[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1024-E1025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1141, 1999 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL 
                           APPROPRIATIONS ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 1999

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the 
true emergency spending contained in this conference agreement: 
Adequate funding for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) 
military actions in Kosovo; support for operating loans for America's 
farms and farm workers, who are trying to provide food for our tables 
without going bankrupt; relief for our Central American neighbors who 
were devastated by Hurricanes Mitch and Georges; and relief for our 
Oklahoma and Kansas residents who were the victims of terrible 
tornadoes. These are emergencies that I believe Congress should be 
acting on in an expeditious manner.
  But Mr. Speaker, I cannot support the $15 billion funding package 
proposed in this Conference Agreement for H.R. 1141, because of the 
non-emergency items that are attached to

[[Page E1025]]

it. There were plenty of non-emergency items attached by the House; and 
there were plenty of non-emergency items attached by the other body; 
but finally, there were even more non-emergency items attached by the 
conferees we sent to the conference table.
  For example, the President asked for $6 billion in emergency funding 
for Kosovo-related military and humanitarian needs; the House doubled 
that amount to $12 billion; and our conferees somehow wrestled that up 
to $15 billion. It's almost as if we think the longer we wait the more 
``late penalties'' we have to pay. Given even more delay, I'm afraid 
this Conference Agreement would become the supplemental that ate the 
surplus.
  Were our colleagues saving their so-called emergencies for a rainy 
day? On this rainy day, Mr. Speaker, it's raining money, which this 
provision is siphoning out of the Social Security trust fund. And I 
cannot support that misuse of power and abuse of the public's trust.

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