[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 136 (Thursday, October 11, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H6678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2002

  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. 68) making further continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year 2002, and for other purposes, and 
ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  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 (Mr. Young) to explain the resolution before us.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding 
to me just to explain briefly.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a continuing resolution. The CR that we passed 
last week runs the government until the 16th of October. It is obvious 
we are not going to complete all of our conference reports by then. 
This would extend the present CR for an additional week, until the 23rd 
of October, by which time we will hope to have most, if not all, of the 
conferences on appropriations bills completed.
  In addition, this CR does make a technical change to a provision in 
the previous CR relative to the Export-Import Bank. Also it allows the 
Defense Health Program to make payments under the TRICARE for Life 
program at rates that have already been authorized by the fiscal year 
2001 National Defense Authorization Act.
  In addition, Mr. Speaker, this provides authority to the agencies to 
begin the preparation of the benefit checks that will be mailed on the 
first of November in order to begin processing those payments. It is 
important that we include that in this CR.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, under my reservation, I would simply say I 
agree with the gentleman on the need to pass this.
  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.
  The Clerk read the joint resolution, as follows:

                              H.J. Res 68

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That Public 
     Law 107-44 is amended by striking ``October 16, 2001'' in 
     section 107(c) and inserting in lieu thereof ``October 23, 
     2001''; by adding the following before the semicolon in 
     section 101(b)(1) ``: Provided, That the rate for operations 
     of the Defense Health Program may exceed the current rate as 
     may be necessary to fund a pro rata share of the program 
     expansion authorized by section 712(a) of the Floyd D. Spence 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 
     (Public Law 106-398)''; by striking section 115 and adding 
     the following: ``Sec. 115. Notwithstanding the dates 
     specified in section 7 of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 
     (12 U.S.C. 635f) and section 1(c) of Public Law 103-428, the 
     Export-Import Bank of the United States shall continue to 
     exercise its functions in connection with and in furtherance 
     of its objects and purposes through the date specified in 
     section 107(c) of this joint resolution.''; and adding the 
     following new section: ``Sec. 123. Notwithstanding section 
     107, funds shall be available and obligations for mandatory 
     payments due on or about November 1, 2001, may continue to be 
     made.''.

  The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 
time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider 
was laid on the table.

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