[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 47 (Monday, November 27, 1995)]
[Page 2049]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996

November 20, 1995

    Last night I signed into law H.R. 2492, the ``Legislative Branch 
Appropriations Act, 1996.''
    The Act provides fiscal year 1996 appropriations for the Congress, 
the Congressional Budget Office, the Architect of the Capitol, the 
General Accounting Office, the Government Printing Office, and the 
Library of Congress.
    On October 3, 1995, I vetoed the first Legislative Branch 
Appropriations bill, indicating at the time that the bill was acceptable 
but that the Congress should not take care of its own business before it 
takes care of the people's business. At the time the Legislative Branch 
bill was sent to the White House, the Congress had passed only one other 
of the 13 appropriations bills. The Congress has now completed action on 
six bills that I have been able to sign.
    While much work remains to be done and the Congress remains behind 
schedule, I signed this bill recognizing that the Congress has indeed 
made some progress since October 3.
    I urge the Congress to meet its responsibilities by sending me the 
remaining FY 1996 appropriations bills in an acceptable form.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
November 20, 1995.

Note: H.R. 2492, approved November 19, was assigned Public Law No. 104-
53.