the appropriations process for the 104th Congress is a three-act play. Fiscal year 1995 was act one. We saved $20 billion. Fiscal year 1996 is, and we are drawing to a closure, is almost to an end, and we are saving $23 billion. And we go…

We told them, Mr. Speaker, we wanted to reduce the cost of Government. We wanted to get our hands out of the pockets of the taxpayers so that the American family would have more money to spend on the welfare of their own children, on the…

Well, quite frankly, the obstacles did not arise in the House or in the Senate, the obstacles arose and emanated there from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Because if we had had the cooperation of those good folks, it would not have taken us a…

Well, if the President had signed the bill that you, Mr. Chairman, pushed through this Congress, frankly, we would be well on our way to a balanced budget by the year 2002. The fact he vetoes it makes me very, very frightened when I look…

I just know that he is one of the foremost among us in this House and empathizes with the hardship that the American family faces every day. Whether it is a two-parent family or a one-parent family who is struggling to raise his or her or…

Absolutely not. And I would point out to the gentleman, as he well knows, that the formula around here in Congress in the old days was very simple: We spent that much on that many programs. We need more programs, we will create several new…

That is correct. And in fairness to the negotiators who participated on behalf of the White House, the fact is that they did negotiate, we have a package, and I do hope that the President will sign that package. I have every reason to…

That is correct. And as we all remember, when this House passed an Interior bill, a Commerce, State, Justice bill, and one other appropriations bill before Christmas, the President vetoed all three of those bills and, in fact, the…

No more complicated, and just a little bit better when one considers that 200 programs, each with its own good intent, but each with its overlapping and duplicative bureaucracy, ceases to exist with the signature of the President on this…

Mr. Chairman, we have to fully appreciate what we are about today. The fact is that we will never eliminate the deficit if we give some programs exalted, protective status in the budget process requiring those less fortunate to shoulder…

I would tell the gentleman, this continuing resolution will continue the existing temporary funding laws in effect until April 24, which avoid any government shutdown and while it sounds like a long time, is really only 6 legislative days…

I had hoped to stand before the House today and ask for the opportunity to present the final solution, if you will, for fiscal year 1996, the wrap-up bill, the omnibus bill, the bill that has plagued this House for the last 6 months…

the issue of striker replacement was repugnant to the liberals on the other side. I personally turned on the television and watched the proceedings and watched one of the liberal Democrats object to the bringing up of this bill. The fact…

Mr. Speaker, I love the word of the month, ``extremists.'' Republicans are extremists. I must hear it from 43 Democrats a day in one form or another, either on the floor or somewhere on the media. Mr. Speaker, they are talking about how we…

I just point out that, as my colleagues know, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Goodling] chairman of the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, pointed out there are 760 education programs. Only 6 percent are actually…

Mr. Speaker, actually, I agree. It is not a great process. I would have loved to have expedited it and been done with it. In fact, I think, had we been able to reach an agreement with the President on the remaining bills not enacted since…

Mr. Speaker, it was my hope that we could dispose of this resolution rather quickly, but it appears it is going to be somewhat prolonged. So let me just make the point that the wrapup continuing appropriations bill that we await action…

in the last 14 months, as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, I have been fighting these budget battles, and I have great sympathy for what the gentleman is trying to accomplish with his amendment. He wants to cut down on the…

the minority leader said this is a matter about people. I agree, and people pay taxes, and they expect the United States of America to spend the money they entrust to us wisely. What this is about is a misuse of their taxpayers' dollars…

Mr. Chairman, as we are aware, the 1996 appropriations cycle has extended longer than normal, primarily because the President vetoed three bills, the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary bill, the Interior bill, and the VA-HUD bill, and…

So the gentleman wants cops. It is the President's favorite program. The point is we put $1.9 billion in the block grant. If the communities want to use it for the Cops on the Street, they can do it. They also have flexibility to use it…

Mr. Chairman, the Boehlert amendment actually doubles the impact of a provision in the existing bill that is before the House. I had intended to come to the floor in opposition to the existing provision. So let me double my opposition to…

Look, the bottom line is, with all due respect to my friend, and because my time is limited and I think I might have other speakers before this day is over, the fact that this is a program that might be wise today but someday in the future…

You know, for the last 14 months I have heard one speaker after another from both sides of the aisle come up and talk about how important it is to balance the budget. We are going to do it, oh, we are going to balance the budget, but not…

Mr. Chairman, the agriculture quarantine inspection user fee amendment that is included in my amendment No. 12 is a clarifying amendment. Passengers in commercial vehicles coming into the country pay an agriculture quarantine inspection…