[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 145 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H11850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H11850]]
          FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2001

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Appropriations be discharged from further consideration of 
the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 125) making further continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year 2001, and for other purposes, to the 
end that the joint resolution be hereby passed; and that a motion to 
reconsider be hereby laid on the table.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The text of House Joint Resolution 125 is as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 125

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled,
       Section 1. Public Law 106-275 is further amended by 
     striking the date specified in section 106(c) and inserting 
     ``December 5, 2000'', and by adding, at the end, the 
     following three new sections:
       ``Sec. 121. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
     joint resolution, except section 107, there are appropriated 
     for all construction expenses, salaries, and other expenses 
     associated with conducting the inaugural ceremonies of the 
     President and Vice President of the United States, January 
     20, 2001, in accordance with such program as may be adopted 
     by the joint committee authorized by Senate Concurrent 
     Resolution 89, agreed to March 14, 2000 (One Hundred Sixth 
     Congress), and Senate Concurrent Resolution 90, agreed to 
     March 14, 2000 (One Hundred Sixth Congress), $1,000,000 to be 
     disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate and to remain 
     available until September 30, 2001. Funds made available 
     under this heading shall be available for payment, on a 
     direct or reimbursable basis, whether incurred on, before, or 
     after, October 1, 2000: Provided, That the compensation of 
     any employee of the Committee on Rules and Administration of 
     the Senate who has been designated to perform service for the 
     Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies shall 
     continue to be paid by the Committee on Rules and 
     Administration, but the account from which such staff member 
     is paid may be reimbursed for the services of the staff 
     member (including agency contributions when appropriate) out 
     of funds made available under this heading.
       ``(b) During fiscal year 2001 the Secretary of Defense 
     shall provide protective services on a non-reimbursable basis 
     to the United States Capitol Police with respect to the 
     following events:
       ``(1) Upon request of the Chair of the Joint Congressional 
     Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies established under Senate 
     Concurrent Resolution 89 (One Hundred Sixth Congress), agreed 
     to March 14, 2000, the proceedings and ceremonies conducted 
     for the inauguration of the President-elect and Vice 
     President-elect of the United States.
       ``(2) Upon request of the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, 
     the joint session of Congress held to receive a message from 
     the President of the United States on the State of the Union.
       ``Sec. 122. Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
     joint resolution except Section 107, $5,961,000 shall be 
     available for a payment to the District of Columbia to 
     reimburse the District for expenses incurred in connection 
     with Presidential inauguration activities.
       ``Sec. 123. Notwithstanding limitations imposed by this 
     continuing resolution except Section 107, the Executive 
     Residence at the White House is authorized to make 
     expenditures to provide for the orderly transition and moving 
     expenses following the election on November 7, 2000.''.
       Sec. 2. Notwithstanding section 106 of Public Law 106-275, 
     funds shall be available and obligations for mandatory 
     payments due on or about December 1, 2000, may continue to be 
     made.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from Florida so he might be allowed to explain his motion.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members this extends the date of the 
original CR until December 5, 2000. It provides authority to make 
mandatory payments due on December 1, 2000, which are Social Security, 
Veterans benefits and other entitlement programs that have to be 
approved.
  It amends the original CR, this is new, to provide $1 million for the 
legislative branch inaugural expenses that were contained in the vetoed 
legislative branch appropriations act.
  Secondly, it provides $5.961 million for the District of Columbia 
inaugural expenses that are contained in the held-up District of 
Columbia appropriations act.
  It provides approximately $200,000 for executive residence transition 
and moving expenses that were contained in the vetoed Treasury, Postal 
Service, General Government appropriations act.
  That is what the CR does, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, continuing under my reservation of objection, 
let me simply say that my understanding is that this CR would continue 
to keep the government open through Tuesday, December 5.
  It had certainly been my original hope that since the ergonomics 
issue, which has caused so much contention between the two parties, has 
now been issued, it had been hoped that since the objection to that 
standard is now moot, that we would, in fact, be able to move forward 
with the Labor, Health, Education conference, the remaining issues in 
that conference, and also reach a compromise with respect to the State, 
Justice, Commerce appropriations bill finishing the work of the 
Committee on Appropriations for this year.
  It is apparent that the House leadership does not at this point want 
to release that bill. Under the circumstances, I would agree that there 
is no point in holding Members here with the unrealistic expectation 
that something is going to happen over the next week or so on the 
appropriations bills.
  I think that under the circumstances, the date for the renewal of the 
resolution suggested by the gentleman makes sense.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. OBEY. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say I agree with 
what the gentleman from Wisconsin has said, and I hope that we can 
resolve these issues that have held us apart for these past few weeks.
  Again, I think the gentleman would acknowledge what I am about to say 
that the issues that are holding us up from completing these bills are 
not appropriations issues, they are riders on appropriations bills.
  I agree with the gentleman, I hope we can resolve them quickly and 
expeditiously and prepare for next year's appropriations process.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
would hope that come December 5, we can do as I just described so that 
this lame duck session can, in fact, adjourn before it does too much 
damage to the Republicans.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.

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