Tom Harkin: “I thought the CR--the continuing resolution, as it is known around this place--was going to be laid down tonight. I…”

“I thought the CR--the continuing resolution, as it is known around this place--was going to be laid down tonight. I guess it will not be laid down until tomorrow. But I will be offering an amendment the first thing in the morning on behalf of myself and a number of other cosponsors: Mr. Kohl, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Levin, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Carper, and Ms. Cantwell. I think by tomorrow morning there are going to be a lot more on this list. It is basically a very simple amendment. All it says is: Notwithstanding section 101 of this joint resolution, amounts are provided for making payments under the ``Community Services Block Grant Act'' at a rate not less than the amounts made available for such Act in fiscal year 2005. Well, what that means is that this amendment, then, will continue the community services block grants at last year's level. Now, you might say: Well, wait a minute. Isn't that what a continuing resolution does, it continues everything at last year's level? Well, we have a continuing resolution the likes of which I have never seen. I have not seen it in the last 10 years. I have asked my staff to go back 20 years or so to see if we had something like it. Here is what the House has done. They have sent us a continuing resolution that continues funding either at last year's level or at the House budget level, whichever is lower--whichever is lower.…”