[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 26039]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 IMMEDIATE PASSAGE OF D.C. APPROPRIATION BILL CRITICAL FOR DISTRICT OF 
                                COLUMBIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor this evening to make an 
urgent request of this body. This body may be about to go out until 
December 5. If it does so without passing the D.C. appropriation, we 
are putting the capital of the United States in mortal danger.
  The District appropriation was passed 3 weeks ago. It is being held 
up now as a vehicle for the Commerce-Justice bill. I appreciate the 
conversations I have had with Members and their staffs and the way in 
which the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) and the way in which 
apparently the Senate is willing to release the D.C. appropriation. We 
found a way for the D.C. appropriation to be freed, while leaving the 
status quo in place as if it continued to be a vehicle to carry over 
the Commerce-Justice bill. That is the only reason it is being held.
  Mr. Speaker, the crisis we face now is not only that this is a 
living, breathing city that cannot start any new programs; there is a 
special crisis. We face the possible closing of our city hospital, D.C. 
General, and its public clinics. The reason is that although the 
District can move around money to form a new, smaller hospital, the 
money for the transition costs, including the costs of severance 
pursuant to layoffs mandated in the appropriation bill, cannot, in 
fact, take place until the appropriation bill is passed. If we wait 
until December 5, we will be approaching the date when the hospital 
must close because it has run out of money.
  Mr. Speaker, I am asking this House, before we go home, to release 
the D.C. appropriation. Nothing would be lost in freeing the D.C. 
appropriation, because the D.C. appropriation could be passed as a CR 
by reference, and that would leave the D.C. appropriation as it is now, 
except, in effect, it would slide from under its present vehicle and be 
passed as a bill, while the present situation of a vetoable D.C.-
Commerce-Justice bill would remain. I know that sounds like 
gobbledegook; but in fact that is the way it would occur. The status 
quo would remain; but in fact, the appropriation would pass, because 
the CR would remain there as if our appropriation had not passed.
  I appreciate that there has been considerable movement by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis), and by Senator Stevens to be helpful; and I have spoken with 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), and he appears to believe 
that the Commerce-Justice-D.C. bill could be passed or, indeed, signed 
by the President. I have spoken with Jack Lew. Jack Lew informs me that 
surely the House must know that that bill will be vetoed. I do not know 
what it is that makes the Speaker believe that this is a nonvetoable 
bill, because that is what he has told me, that it contains at least 
some of what the President wants; but I am informed by the White House 
that most of the reason that this bill was vetoed remains, and it will 
continue to be vetoed.
  Mr. Speaker, I am asking that the District be extracted from this 
mess. I recognize that if, in extracting us, some change that the House 
wanted not to make would be a sacrifice; but in fact, no such change is 
required on our part, because we found a technical way out for the 
District of Columbia, while leaving the situation as if the same 
vetoable bill was there.
  There is lots to lose here for the District. Not only do we have all 
new programs, but also imagine trying to run a city 6 weeks into the 
appropriation year without being able to do urgent things like hire 175 
new police officers, 88 new fire officers, without being able to hire 
social workers necessary for children in foster care. We have had a 
child killed this year in foster care because there were not enough 
social workers. Imagine not being able to give money to five new 
charter schools, charter schools that the Congress has asked us to 
pass; and finally, imagine what will happen if the hospital closes and 
we have no way to move money around to keep it open or to pay even for 
the transport of sick people so that they can be cared for in another 
hospital.
  Mr. Speaker, a way has to be found; and I ask that this House not go 
home tomorrow before that way is found.

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