[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 159 (Wednesday, November 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S13957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     STATUS OF APPROPRIATIONS BILLS

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, as Members are aware, all 13 appropriations 
bills have cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee.
  Four bills have been sent to the President for signature, of which 
three have been signed into law. The Defense, Homeland Security, and 
Legislative Branch appropriations bills have been signed, and the 
Interior appropriations bill is awaiting signature.
  Five appropriations bills are in conference. These are the Military 
Construction, Energy and Water Development, Labor-HHS-Education, 
Foreign Operations, and Transportation and Treasury appropriations 
bills. The Military Construction appropriations bill completed 
conference yesterday, and the Energy and Water Development conference 
met today.
  Four appropriations bills are awaiting completion of Senate action--
Agriculture, VA-HUD, Commerce-Justice-State, and the District of 
Columbia. The Agriculture appropriations bill is being considered on 
the floor today.
  Mr. President, the Senate should proceed to process these four final 
bills on the floor and to send them to conference with the House. This 
will protect our rights as Senators to offer amendments. The Senate 
should process 13 individual appropriations bills, and avoid an omnibus 
appropriations bill. Omnibus appropriations bills have the effect of 
shoehorning large segments of the Federal Government into one monstrous 
bill. Members' rights to amend legislation are severely limited, and 
they will not be able to know what they are voting for or against. 
Omnibus appropriations legislation also has the result of bringing the 
White House to the table, which has the effect of blurring the 
distinction between the responsibilities of the executive branch and 
the constitutional responsibilities of the legislative branch to 
develop legislation under the separation of powers. This is no way to 
legislate.
  I thank and commend the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee, Mr. Stevens, for his steadfast pursuit of the goal of 
processing 13 individual appropriations bills. The Senate would not be 
at this stage of processing the appropriations bills, if my friend, the 
Senator from Alaska, had not pursued this matter with such vigor on his 
side.
  Again, I thank my distinguished and able colleague, Mr. Stevens, for 
his efforts.

                          ____________________