[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  2002 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FURTHER RECOVERY FROM AND 
           RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES

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                               speech of

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4775) making 
     supplemental appropriations for further recovery from and 
     response to terrorist attacks on the United States for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, it is with great reluctance that I am 
voting in favor of this bill.
  This supplemental left the Appropriations Committee with strong bi-
partisan support after careful consideration and compromise by Members 
on both sides of the aisle. Then, the leadership presented us with a 
rule that adds four self-executing provisions which had not been 
subject to any debate by the Committee. All four of these additions are 
unrelated to the purpose of this supplemental, which was to meet 
immediate and critical funding shortfalls, most prominently those 
related to our military operations in support of the war on terrorism.
  Of the four unrelated new provisions, the most troublesome is 
language which in essence allows increases to the government's debt 
ceiling without formal consideration by all Members of the Congress. 
This approach to our nation's fiscal crisis, which will soon be putting 
us in deficit spending, is unconscionable and irresponsible. Perhaps 
most disturbing is that the language being introduced is so open-ended, 
it could be construed as meaning that we will no longer have the 
opportunity to review debt ceiling changes in the future.
  On the other hand, any further delay on passing the crucial funding 
provisions threatens the well-being of our courageous military forces 
who are currently dedicating themselves to our national defense in 
harsh and dangerous environments outside our borders. In addition, the 
measure provides much needed funding to crucial activities including: 
homeland security, Pell Grants, September 11th investigations, first 
responder health precautions, highway funding, the WIC program, and 
veterans' medical needs. Rather than hold these needs hostage to a 
partisan effort by the leadership to avoid putting itself on record 
over raising the debt ceiling, I am voting for this bill with the 
understanding that this is simply the first step in getting a bill 
approved and I remain hopeful this entire issue will be stripped from 
the legislation as it makes it way through the final process.

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