C. W. Bill Young: “I am not really opposed to what the gentleman is suggesting here. The Committee on Appropriations did add $3.2 billion…”

“I am not really opposed to what the gentleman is suggesting here. The Committee on Appropriations did add $3.2 billion to the wartime supplemental to deal with airline issues and to be helpful to the airline industry. So there is plenty of money to handle this issue, but I am going to vote against it because of the problems it could cause as we go to conference. We have a tight schedule. The committees on both sides of the aisle have worked extremely well. Just a few days after receiving the President's request, the Committee on Appropriations reported the bill to the House. As Members know, last Thursday we passed this bill with an overwhelming vote in the House. However, there are some significant differences between our bill and the bill presented by the other body. I just have the feeling this is going to be a fairly difficult conference because, while the House kept the bill very clean and close to what the President requested, to fight the war and provide for homeland security and to support those of our coalition who are helping us in this war effort, the other body, frankly, added quite a few things that were extraneous to the wartime issue; and that is going to make the conference a little difficult. I want to get this conference completed.”