Steny Hoyer: “I regret that I come to this floor to oppose this bill. Instead of coalescing funding to continue our peacekeeping…”

“I regret that I come to this floor to oppose this bill. Instead of coalescing funding to continue our peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and ensure a strong and forceful presence in the Gulf, we are being asked to undercut important domestic programs included in last year's budget agreement to finance our national security interests. It is not enough that the budget agreement of 1985 provides for emergency spending without offsets during domestic or international crisis. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it apparently is not enough that the United States Senate, with the support of the President of the United States, passed this emergency spending without gutting domestic programs by voice vote. No, Mr. Chairman, instead today this body is being asked to gut the Section 8 low income housing program which could leave 800,000 Americans without housing next year.”