Jim Walsh

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. First of all, let me just clarify, I do not really think the gentleman meant to say that we are derelict in our duty. I think we have worked very, very hard, all of us, both parties, both Houses, to try to get these issues resolved and they are substantive issues. As far as the issue of pay, I heard the chairman of the Senate subcommittee and the chairman of the conference say that it was his feeling that it would not be the Senate's position in a final conference agreement. It is not a part of the House's position. Many Members thought it was punitive and it treated the Members of Congress differently than all other Federal workers.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, this bill obviously has not been concluded; its work is still in conference. There are substantial differences between the Senate position and the House position. I spoke with Senator Jeffords as recently as today to try to get some resolution. As the gentleman knows, this has been a very difficult year for the District of Columbia. We passed legislation that basically overhauled the Home Rule to provide for a control board, a financial control board. We never received a budget from the District until 2\1/2\ months after it was supposed to be submitted. We received a number of budgets. We received the City Council budget, a mayoral budget, a control board budget, all of which, as the gentleman knows since he serves on the subcommittee, slowed us down substantially.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. If the gentleman will continue to yield, Mr. Speaker, surely my colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin, understands that this is a very unique situation. It does not involve any Federal funds, unlike the other continuing resolution that he is discussing, and these are not frivolous matters. These are important and very serious and monumental, in fact, discussions about the direction of the Federal Government. It obviously has taken some time. I am sure that when there is some agreement on the future direction of this country and its budget, that we will bring that forward.

Mr. WALSH. That is correct. The District has received about $370 million of the $660 million Federal formula funds and approximately $8 million of the $52 million that go toward the pension fund.

Mr. WALSH. That is correct.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, this is a continuing resolution that affects only the District of Columbia and only their ability to spend local funds. It is a continuation of the bill that was passed last year that provided continuing funding for the District's own local funds through January 3. This is identical to the legislation we passed at the end of the last session but this would continue that funding authority until January 25.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I offer a joint resolution (H.J. Res. 153) making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes, and I ask unanimous consent that it be considered as passed, and that a motion to reconsider be laid on the table.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I think the subcommittee did yeoman work, and it definitely did do its job. Unfortunately, there are substantial differences between the Senate and the House positions. I think the House did its job; I think the conference has work to do yet.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Do the gentleman regret the decision that he made?

