Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 141 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 1995 No. 64 Senate (Legislative day of Wednesday, April 5, 1995) The Senate met at 9:30 a.m., on the As we make this prayer today as EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL expiration of the recess, and was called every day, we make it in confidence APPROPRIATIONS ACT to order by the President pro tempore knowing You are a God of faithfulness The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under [Mr. THURMOND]. and covenant, a God of love, a God of the previous order, the Senate will now The PRESIDENT pro tempore. To- peace. Amen. resume consideration of H.R. 1158, day’s prayer will be offered by our which the clerk will report. guest Chaplain, Father Schlegel. He is f The assistant legislative clerk read president of the University of San Francisco. He has been endorsed by RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING as follows: Senator HATFIELD and Sheila Burke. MAJORITY LEADER A bill (H.R. 1158) making emergency sup- We are very pleased to have him with The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The plemental appropriations for additional dis- us. aster assistance and making rescissions for distinguished Senator from Wyoming. the fiscal year ending September 30, 1995, and SCHEDULE PRAYER for other purposes. Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, on be- The Senate resumed consideration of The guest Chaplain, Father John half of the leader, let me say this Schlegel, office of the president, Uni- the bill. morning that the time for the two Pending: versity of San Francisco, offered the leaders has been reserved, and the Sen- following prayer: Hatfield amendment No. 420, in the nature ate will immediately resume consider- Let us pray: of a substitute. God, designer of life and author of all ation of H.R. 1158, the supplemental ap- D’Amato amendment No. 427 (to amend- that is good and beautiful. We know propriations and rescissions bill. It is ment No. 420) to require congressional ap- the hope of the majority leader that a proval of aggregate annual assistance to any You to be a God of harmony and whole- foreign entity using the exchange stabiliza- ness; a God who seeks justice and re- unanimous-consent agreement can be reached that will enable the Senate to tion fund established under section 5302 of wards goodness. title 31, United States Code, in an amount You give to Your daughters and sons complete action on the supplemental that exceeds $5 billion. many gifts, talents, opportunities, and appropriations bill today. Murkowski-D’Amato amendment No. 441 challenges. You have endowed those If an agreement cannot be reached, (to amendment No. 427) of a perfecting na- elected to this Chamber great opportu- Senators are to be reminded that a clo- ture. nities and great responsibility in con- ture vote on the Hatfield substitute is Daschle amendment No. 445 (to amendment ducting the public work of this land for scheduled for 2 p.m. today. Members No. 420) in the nature of a substitute. the common good of all. should be aware that rollcall votes Dole (for Ashcroft) amendment No. 446 (to As they deliberate may they be moti- could occur throughout the day. amendment No. 445) in the nature of a sub- stitute. vated by service and guided by con- Mr. President, I suggest the absence science. of a quorum. Mr. THOMAS addressed the Chair. Grant the Members of this Senate The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and the whole Congress: wisdom to BURNS). The clerk will call the roll. ator from Wyoming is now recognized. their minds; clearness in their think- The assistant legislative clerk pro- Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I ask ing; truth in their speaking; love in ceeded to call the roll. unanimous consent to proceed as in their hearts; and enthusiasm for their Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I ask morning business. work. Help them be a source of unity unanimous consent that the order for The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without not division. Help them be seekers of the quorum call be rescinded. objection, it is so ordered. justice and forgers of equality. Help The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without f them to set the interest of the Nation objection, it is so ordered. PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF above all else. Guide them, finally, to exercise their f 1995—CONFERENCE REPORT power to assist our fellow citizens to Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, this re- feed the hungry among us; to ease the RESERVATION OF LEADERSHIP quest has been agreed to by both the burden of those in pain; and to make TIME minority and the majority leaders. our country, our communities, and our The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under I ask unanimous consent that the homes better places to live and to the previous order, the leadership time Senate now turn to the consideration work. has been reserved. of the conference report to accompany ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S5273 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:50 May 28, 2008 Jkt 041999 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA15\1995_F~1\S06AP5.REC S06AP5 mmaher on MIKETEMP with SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS S5274 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 6, 1995 S. 244, the paperwork reduction bill; the authorization of appropriations for sion than any other was that of re- that the conference report be agreed OIRA. The Senate bill provided $8 mil- drafting section 3512, which provides to; and that the motion to reconsider lion for each of the next 5 years, while public protection against agency non- be laid upon the table. the House had an indefinite and perma- compliance with the Paperwork Reduc- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without nent authorization. The conferees com- tion Act. Since 1980, the act has pro- objection, it is so ordered. promised on the Senate version for an vided a fundamental protection to The clerk will report. additional year. This 6-year authoriza- every citizen that he or she need not The assistant clerk read as follows: tion will prompt us to review the legis- The committee of conference on the dis- lation at some future time, which was comply with, or respond to, a collec- agreeing votes of the two Houses on the the underlying rationale of the Senate tion of information if such collection amendment of the House to the bill (S. 244) provision. does not display a valid control number to further the goals of the Paperwork Reduc- The House argued that OIRA has given by OMB as evidence that the col- tion Act to have Federal agencies become clearly been established as a matter of lection was reviewed and approved by more responsible and publicly accountable for reducing the burden of Federal paper- policy, if not in law, as a central organ OIRA. And if the collection does not work on the public, and for other purposes, of the Federal Government and a key display a valid control number, the having met, after full and free conference, instrument of current regulatory re- agency may not impose any penalty on have agreed to recommend and do rec- form efforts. The Senate responded the citizen who fails to comply or re- ommend to their respective Houses this re- that it was not its position to sunset spond. port, signed by a majority of the conferees. either the Paperwork Reduction Act or (The conference report is printed in OIRA. The lack of a permanent author- In order to strengthen and under- the House proceedings of the RECORD of ization of appropriations for OIRA has score congressional desire to protect April 3, 1995.) never before, even when it has expired, the public, the conferees included a Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I am caused OIRA to terminate. definition of penalty at the end of sec- pleased to state that our bipartisan ef- I agree that OIRA has become a nec- tion 3502 to make clear that the term forts to strengthen the Paperwork Re- essary and permanent policeman of pa- not only applies to the payment of a duction Act, which began in the last perwork and regulation. But I also con- fine but also to the denial of a benefit. Congress, has now in this Congress be- tinue to hold my longstanding commit- What this means is that if an agency come bicameral. The conferees were ment to limited authorizations. Six does not comply with this act, it is in able to resolve the differences between years is a substantial period of time. A serious trouble. If an agency does not the Houses so that before the week is lot can change in 6 years. In 2001, it is act on a citizen’s request for a Govern- over the Congress will have concluded entirely appropriate that Congress re- ment benefit because the citizen did its work on a bill that significantly im- view the status of our paperwork re- proves upon current law. duction efforts and the role of OIRA. not complete a form that fails to dis- As my colleagues know, the 1980 Act A second major issue of disagreement play a valid OMB clearance number, it established within OMB the Office of between the Houses concerned the an- is the agency—not the citizen—that Information and Regulatory Affairs nual percentage goals for Government- stands in violation of law. Once this is [OIRA]. That offices was directed to re- wide reductions in paperwork burdens. determined, the agency would not only view the paperwork burdens created by The Senate set a 5 percent goal for owe the citizen the benefits due but the Federal Government.