Jerry Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 291, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2099) making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans' Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure once again to bring to the House floor the conference report to accompany the fiscal year 1996 Appropriations Act for the Department of Veterans Affairs, housing, and other independent agencies. Following Housing passage of the motion to recommit, I anticipated that the conferees would follow the direction of the House and add an additional $213 million to the VA medical care account. Unfortunately, when that motion was made, the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey] chose not to supply necessary offsets so it would be in order to facilitate our effort in responding to the House's direction. So as a result of that lack of direction, Senator Bond and I made a serious effort to locate offsets but soon discovered that removing $213 million from the other accounts, to say the least, would distort our bill considerably. As Members can see from this chart, which outlines the major agencies in this account, it is apparent that most of our agencies have been reduced very significantly from the 1995 appropriations year. HUD, for example, is down by $350 million. NASA down by $352 million. EPA is down by $235 million. Mr. Speaker, it is obvious by this chart that there is only one account, there is only one account within this bill that had an increase. And that increase was some $400 million for VA medical assistance. It is true that when the bill left the House we had more money in this specific account, but everybody knows that when we deal with the other body, we must make sure that we try to make sense out of the priorities of both bodies. In this case, it is very obvious that the priorities involved making sure that we did not continue with further reduction in programs like important housing programs as well as important programs in EPA. So, Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for the House to recognize that the present CR that we are dealing with for EPA, for example, creates major adjustments in terms of money [[Page H 14188]] availability. If we look at the current CR we are working under, EPA is cut by 11.5 percent. For housing programs, for example, they are 12.5 percent below the levels of the current conference report. This is a far, far greater reduction than the reductions in the VA- HUD bill that is before us today. These remaining eight days provide a window of opportunity for narrowing the differences that divide the Congress and the White House. With every passing day, indeed with every passing hour, this window of opportunity is closing. If the White House is serious about resolving the differences that remain between the White House and the Congress, the time to act is now. We are suggesting to the administration that they take a hard look at what a CR really means. If we should decide by the action on the floor today not to send this bill forward, not to have an opportunity to change it between now and the time it actually goes to the White House, then indeed it is very likely that all of these programs will operate under a CR that is considerably longer than ever anticipated and a continuing resolution that is even more severe than these numbers we see on the chart before us. If indeed Members of the House want to give support to important housing programs, if they really care about EPA, if indeed we are interested in seeing that these programs go forward in a way that makes sense, the important thing today is to vote no on the motion to recommit that will be before us shortly and, beyond that, vote aye on final passage in this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Knollenberg], a member of the committee.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to bring to your attention today the fine [[Page E 2287]] work and outstanding public service of Hardy Brown. Hardy, the first African-American man to serve two terms as vice president and then two terms as president of the Board of Education of the San Bernardino City Unified School District, is retiring after 12 remarkable years of service with the board. He will be honored for his service at a dinner in his honor on December 14. Hardy Brown was administered the oath of office for the board of education on December 6, 1983, and was elected vice president of the board for the 1985-86 school year. Shortly thereafter, he was elected as the first black male president of the board and served for both the 1987-88 and 1988-89 school years. In addition, he has served as a representative to the CSBA Delegate Assembly for the 1990-91 and 1992- 93 school years, and has served CSBA in many diverse leadership roles. The San Bernardino City Unified School District is the ninth largest in California with over 44,000 students, 60 percent of whom are minorities. Through his service to the board of education, Hardy Brown has been a thoughtful and dedicated advocate for providing equal educational opportunities to all children in our community. He is also well known and respected by community leaders, parents, clergy, business people, political leaders, representatives of higher education, and civil rights groups, Hardy Brown has a great deal of experience with multiethnic, multicultural, and varied socioeconomic groups. His enthusiasm, commitment, and expertise in alternative programs addressing at-risk students, guidance, dropout prevention, school safety, and vocational education has made him particularly influential and well respected. Most importantly, his leadership style encourages creative and innovative ideas to deal with the greatest challenges facing education and society today. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, Hardy Brown's family, and many friends in recognizing his extraordinary work and selfless public service. His dedication to education and making a real difference in the lives of children is an example worthy of emulation by all of us. It is only fitting that the House pay tribute to Hardy Brown today.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am proud, yet saddened, to bring to your attention today the recent passing of Earl Wesley Bascom of Victorville, CA. Earl was a cowboy hero and a true inspiration to many of us, particularly in the West. I'd like to take a moment to share with you a glimpse of Earl's remarkable life and the legacy he has left for future generations. Earl was born in a sod-roofed log cabin on a ranch near Vernal, UT, on June 19, 1906. His grandfather, Joel Bascom, was one of the very first frontier lawmen, and his father, deputy sheriff John Bascom, chased the outlaw Butch Cassidy in the late 1880's. Earl showed an early interest in art, drawing scenes of his young cowboy life on pieces of scrap paper. This interest blossomed when his family left Utah by covered wagon to start a new ranch life in Alberta, Canada in 1914. There he worked as a cowhand for a dollar a day and furthered his dream under the direction of renowned western artist Charlie Russell. In 1933, at the age of 27, and having never graduated from high school, Earl was accepted to study art at Brigham Young University. He was the first student to pay his way through college exclusively as a rodeo cowboy, giving him the title of ``Rodeo's First Collegiate Cowboy.'' As an early pioneer of rodeo, he invented innovative rodeo equipment still used today. He graduated as one of the great rodeo legends, with his art degree, in 1940. Earl retired from rodeo, married Nadine Diffey, and moved to Los Angeles in 1940 to pursue his art career. As that developed, he worked in construction, ranched, taught, and even did some film work with Roy Rogers. In 1968, Earl began sculpting, and 5 years later, he and his youngest son, John, set up their own bronze casting foundry to produce magnificent works of western art. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, Earl's family and many friends in recognizing Earl Bascom's extraordinary work and remarkable life. Earl lived one of the most interesting lives ever known in modern cowboy history. ``I've tried to portray the West as I knew it--rough and rugged and tough as an old boot but with a good heart and honest as the day is long,'' he said. It is only fitting that the House recognize Earl Bascom today.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, this is a very, very important vote. I would mention one more time to the House that any funding that is made available to very important programs--such as those serving veterans, those serving housing, those programs that involve the EPA, a variety of other agencies--any funds that go in the coming fiscal year to those programs will be voted for up or down on this vote. So if you are for supporting veterans, then you should be voting ``aye'' on this measure. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, the most important challenge that we have during this Congress, the people have said very clearly that we must move toward balancing the budget. The President has signed on. The House has committed by way of its budget actions we will move toward balancing our budget at least in a 7-year period. Beyond the rhetoric of balancing the budget, this is a time to begin voting. This bill, of all appropriations bills, makes the single largest reduction in a pattern of ever-increasing Federal spending. Because of that, I suggest my colleagues take a hard look at saving $9.2 billion below the President's request. This bill is an important bill because it does make a difference if you believe in balancing the budget.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio]. (Mr. LAZIO of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Boehlert] for purposes of a colloquy.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report on H.R. 2099 as well as the Senate amendments reported in disagreement, and that I may include charts, tables and other extraneous materials.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Knollenberg] for purposes of a colloquy. (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The Speaker pro tempore. (Mr. Emerson). Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the conference report.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington [Mr. Metcalf] for purposes of a colloquy.

