Dianne Feinstein: “I rise in favor of the FY04 Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report, despite major concerns I have with how this bill…”

“I rise in favor of the FY04 Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report, despite major concerns I have with how this bill was put together and with a number of items in the bill. Nevertheless, we are faced with an up or down vote. On balance, I believe that the bill is a net positive and I will support it. The best you can say about this bill is that it is a mixed bag. There are items in the bill that are good for California and the Nation, but there are a number of harmful legislative provisions attached to the bill and on a number of issues the administration was allowed by the majority to override the will of the Senate. For example, among the harmful provisions that I hope we can reverse is language which requires next-day destruction of background check records of sales where a gun buyer successfully clears a Brady background check and is permitted to purchase a firearm. I also look forward to the Senate taking action to prevent implementation of the administration's proposed rules on overtime compensation.”