcommittee, then the 
appropriations full committee, then the full body of the Senate, where 
Senators have an opportunity to comment on the legislation and to offer 
amendments, and then, when acted upon, goes to a conference in the 
House of Representatives, which has followed the same pattern--
consideration of the subcommittee, full committee, and by the House, 
and then the conference committee.
  That process has been short-circuited this year without having the 
legislation, the appropriations bill on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, come to the Senate floor. We have sought a 
conference with our distinguished House Members--Congressman Porter, 
who chairs the House equivalent of the subcommittee, and Congressman 
Obey, the ranking minority leader--along with Senator Tom Harkin, my 
distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee.
  It would be my hope that as we proceed with the business of the 
Senate in future years, we would be able to proceed in regular order so 
that the Senate has an opportunity to consider the measure, Senators 
offer amendments, and go through the regular procedure on the House-
Senate conference.

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