Deborah Pryce

Ms. PRYCE

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley], pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Ms. PRYCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks and include extraneous material.)

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 330 is a two-part resolution. First, it allows the Speaker of the House to declare recesses subject to the call of the Chair on the calendar days of Friday January 5, 1996, through Tuesday, January 9, 1996, and for 3-day periods thereafter until Tuesday, January 23, 1996. Second, this resolution waives clause 4(b) of rule XI, which requires a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same-day it is reported from the Rules Committee, against certain resolutions reported by the Committee on Rules before calendar day Wednesday, January 24, 1996. This resolution covers special rules that provide for the consideration or disposition of specific budget legislation, including fiscal year 1996 appropriations, continuing resolutions, public debt limit increases or waivers, and a 7-year balanced budget bill. The resolution also covers amendments, conference reports, or amendments reported in disagreement from a conference on such legislation. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is primarily focused on moving toward a speedy solution to the budget dilemma that confronts this body, by facilitating the same-day consideration of urgent budget legislation that will reopen the entire Federal Government or provide a new 7-year balanced budget plan. When Congress and the administration come to agreement on these issues, the House will be able to act immediately to end the budget crisis. However, in the absence of legislative activity that moves us toward these goals, this resolution provides the Speaker the ability to declare recesses while the budget negotiations between our leadership and the White House continue. By recessing rather than adjourning, the House will effectively be on stand-by, ready to return should the White House come to meet its responsibility and submit legislation, as promised, that achieves a balanced budget and puts the Government back into full operation. Further, should the President do his duty and the House does return ready for action, these urgent budget measures can be considered under an expedited process. Mr. Speaker, with this resolution, the House is not abdicating its responsibilities. In fact, the House has worked very hard, with a great deal of success, to fulfill its duties. As a result, about 75 percent of the Government is on the job, serving the taxpayers. Three other appropriations bills, which would have put a large number of the remaining Federal employees back to work, were passed by Congress, but vetoed by the President. Had the President signed these bills, 95 percent Federal employees would have been working and receiving their paycheck. Two other appropriations bills are pending action in the other body, and the last spending bill is still in conference. Under this resolution, as soon as these appropriations bills are ready for consideration, the House may give them immediate attention under an expedited process. And, the House just voted to fund some of the most important Government functions, so that meals for seniors, child welfare programs, unemployment benefits, AFDC, passports, and veterans programs would not be denied. Further, we just voted to ensure that Federal employees are no longer held hostage by the President's inaction and receive their pay. The resolution now before us will allow the House to take the next step and reopen the entire Federal Government once the President produces his balanced budget, under a process that allows immediate action. Mr. Speaker, responsibility can also be demonstrated by keeping one's promises. The Republican Majority has worked diligently over the past year to keep its promise to the American people by crafting and passing a Balanced Budget Act which eliminates the deficit in 7 years. However, these efforts may mean little if a balanced budget is not enacted into law. The President has made a similar promise, numerous times, and most recently in writing. he signed into law a promise to Congress and the American people that he will enact a budget that reaches balance by the year 2002, using the Congressional Budget Office's numbers. Currently, Congress, Federal workers, and the American people are waiting for the President to keep his word and fulfill his end of the bargain. Frankly, his failure to do so is unacceptable. When the President finally gives us his budget from which to begin to negotiate, the terms of this resolution would permit the House to come back into session to respond quickly and appropriately. Mr. Speaker, the budget impasse facing this House and the Nation is serious, and clearly, the shutdown of the Government is undesirable, but the future of our country is at stake. My colleagues who are committed to a balanced budget are not trying to ignore the situation at hand. Instead, those of us who are truly committed to a balanced budget are taking bold steps to confront the real financial crisis that faces our Nation, because it is responsible and it is right and we are so close and this is our last best chance. This resolution will allow us to continue to work toward the goal of fiscal responsibility in a practical manner. House Resolution 330 is appropriate in light of these unique circumstances. It is a tool we need to keep the budget negotiations on line. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. SOLOMON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr. Dreier]. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, just so the record is protected, let me read from the Congressional Record: ``* * * and the crown jewel is not given back but it is protected with the President's approval, and that is to adopt tax policies to help working families and to stimulate future economic growth.'' That was what the Republicans signed, and that is what the President signed as well. We are still waiting for the President. We have been waiting for 50 days now, and we would like to see where he wants to start these negotiations. It is very hard to negotiate in a vacuum. If you do not know where one side of the process stands, you cannot get anywhere. So, Mr. Speaker, we would implore the other side of the aisle to lean on President Clinton to get that to us so that we can have a clean CR. That is exactly what this vehicle will provide for. They will have the clean CR that they so desperately want, that we would all like to see, if the President submits that budget with our crown jewel intact. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. All of the money for the LIHEAP has been sent to the States already. We keep hearing rhetoric from the other side, and all of it is not completely correct. I believe that the seriousness of this is not going unnoticed by anybody, and we have to be attendant to the details of getting this budget balanced. The responsibility rests with our leadership and with the President. Everyone in this House knows that these negotiations are going on at a level that many of us are not involved in at all, and the fact of the matter is that we should allow those negotiations to proceed, Mr. Speaker. When we are needed, this resolution gives us the maximum flexibility to be called back into action by the Speaker when we need to ratify action that has been taken. However, for us to linger around here for nothing better than to muddy the waters, it is irresponsible. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California [Mr. Cox].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment authorized by the Committee on Rules.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 320 was reported by the Committee on Rules last night by voice vote authorizing the Speaker to declare recesses subject to the call of the Chair. The amendment I will offer would authorize the Speaker to declare recesses subject to the call of the Chair on calendar day Thursday, December 28, through Saturday, December 30. The amendment would further provide that after the House has been in session on calendar day Saturday, December 30, the Speaker may declare recesses subject to the call of the Chair on calendar day Saturday, December 30, through Wednesday, January 3. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker needs this authority to keep the House in recess next week subject to the call of the Chair, pending the ongoing negotiations over the budget. Members should be aware that the House will not be adjourned, but rather in recess on standby, should budget negotiations prove successful. amendment offered by ms. pryce

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished majority leader, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis].

