Haley Stevens: “when I spoke earlier this morning, I failed to make the comment that there are many provisions in the conference report…”

“when I spoke earlier this morning, I failed to make the comment that there are many provisions in the conference report that are beyond the scope of the original Defense appropriations bill and would be subject to rule XXVIII. For instance, the hurricane supplemental; we have $29 billion for hurricane victims, including funding for education expenses, housing, and reconstruction efforts. That was not in the bill as it came out of either House. We have the Gulf Coast Recovery Fund. This provides short and long-term funding for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. Where from? From revenues from the approval of ANWR and from revenues from the approval in the reconciliation bill of the sale of spectrum when the transition takes place between analog and digital broadcasting. Those are predictable funds. They are currently not scored, but they are moneys that, when they do come in, will be held in the Treasury to help those people in the gulf coast who need assistance. There are also provisions in the bill concerning liability with regard to the manufacture of vaccines for avian flu. The basic bill had a provision dealing with the provision of money for research on avian flu, but now the conference report before us ensures that the production of avian flu vaccines will be available in the United States. Without this liability provision, we cannot assure that a sufficient supply of vaccines to protect us against a flu pandemic would be available.…”