Jerry Lewis: “Mr. Speaker, I think the House should know that this motion to instruct does involve a number of very important policy…”

“Mr. Speaker, I think the House should know that this motion to instruct does involve a number of very important policy areas, instructing the House to take action as conferees dealing with the other body. In the area of mental parity, for example, there are some very real costs that are involved. While in the 1997 year those costs are difficult to measure over a period of 5 years, there will be an absolute cost of somewhere near 550 millions of dollars. That would be a cost obligation extended forward without any discussions at the authorizing committee level, and without any real debate or light of day in terms of the pros and cons related to that very important subject area. As we deal with questions that relate to the newborn, a similar problem. These are issues that through the appropriate authorizing committees could very well have been discussed thoroughly. But suddenly in this motion to instruct we have a package here that, over time, is going to cost a minimum of $110 million. We have identified ways to pay for it without any kind of thorough review. One of the suggestions, as indicated by the other body, is that we might sell Governor's Island, a little spot in New York that is of interest to some of my colleagues.”