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of those who worked together to bring this to the floor on a unanimous consent. It gives us the opportunity to allow the operation of the District government to continue. But I would remind my colleagues all this, as far as title II of this resolution is concerned, is with the District's own money. There is no additional Federal appropriation going to the District under this CR. Mr. Speaker, title II, again, regarding the District of Columbia, would allow them to spend their own money until January 3. On the few issues that are dealt with in this CR regarding abortion, there will be no funds for abortion. Domestic partners, there would be current law, meaning no funds to enforce that law. The funding level would be at the lower of the 2 houses. Mr. Speaker, the bill is silent on the issue of education reform. I would assure my colleagues, however, that this issue is not dead by a longshot. The discussions are ongoing. This will buy us some time to work these issues out with the Senate. I do believe that the last meeting that I had with Senator Jeffords and the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Gunderson, did lead me to be a little more optimistic about getting this issue resolved in a positive way, something that I think both Houses of Government could support. However, Mr. Speaker, it is yet to be worked out. Mr. Speaker, this will give us some additional time, and at the same time it will give the District the opportunity to continue to operate and provide services to its constituents. I regret that we do not have funding for all of the rest of the Government, but I remind my colleagues that it was three vetoes by the President that brought the Government to a stop on the other appropriations bills. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues and urge their support.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives today to join me in paying special tribute to an industrious individual with a good heart. A constituent of mine who in addition to dedicating his life to a business which saves people's lives, has shown the ingenuity to rise above the hundreds who provide a similar service by coming up with an idea that helps drunk drivers help themselves back to respectability. The man's name is David J. Butler of T.L.C. Medical Services, Inc., an ambulance service in Cortland, NY. Mr. Butler recently was honored by his peers in the American Ambulance Association when he won the Public Safety Program Award in a national competition. Working in conjunction with the Cortland County district attorney and the county sheriff, Mr. Butler developed a program which allowed first- time DWI offenders who were not involved in a serious infraction connected with their offense to benefit from a plea bargain which required them to do community service. The community service, as you might guess, was to ride with ambulance personnel to drinking-related calls so as to experience, while sober, the devastating effect alcohol can have on drivers and on domestic situations The program is called Riding for Life. It is to the credit of David J. Butler, who 22 years ago acquired his ambulance company and since then has shown what commitment means. He has increased the number of ambulances and other vehicles, and he still works very hard himself. Mr. Butler is a civic leader in central New York. I am very proud to call him a neighbor and thank my colleagues for acknowledging his accomplishment.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, on this historic day, I offer a tribute to the National Guard and the military reservists of our country, especially for the service of those from my State and Congressional District. Shortly after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, 55 years ago today, the 27th Infantry Division, comprised of National Guardsmen from New York's small towns and cities, became the first and only square infantry division to enter the war in the Pacific. It established defense installations in Hawaii against an anticipated Japanese invasion. These were the first soldiers in the Central Pacific to take offensive action against Japan, the first to invade the Gilberts and the Marianas, and the first to engage in operations carrying the war closer and closer to the enemy's homeland. When World War II ended, the 98th Infantry Division--the Iroquois Division, organized as a New York reserve square division at the close of World War I--occupied Japan and aided war reconstruction efforts. Contributions of these peace-time civilians are described in the book ``Soldiers Remember'' by J. Arthur Rath of Syracuse, NY: Within ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, two fast convoys left San Francisco loaded with troops. In the next three-and-a-half years, Jones, Kelly, Goldstein, Skorski, Olsen--men with all the fine-sounding American names--came in an olive drab flood to build from Hawaii the road to Tokyo. They proved a great many things that are part of our heritage and that our enemies believed America had lost. They showed that Americans are still as determined as the day when Thomas Paine sat with ragged revolutionary troops in the chill night of a late fire and wrote that `Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.' Then Paine watched and wrote while American civilians turned into soldiers conquered it. The National Guardsmen of the 27th New York Division were linked to units participating in every one of our country's major conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Among its regiments was the 165th, the old ``Fighting 69th'' of ``Fighting Irish'' of World War I fame. The American soldiers were the first to break the Hindenberg line, the turning point in that war. Members of the National Guard and military reserve who stand ready to serve their country during peace, as well as during war, helped make the rallying call rising 55 years ago today. ``Remember Pearl Harbor''--an expression of determination and triumph. The Roster of 27th Division Units (New York National Guard) and Localities From Which They Were Drawn on Federal Induction, 25 September 1940 Is As Follows: Division Headquarters, New York; Division Headquarters Detachment, New York; Headquarters Special Troops, New York; Medical Detachment, New York; Headquarters Company, New York; 27th Military Police Company, New York; 27th Signal Company, Yonkers; and 102d Ordnance Company, New York. 53d Brigade Headquarters, Albany; and 53d Brigade Headquarters Co., Albany. 105th Infantry Headquarters, Troy; Headquarters Company, Troy; Medical Detachment, Troy; Antitank Company, Whitehall; Service Company, Troy; 1st Battalion Headquarters, Troy; Headquarters Detachment 1st Battalion, Hoosick Falls; Company A, Troy; Company B, Cohoes; Company C, Troy; Company D;, Troy; 2d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Schenectady; Company E, Schenectady; Company F, Schenectady; Company G, Amsterdam; Company H, Schenectady; 3d Battalion Headquarters, Schenectady; Headquarters Detachment, 3d Battalion, Saranac Lake; Company I, Malone; Company K, Glens Falls; Company L, Saratoga Springs; and Company M, Gloversville. 106th Infantry Headquarters, Albany; Medical Detachment, Rome; Headquarters Company, Hudson; Antitank Company, Catskill; Service Company, Albany; All 1st Battalion, Albany; 2d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Binghamton; Company E, Binghamton; Company F, Walton; Company G, Oneonta; Company H, Binghamton; 3d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Utica; Company I, Mohawk; Company K, Oneida; Company L, Utica; and Company M, Utica. [[Page E 2324]] 54th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, New York; and Headquarters Company, New York. 108th Infantry Headquarters, Syracuse; Medical Detachment, Syracuse; Headquarters Company, Syracuse; Antitank Company, Rochester; Service Company, Auburn; Band, Syracuse; 1st Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Syracuse; Company A, Watertown; Company B, Geneva; Company C, Syracuse; Company D, Oswego; 2d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Rochester; Company E, Rochester; Company F, Medina; Company G, Rochester; Company H, Rochester; 3d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Auburn; Company I, Auburn; Company K, Hornell; Company L, Elmira; and Company M, Ogdensburg. 165th Infantry complete, New York. 52d Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters Battery, New York. 104th Field Artillery Regiment Headquarters, New York; Medical Detachment, New York; Headquarters Battery, New York; Service Battery, New York; 1st Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Syracuse; Battery A, Syracuse; Battery B, Binghamton; Battery C, Binghamton; 2d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, New York; Battery D, New York; Battery E, New York; and Battery F, New York. 105th Field Artillery Regiment Headquarters, New York; Medical Detachment, New York; Headquarters Battery, New York; Service Battery, New York; 1st Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Brooklyn; Battery A, New York; Battery B, New York; Battery C, New York; 2d Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, New York; Battery D, New York; and Battery E, New York. 106th Field Artillery Regiment complete, Buffalo. 102d Engineer Regiment complete, New York. 102d Medical Regiment Headquarters, New York; Service Company, White Plains; 1st Battalion Headquarters, New York; Company A, Rochester; Company B, New York; 2d Battalion Headquarters, Albany; Company D, New York; Company E, White Plains; 3d Battalion Headquarters, Albany; Company G, Jamaica; and Company H, White Plains. 102d Quartermaster Regiment complete, New York. 102d Observation Squadron, New York. Summary: By the end of its wartime duty in the Pacific, the 27th had lost its local character. Those from every state in the Union saw service in its ranks in the more than five years it was away from home. When the Division returned to the United States, it again became a unit of the New York National Guard. Commanding General of the New York National Guard is: Major General Robert Rose Phone 518 786-4510 330 Old Niskayuna Road Latham, New York In charge of the 27th Division is Col. Robert Schnurr, chief of staff, Same address and phone number.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, the mandate from Americans in last year's elections was clear. Cut the fat in Government. Rein in the spending. Save our country. The spending binge has to end. We promised our constituents we would balance the budget. President Clinton, you are standing in the way. This is not a political campaign. We are talking about the future of our country. Republicans have produced a budget which spares the vulnerable. Our budget will not cut spending on important programs. It allows for growth at a sustainable rate. Student loans: In 7 years, annual student loan spending goes from $24.5 to $36.4 billion in 2002. Medicaid: In the past 7 years, Medicaid spending totaled $443 billion. In the next 7 years, $773 billion. Medicare: In the past 7 years, we spent $926 billion. In the next 7 years, $1.6 trillion. Over the next 7 years, Medicare spending per beneficiary will increase 40 percent. We have promised taxpayers we will balance the budget. We will do that. It's time for President Clinton to say no to spending, and yes to our children. If not now, when, Mr. President?

