[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 175 (Monday, December 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H12865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2004

  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. 82) making further continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year 2004, 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 do so for the 
purpose of yielding to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) so that 
he may explain what changes this entails to the continuing resolution.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding. And I would say technically this vehicle is a continuing 
resolution that goes to January 31, which is the same date as the 
existing CR. The difference is there were two anomalies that the 
administration needed to be included, so we would use this as a 
vehicle.
  The two anomalies are these: the first CR is a loan limitation at 
$3.8 billion for FHA loan commitments. The administration basically 
ignored this ceiling and committed $5 billion in new mortgage loan 
guarantees. The program shut down last week because the guaranteed 
limitation was exceeded. This resolution would set a new guarantee 
limitation at $7.7 billion, the fiscal year 2003 level.
  Exceeding the guarantee limitation level represents an antideficiency 
act violation. Language is included in the resolution to require 
certification from the director of the Office of Management and Budget 
regarding compliance with the terms and conditions set forth in the 
first CR.
  The second anomaly deals with the FAA operations account staff 
offices. The resolution would allow operations at an annual rate of 
$141.4 million for the FAA office of security and investigations. 
Without this authority, furlows of some of the 443 staff would be 
necessary. The office did not receive a direct fiscal year 2003 
appropriation, therefore this special authority is necessary under a 
CR. The office is responsible for enforcement programs working with 
ONDCP, TSA, and State and local governments and performs credential and 
background investigations of employees and contractors in support of 
the FHA mission.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ney). 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. 82

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 
     121 of Public Law 108-84 is amended by striking 
     ``$3,800,000,000'' and inserting ``$7,667,000,000'': 
     Provided, That the amendment made by this section shall take 
     effect only after a certification by the Director of the 
     Office of Management and Budget is submitted to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
     and the Senate that the use of the authority provided 
     pursuant to this section will not result in commitments to 
     guarantee new loans for the entire fiscal year at a level in 
     excess of the limitation set forth in the fiscal year 2003 
     appropriations Act and that the apportionment of loan 
     commitment authority provided for the Federal Housing 
     Administration, General and Special Risk Insurance Fund and 
     the Federal Housing Administration, Mutual Mortgage Insurance 
     Fund is in compliance with the terms and conditions set forth 
     in Public Law 108-84: Provided further, That the authority 
     provided under the amendment made by this section shall only 
     apply to new commitments issued after enactment of this 
     section: Provided further, That nothing in this section may 
     be construed to pardon or release an officer or employee of 
     the United States Government for an act or acts in violation 
     of section 1341 of title 31, United States Code (the 
     Antideficiency Act) or any other applicable law that occurred 
     prior to enactment of this section.
       Sec. 2. Public Law 108-84, as amended, is further amended 
     by adding at the end the following new section:
       ``Sec. 131. Subject to sections 107(c) and 108 of this 
     joint resolution, for the Federal Aviation Administration 
     Operations Account Staff Offices line of business, at a rate 
     of operations not to exceed $141,411,000.''.
  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.

                          ____________________