[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 77 (Monday, June 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1036-E1037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RONNIE SHOWS

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 19, 2000

  Mr. SHOWS. Mr. Speaker, I was away from the floor of the House on 
Thursday, June 15, 2000 to attend to official business in my 
congressional district and was unable to cast recorded votes on roll 
calls 280 through 291, relating to Interior and Related Agencies 
Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2001.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret not being able to vote on any of these 
rollcalls, but I particularly regret being unable to cast my vote 
against the Slaughter amendment to provide additional federal funding 
for the National Endowment for the Arts.
  The visual and performing arts are important to me, but I do not 
believe it is appropriate for the federal government to have a major 
role in subsidizing the arts. The NEA is at fault for having funded 
blasphemous endeavors that offer no redeeming benefit to our community. 
Attempts by NEA officials to assure me that these offenses will no 
longer occur have not been convincing. Furthermore, I cannot justify 
this funding at a time when we are trying to preserve Social Security 
and Medicare and pay of our crushing national debt.
  Fortunately, the NEA increases approved by the Slaughter amendment 
were erased in a subsequent amendment that was approved by voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, had I been present for rollcalls 280 through 291, I 
would have cast the following votes:
  Rollcall 280: ``Aye'' on the Hansen amendment to the Dicks amendment, 
to remove the reference to the planning and management of national 
monuments.
  Rollcall 281: ``No'' on Dicks amendment, to add a new section to 
provide that any limitation imposed by the bill which is related to 
planning and management of national monuments or activities related to 
the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Plan shall not apply 
to any activity which is otherwise authorized by law.
  Rollcall 282: ``Aye'' on the Stearns amendment, to reduce the amount 
for NEA by 2 percent and to transfer the money to the fire management 
account.
  Rollcall 283: ``No'' on the Slaughter amendment, to increase the 
amount of the deferral for Clean Coal Technology by $22 million from 
$67,000,000 to $89,000,000.
  Rollcall 284: ``No'' on the Obey motion, that the Committee rise.
  Rollcall 285: Quorum call in Committee.
  Rollcall 286: ``No'' on the Sanders amendment, to provide $10 million 
in funding for the creation of a Home Heating Oil Reserve.
  Rollcall 287: ``No'' on the Doggett motion, that the Committee rise.
  Rollcall 288: ``Aye'' on the Nethercutt amendment, to prohibit funds 
in the act to be used to implement any section added by a previous 
specified amendment except for activities related to planning and 
management of national monuments.
  Rollcall 289: ``Aye'' on the Weldon amendment, to ensure that the 
case regarding Indian

[[Page E1037]]

gaming brought by Florida and Alabama against the Department of the 
Interior is fully adjudicated before the Secretary of the Interior is 
permitted to publish the procedures that would allow tribes to 
establish casinos under regulations that by-pass tribal-state compacts.
  Rollcall 290: ``No'' on the motion to recommit with instructions.
  Rollcall 291: ``Yea'' on passage.

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