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2546) making appropriations for the government of the District of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole or in part against the revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have no objection to the motion. I support the motion. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Speaker, I rise just briefly to respond. I think that certainly our party has reached out to work with the administration to try to preclude any of the train-wreck scenarios the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] has talked about, and our leadership has gone out of its way to try to resolve these issues, they need to be resolved, but at the same time we are very concerned about getting our budget in balance for the first time in a long, long time. Raising the debt ceiling for the Federal Government is an important issue, and I think it is important that both sides work together to try to resolve it so that we can, while we are going to increase our ability to borrow money to pay the debt, we need to talk seriously about getting our budget in balance. So I ask that first of all we support this motion. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. I think the city government would have a big problem if we held up this bill for another 30 days. They spend that Federal formula money the day that it arrives.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I beg the indulgence of my colleagues just for a moment. this has been my first opportunity to chair a Subcommittee on Appropriations and bring a bill to the floor. It has been an amazing journey. Mr. Chairman, let me just briefly explain what we have done. We pay the District of Columbia $660 million in lieu of taxes for property occupied by the Federal Government in the District. Basically, we are paying rent. We also give them $52 million for the pension programs for police, firefighters, teachers, and judges. Mr. Chairman, $712 million, that is what this bill is really all about. This year is the first time that the funds will go to the control board, directly to them. They will then allocate those funds, and they will make the cuts in agency and program budgets. What are the cuts? We are about $85 million under last year's funding level. For some, that is not enough; for others, it is too much. We have also asked the control board to look at a number of items like rent control, privatization, and the District's health care system. We did that to preserve home rule to let the District make their own decisions. Mr. Chairman, what are the other issues, the ones that take up all the debate? Abortion. For those on the right, this bill has the toughest language ever on a District of Columbia appropriations bill. On the left, the NEA amendment was defeated. There should be something in there to make every Member in this room happy. Mr. Chairman, I ask for bipartisan support. I ask my colleagues to set their one issue aside, if they would. We have work to do. We complain about our constituents having one issue. They are with us 95 percent of the time. We go off the ranch for 5 minutes, and they are angry and upset with us. We are doing the same thing here. I ask my colleagues to set their one issue aside. Help us to pass this bill. Mr. Chairman, a reporter did a profile of me recently. He accused me of being dour and humorless. I said to him, ``If you had spent 250 out of the last 300 days working on trying to solve the District of Columbia's problems, you would be suicidal, let alone dour.'' Mr. Chairman, the District is a mess. We all know it. No Member has been tougher on the District of Columbia than I have, but there is progress. The CFO is starting to assert himself. He is starting to take over the finances of the District. The District is responding to pressure. We have a responsibility. We have talked a lot about our rights, but we have a responsibility to pay our rent to this city. We are not talking about the national debt. That comes next week. Mr. Chairman, let me just finish with a story. I had the opportunity not to long ago to attend a prayer breakfast where Chuck Colson spoke. Those Members who are old enough to remember Watergate will remember Chuck Colson. He went to jail for what he did in Watergate, and now he runs a jail ministry, and he does a wonderful job with people. Mr. Chairman, he talked about a statement that he made when he was in Washington. He said, ``I would go over my mother's back to pass a bill, a certain bill.'' For him, winning was everything, and sometimes it is for us now. Do my colleagues know what that bill was? It was postal reform. Now, I do not know if that gets my colleagues' juices flowing, but it does not get mine. Mr. Chairman, the point here is that we have got to set our differences aside and do our job. This is an appropriations bill. We have to pass it sooner or later, and I would strongly request that my colleague, the gentleman from California [Mr. Dixon], reach across the aisle, as I did last year, and help us to pass this bill.