[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5682-S5683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         OFFSET OF EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING LEGISLATION

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, as the supplemental appropriations 
conference report stands, it is currently $13.3 billion out of balance. 
Only $2 billion of the spending in this bill is offset and my bill will 
ensure that Congress follows the rules and not dip into the Social 
Security surplus to fund all the truly non-emergency items in the 
supplemental appropriations bill.
  The legislation that I have introduced imposes much needed fiscal 
discipline. I have been working for a balanced budget since I was first 
elected to the Senate and the supplemental begins the process of 
undoing that work. Congress must not go back to the old spending 
rules--just because we have a surplus that does not mean that the 
battle has been won. It means that we must continue to be watchful and 
ensure that the surplus continues to grow.
  Some of the items in this bill are true emergencies such as disaster 
relief in Oklahoma, livestock assistance and Hurricane Mitch relief. 
However, there are many items that are not emergencies, like $48 
million for a new satellite for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 
and $3.75 million for renovations to the House page dormitory. There is 
$45 million for unanticipated costs associated with the census, to an 
accountant it seems that there needs to be better cost control to 
prevent such things. There are millions of dollars in examples of items 
that are not emergencies but have been designated as such. Many of 
these items should have been debated in the fiscal year 2000 
appropriations process.
  Even while the economy is strong, I remain concerned about the debt 
that we are in danger of passing on to our children and our 
grandchildren. In the past, it seemed we were so tied to the immediate 
gratification we receive from spending money that we didn't see the 
danger that looms in the not too distant future--the risk associated 
with spending ``on credit'' with reckless abandon. We still don't 
acknowledge that danger.
  The genesis of this bill was to pay for the current military conflict 
in Kosovo. I fully support the troops and I was prepared to vote to pay 
for the costs of supporting our men an women in uniform, but the 
supplemental goes far beyond what I was prepared to support. Many of 
these items are best left to the Department of Defense authorization 
bill or the Soldier's, Sailor's and Airman's Bill of Rights, which 
passed the Senate and contained a much needed pay raise for the armed 
services. The pay raise contained in the supplemental jumps the gun. 
The House should have the opportunity to consider the authorizing 
legislation before the money is appropriated.
  Just passing a balanced budget resolution is not enough. Congress 
must continue to be on watch for attempts to violate not just the 
letter of resolution, but the spirit through spending bills that are 
not offset. This Legislation will ensure that the bill fits under the 
spending caps and that the surplus is protected.
  As a body, we have been seriously debating locking up the Social 
Security surplus to ensure that the money will be there to honor 
America' contract with our senior citizens. Now we have a bill that 
dips into the surplus to pay for a Christmas tree of items under the 
false pretenses of an emergency. This is exactly what the lock box was 
designed to prevent. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.

[[Page S5683]]

  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1097

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. OFFSET OF EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING.

       Not later than 15 days after Congress adjourns to end the 
     first session of the 106th Congress and on the same day as a 
     sequestration (if any) under sections 251 and 252 of the 
     Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, 
     the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall 
     cause, in the same manner prescribed for section 251 of that 
     Act, a sequestration for fiscal year 2000 of all non-exempt 
     accounts within the discretionary spending category 
     (excluding function 050 (national defense)) to achieve a 
     reduction in budget authority equal to $13,303,000,000 minus 
     the dollar amount of reimbursements identified in the report 
     required by section 2005 (efforts to increase burden-sharing) 
     of the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act.

  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of Senator Enzi's 
bill to offset all of the nonemergency funding in the supplemental with 
an across the board cut in non-defense discretionary accounts.
  As one who vigorously opposed the omnibus appropriations bill of last 
year which resulted in spending far above our commitments, I was 
surprised that here we have yet another attempt to circumvent our 
budget principles--and to spend part of the Social Security surplus 
nearly all of us pledged to devote only to Social Security.
  While there are true emergencies in the supplemental I support, such 
as the agriculture spending and funds directly related to our Kosovo 
operation, I strongly oppose inclusion of other defense spending that 
clearly should be considered in the normal appropriations process. And 
I oppose beefing up the FEMA budget three times over the President's 
request as well. What all of this is about is just a gimmick to claim 
we are not breaking the caps as we proceed into the fiscal year 2000 
appropriations process by providing some funding now. The last estimate 
I saw indicated only $2.5 billion of this funding will be outlayed in 
this fiscal year. So--why are we appropriating $15 billion?
  Mr. President, I have no objection to this additional spending--if we 
pay for it. Senator Enzi's legislation, which I have cosponsored does 
pay for it. This is the responsible thing to do, since most of this 
bill--over $13 billion is not emergency spending.
  Those who believe in integrity of our budget process and in the need 
to preserve Social Security will vote for this bill.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise in support of Senator Enzi's bill 
to offset the supplemental appropriations bill.
  Senator Enszi's bill is consistent with my belief that we must pay 
for this emergency supplemental bill with offsets.
  Mr. President, under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress, the 
President, and the American people agreed to cap the growth of our 
Government's spending programs. In doing this we were able to balance 
the budget and head down the path of fiscal responsibility. We have 
agreed under the law to these spending caps. We should not now turn our 
backs on the commitment we made to the American people, by going back 
on our word and breaking this agreement with them.

  Because of this commitment to the American people, Congress must not 
bust these spending caps.
  In that same vein, at the zenith of our success to have finally 
balanced the Federal Government's budget for the first time in 29 
years, we ought not look to spend $13 billion we don't have. We can ill 
afford to use our first wave of surpluses, especially the surpluses 
garnered from the Social Security trust fund to pay for this 
supplemental. We can ill afford at this critical juncture to break our 
pledge to our seniors over social security, not to the public over 
keeping our budgets balanced.
  In closing Mr. President, I believe Senator Enzi's bill, of which I 
am an original cosponsor, is right on the mark. We need to use common 
sense in budgeting in our Nation's Capitol.
  Granted we have several emergencies confronting us, from the 
disasters that have hit our constituents across the land, the need to 
increase FEMA's funding to meet these needs, desperately needed funds 
for our farmers--including my provision to the bill that will help our 
farmers to qualify for disaster funds, up to the need to support our 
troops in Kosovo. But--we must pay the bill. I support Senator Enzi and 
our other cosponsors, by calling for reduced spending in other federal 
programs in order to fund these necessary emergencies. This is truly 
the only way this Congress can justify spending money we don't have.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to make a couple 
of unanimous consent requests.
  First, I want to commend the chairman of the Appropriations Committee 
for his work on the supplemental appropriations. It is never easy for 
him, but it is easy for us to second-guess and be judgmental. In his 
unique way he does a magnificent job.

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