[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 110 (Wednesday, August 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
             INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2002

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                               speech of

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 30, 2001

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2620) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
     Housing and Urban Development and for sundry independent 
     agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2620, the 
VA-HUD-Independent Agencies appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2002.
  On balance, this bill adequately addresses our national priorities 
and funding needs for housing, veterans' benefits and scientific 
research. H.R. 2620 provides modest increases for HUD programs and 
activities--$1.4 billion more than last year. These increases will help 
address the most basic housing needs of our low- and moderate-income 
citizens.
  This measure fully funds VA medical health care for our veterans and 
provides a $1 billion increase over spending levels for FY2001, while 
almost tripling the funding provided for major VA construction 
projects. A separate provision appropriates $300 million for safety and 
seismic repairs to VA medical facilities and the rehabilitation of VA 
research facilities. One important aspect of the bill is the extra $128 
million over FY01 for the Veterans Benefits Administration to expedite 
claims processing, which is a growing concern among veterans.
  Additionally, I have been concerned about proposals to require 
military retirees to choose between military or VA health care systems, 
but this measure includes an amendment prohibiting the VA from using 
funds in FY2002 to force military retirees to permanently choose 
between the VA or military health care systems.
  Finally, H.R. 2620 prioritizes funding for our essential research 
needs by increasing funds for the National Science Foundation to $4.8 
billion, $414 million more than the current appropriation and $368 
million more than the President's request. As a member of the House 
Science Subcommittee on Research, I am pleased that this appropriation 
will allow the NSF to go forward with substantial new and ongoing 
initiatives in information technology, biodiversity, nanotechnology, 
the mathematical sciences and the social and behavioral sciences.
  Mr. Chairman, while all of these programs are funded at levels that 
warrant the support of every single member of Congress, I have serious 
concerns about one provision in this bill--a $1.3 billion emergency 
designation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 
Designating these funds an emergency is a clear violation of our budget 
rules and violates all principles of fiscal responsibility.
  While I agree that the request for $1.3 billion in emergency relief 
for the damage created by Tropical Storm Allison is a true emergency, 
the budget resolution does not allow for the allocation of emergency 
designations in regular appropriations bills unless those funds are 
offset. Under this Congress' budget rules, this bill requires a waiver 
from the Rules Committee as well as clearance from the Budget Committee 
because of this emergency designation. These waivers were provided, 
which irresponsibly circumvents our budget process.
  More worrisome, however, is the fact that this Congress is perilously 
close to spending Medicare and Social Security surplus funds. I am 
concerned that by releasing these funds under the emergency 
designation--without offsets--this Congress sets an early precedent in 
the FY '02 appropriations process to spend more than budget resolution 
allocations.
  As you are aware, recent press reports suggest that the updated 
economic forecast the Congressional Budget Office will release in 
August is likely to show no available surplus beyond the Social 
Security and Medicare trust funds in fiscal year 2002 and that Congress 
may have to dip into those trust funds by nearly $41 billion in FY 
2003. More troublesome is the fact that these shortfalls do not even 
account for many of our other stated needs like a comprehensive energy 
policy, a prescription drug benefit, and the President's request for 
additional defense spending.
  This Congress made a commitment to the American people that we would 
not vote to spend one single penny of the Medicare and Social Security 
Trust Funds. I will honor that commitment. Spending restraint, fiscal 
responsibility, and honoring our commitments do not come about by good 
intentions, but by resolute actions.
  Mr. Chairman, in an effort to honor that commitment, I will adhere to 
the levels in the budget resolution enacted by a majority of this 
Congress. I will oppose any efforts to increase spending beyond those 
levels without offsets. This includes any emergency designation, 
regardless of its merit.
  The VA-HUD appropriations bill violated the budget resolution and, 
despite the many good programs contained in this bill, it busts the 
budget and threatens the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. I 
urge my colleagues to honor their commitment to protect these funds; I 
urge my colleagues to vote no on H.R. 2620.

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