Ms. PRYCE. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Ms. PRYCE. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is obviously very difficult to predict what will happen with the budget negotiations over the next few days. But if there is some sudden movement, make no mistake, we are not adjourning. We are recessing at the call of the Chair. We will all be back here to ratify the actions taken by our leadership and the President. When the President gets serious, we will be here to do what it takes. You may call that optimistic, Mr. Speaker, but after all it is a season of miracles and perhaps we will see some movement, and I certainly hope that is the case.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In response to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank] I love the Constitution, and I love democracy, and we are learning, we are learning how to play this game, and I think we are playing it pretty darn well. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. When the gentleman suggests we return to reality, I suggest that we are about to do just that. Reality does not necessarily exist here in the beltway. Reality is out in our districts with our constituents and with our families, and it is good for us as Members to return to that reality on occasion. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Salmon].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr. Cunningham].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Ganske].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Walker].

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 320 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules.

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley], the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Rules, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 320 is a simple, straightforward resolution that allows the Speaker of the House to declare recesses subject to the call of the Chair on the calendar days of Saturday, December 23, 1995, through Wednesday, December 27, 1995. The resolution further provides that any such recess may not extend beyond the calendar day of Wednesday, December 27, 1995. Mr. Speaker, the Rules Committee brings this resolution to the floor today for several important reasons. First, the resolution specifically provides for the Speaker to declare recesses, and not to adjourn the House at the end of business this week. This is an important distinction which will permit the House to be on stand-by should further progress be made in budget and other negotiations between our leadership and the White House. As our colleagues know, several functions of the Federal Government are not yet operating at this time, and adjourning the House may unnecessarily hamper our ability to consider legislation should a breakthrough be reached in our discussions with the President. Despite recent news stories to the contrary, we are making progress toward resolving our differences, and Members on this side of the aisle remain just as committed today to a 7-year balanced budget plan as they have been all year. By recessing the House, key committees can swing into action, if necessary, to begin the process of crafting final balanced budget legislation and re-opening the Federal Government. No less important is the fact that Members and staff would certainly benefit from a brief respite from the legislative program. You don't need to be a veteran Hill watcher to recognize that the intensity of our work here over the past several weeks is taking its toll. In fact, the Congressional Research Service just recently issued a report on the breakdown of civility and decorum in the House. And that is unfortunate because no matter how controversial the issues are which we debate on this floor, rational, reasonable men and women can agree to disagree, and still remain friends. I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that if the House does not take a brief recess in the next few days, at least for the sake of goodwill, ``Grumpy Old Men'' will end up being more than just the title of a funny movie. While some Members may prefer to work right through this holiday weekend, I believe the vast majority of our constituents would want us to legislate carefully, thoughtfully, and deliberately, with clear minds as we undertake the serious challenge of finalizing a fair, workable plan to balance the Federal budget in 7 years' time. Finally, the resolution before us will give Members the opportunity to enjoy a short, but hopefully meaningful and fulfilling Christmas holiday with their friends and family. And for some of us, it will mean being able to interact, however briefly, with our constituents back home as we continue to gauge the American people's support for fiscal restraint and responsibility. Now I would just like to add, Mr. Speaker, that there are many Federal employees who reside in my congressional district and throughout each Member's district. Our message to them is that we have not abandoned you, despite the heated rhetoric you might hear. While the situation facing many Federal workers clearly is uncomfortable in the near-term, especially as we approach the holidays, our goal for the long-term is to give all Americans the best Christmas gift possible, and that is a balanced Federal budget. It is the key to our Nation's future economic prosperity, and I am confident that all those affected by the current budget situation will understand that we have their best interests at heart. In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me emphasize that with this resolution, we are not abdicating our responsibility to complete the people's business. In fact, the situation is just the opposite. We on this side of the aisle are hopeful and optimistic that a budget agreement can be reached in the very near future. We encourage the President to continue to participate in the negotiations so that a serious budget agreement can be reached without any further delay. If that should happen, the terms of this resolution would permit the House to come back into session to respond appropriately. And I know several key Members of the House, including the distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee, Mr. Solomon, will be here this weekend working to bridge the budget gap with the President. Mr. Speaker, under normal circumstances, the House would more than likely have been adjourned by now and everyone would be comfortably at home enjoying friends and family, and the goodwill of the holidays. But as our colleagues know all too well, circumstances regrettably are far from normal. This resolution is appropriate in light of these circumstances. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE

Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, due to inclement weather in my district, I was unavoidably detained and not able to vote earlier this week. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 866, ``aye'' on rollcall No. 867, ``aye'' on rollcall No. 868, ``no'' on rollcall No. 869, and ``aye'' on rollcall No. 870.