Mr. LEWIS of California. If the gentleman will yield further, let me, by way of responding to both of my colleagues from Washington, say that I want to assure you both that the presence of that particular language in the final conference report in no way diminishes the intent of the conferees that the Senate language serves as the clear and final direction to the EPA at the Tulalip site during the fiscal year. My recollection is that both Washington State members of the Committee on Appropriations, one from each [[Page H 13753]] side of the aisle, have strongly supported this language, and it is certainly my intention to see that the agency conducts a comprehensive baseline risk assessment and responds to your request. So I appreciate my colleague raising the question.

Mr. LEWIS of California. If the gentleman will yield, I will be happy to do so.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, If the gentleman will yield I would be happy to.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Heineman] for the purpose of a coloquy. (Mr. HEINEMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Knollenberg], a member of the committee. (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Frelinghuysen]. (Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. I would like to make an additional observation with regard to HUD. My experience in working with HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros and NASA Administrator Dan Golden illustrate how valuable partnerships can be when faced with tough spending decisions. Both have reached out and been helpful in outlining their specific priorities. I had hoped such a partnership would be possible in working with President Clinton's chief of staff Leon Panetta to fashion a bill President Clinton would support. To date it appears we are far from any final agreement. It is important to note to my colleagues for the record that the administration fully expects to veto this bill. At a meeting almost 2 weeks ago, Mr. Panetta informed Chairman Bond, Senator Mikulski, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Stokes, and me that this bill would be vetoed regardless of what we did to address the President's priorities. If this is correct, then the true losers will be the millions of Americans who counted on the many programs that would be continued and properly funded under this agreement. I might mention, Mr. Speaker, at this point that for those of you among my colleagues who care about veterans' medical care programs, who care about housing programs, who are concerned about EPA, it should be noted that the only money those programs will receive in the coming year will be as a result of this conference report successfully being signed into law. To do otherwise will leave them with a base of funding considerably less than available in this bill. So I would suggest my colleagues on both sides of the aisle make note of that. This is your chance to provide funding that is needed for veterans' programs and housing and the like. Mr. Speaker, this conference report strikes a careful balance in caring for our veterans, housing people in need, protecting the environment, ensuring America's future role in space, and meeting many other critical needs. This is a good, tough, fair bill, and it deserves the bipartisan support of this body. I strongly urge adoption of the conference report and urge your support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada [Mrs. Vucanovich], a member of the committee.

Mr. LEWIS of California. If the gentleman will continue to yield, I can assume the gentleman, Mr. Speaker, that if we have another opportunity to go back at this language by way of a separate bill, or a bill to follow one that is vetoed, the gentleman's voice will be very clearly heard.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Knollenberg], his concern is appropriately addressed. I share his reservation. The House bill, which contained a spending limitation in the bill language, was rather clear. Unfortunately, I think the final manager's language goes beyond what the gentleman attempted to develop, and he is the author of the provision. It was carefully worked out with the staff on the other side.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my very effective colleague from Florida [Mr. Weldon].

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just might mention, in responding to the gentleman's comments, that, indeed, the assisted housing, for example, in this country has increased in terms of budget by 50 percent in the last 4 years. All one has to do is look across the country at boarded-up buildings in housing projects everywhere to know that it is time for us to rethink where we have been in terms of those programs. Clearly, this side is very concerned about those future programs in terms of their effectiveness, and it is time for us to take some new direction. I said in my opening remarks the Secretary Cisneros has publicly said on many occasions it is time to rethink where we are going on housing. Money is one way to do it; but, indeed, it is important to make sure that the House recognizes that it has a positive role to play in terms of the change as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.