H5672 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE July 24, 1997 NOT VOTINGÐ48 amendment by the gentleman from The amendment that I am offering Barton Gilchrest Neal Wisconsin [Mr. OBEY]. today simply does not even restore the Berman Graham Norwood Pursuant to House Resolution 193, no President's request. We simply try to Blumenauer Hooley Paxon further amendments to the bill or restore $27 million so that we assure Boswell Hoyer Pomeroy Brady Hyde Radanovich amendments thereto are in order ex- that no person is knocked off the pro- Cardin Johnson, E. B. Rangel cept the amendments printed in the gram in the coming fiscal year. Now Chenoweth Johnson, Sam Roemer CONGRESSIONAL RECORD before July 22, how do we pay for it? We pay for it Cox Kaptur Sawyer 1997, the amendments printed in the Crane Kennelly Schiff simply by eliminating $36 million, Davis (FL) Kind (WI) Skaggs CONGRESSIONAL RECORD numbered 21, which has been put in this bill above Diaz-Balart Lampson Stark 22, 23, and 35, one amendment by the the President's budget to pay for sub- Dingell Markey Stokes gentleman from California [Mr. COX] sidies for commissions for insurance Dooley Matsui Sununu Engel McCarthy (MO) Thurman regarding assistance to the Democratic agents who write crop insurance. Eshoo McDermott Whitfield People's Republic of Korea, and the This is not aimed in any way at Foglietta Molinari Young (AK) amendment by the gentleman from changing what farmers receive by way b 1055 Wisconsin [Mr. OBEY], pending when of crop insurance. This is not aimed in the Committee of the Whole rose on any way at affecting what farmers pay. Messrs. PACKARD, GEKAS, LEACH, July 22. It is simply aimed at the abuses in the CASTLE, LEWIS of California, Each amendment is considered read, commissions which were described by HINOJOSA, SMITH of Michigan, debatable for 10 minutes, except as pro- the General Accounting Office when BONO, BOEHNER, KANJORSKI, and vided in section 2 of the resolution, they pointed out that they had discov- Ms. SANCHEZ, changed their vote equally divided and controlled by the ered above-average commissions paid from ``yea'' to ``nay.'' proponent and opponent. to agents by one large company. They Mr. OWENS changed his vote from The Chairman of the Committee of discovered the Government was being ``nay'' to ``yea.'' the Whole may postpone a request for a charged for corporate aircraft and ex- So the motion to adjourn was re- recorded vote on any amendment and cessive automobile charges, we were jected. may reduce to a minimum of 5 minutes being charged for country club mem- The result of the vote was announced the time for voting on any postponed berships and various entertainment ac- as above recorded. question that immediately follows an- tivities for agencies and employees f other vote, provided that the time for such as skybox rentals at professional voting on the first question shall be a sporting events. GENERAL LEAVE minimum of 15 minutes. This amendment is, purely and sim- Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unan- After a motion that the Committee ply, aimed at ending the rip-off of both imous consent that all Members may rise has been rejected on a day, the farmers and taxpayers by some people have 5 legislative days within which to Chairman of the Committee of the who are involved in this program so revise and extend their remarks on the Whole may entertain another such mo- that we can free up some money for bill (H.R. 2160) making appropriations tion on that day only if offered by the starving and malnourished kids. It is for Agriculture, Rural Development, Chairman of the Committee on Appro- as simple as that. I urge support of the Food and Drug Administration, and re- priations or the majority leader or amendment lated agencies programs for the fiscal their designee. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance year ending September 30, 1998, and for After a motion that the Committee of my time. other purposes, and that I may include rise with the recommendation to strike Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield tabular and extraneous material. out the enacting words of the bill has myself such time as I may consume, The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. been rejected, the Chairman of the and I rise in opposition to the Obey HASTINGS of Washington). Is there ob- Committee of the Whole may not en- amendment. I would like to point out that we jection to the request of the gentleman tertain another such motion during have worked long and hard to put to- from New Mexico? further consideration of the bill. gether a bill that is reasonable and fair There was no objection. Pending is the amendment by the to all aspects of USDA, FDA, CFTC, f gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. OBEY]. Pursuant to the resolution, the gen- and farm credit. I think we have before AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOP- tleman from Wisconsin [Mr. OBEY] and this House a bill that is balanced. It MENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMIN- a Member opposed each will control 15 takes care of the needs of farmers and ISTRATION, AND RELATED minutes. ranchers; research related to nutrition AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS The Chair recognizes the gentleman and ag production; housing, rural de- ACT, 1998 from Wisconsin [Mr. OBEY]. velopment, and nutrition of low-in- come people and the elderly; food, drug b 1100 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- and medical device safety; and food for ant to House Resolution 193 and rule Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield my- the needy overseas. XXIII, the Chair declares the House in self such time as I may consume. I appreciate the gentleman from Wis- the Committee of the Whole House on Mr. Chairman, 2 years ago, when the consin [Mr. OBEY] trying to do what he the State of the Union for the further majority party tried to cut the School is trying to do. If my colleagues look consideration of the bill, H.R. 2160. Lunch Program, this Congress and the at this bill, they will see that we both Nation finally rejected that. Last year, b 1058 regard WIC as the highest priority item they tried to cut the WIC Program, the in it. WIC received the largest increase IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE feeding program for women, children, in this bill, at $118.2 million over last Accordingly the House resolved itself and infants. The country rejected that. year. This is on top of $76 million that into the Committee of the Whole House Now we are back with this bill, and was recently provided in the supple- on the State of the Union for the fur- this bill is $30 million short of the mental. With this increase, WIC is ther consideration of the bill (H.R. amount that is apparently required in funded at $3.924 billion in fiscal year 2160) making appropriations for Agri- order to prevent 55,000 women and chil- 1998. This amount fully supports the culture, Rural Development, Food and dren from being knocked off the pro- current participation level of 7.4 mil- Drug Administration, and related agen- gram. lion. cies programs for the fiscal year ending At the same time, this Congress is My colleague, the gentleman from September 30, 1998, and for other pur- being asked to approve a tax cut which Wisconsin [Mr. OBEY] says that if this poses, with Mr. LINDER in the chair. will provide, on average, a $27,000 tax amendment does not pass, 55,000, now The Clerk read the title of the bill. cut to the richest 1 percent of people in they are going up about 5,000 a day The CHAIRMAN. When the Commit- this country. I think that is uncon- from what I can gather after hearing tee of the Whole rose on Tuesday, July scionable. The bill itself is $180 million the new statistics, 55,000 women, in- 22, 1997, the bill had been read through below the President's budget for the fants and children will be taken off the page 27, line 23, and pending was the WIC Program. program. July 24, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE H5673 I do not know where this information who are hungry and need the nutrition. have an obligation to address the prob- came from. We have two Statements of It is a sensible, reasonable thing to do. lems of our most vulnerable citizens. Administration Policy from the Execu- He takes the money, the $24 million, We have a whole wealth of new re- tive Office of the President concerning from the commissions of people who search indicating importance of proper this bill, and neither one says a word sell crop insurance. And he talked a lit- care for children, particularly at-risk about people being forced off the pro- tle bit earlier about some of the spe- children during their first few years of gram with the funding level included in cific benefits, like skyboxes and air- life. this bill as it is now. We have heard plane trips and things of that nature, The very least we can do for these these scare tactics before, let us not that are enjoyed by these commis- young children is to make sure that fall for them again. sioners. And they will be, unfortu- they have access to proper nutrition Mr. Chairman, I have presented this nately, deprived of those amenities, during these formative years. WIC has House with a balanced bill. This is a but that money now will be used to been proven to be one of our most suc- bill of compromises.