David Durenberger: “I rise today in opposition to the fiscal 1995 budget resolution conference report. While I oppose the conference report…”

“I rise today in opposition to the fiscal 1995 budget resolution conference report. While I oppose the conference report, I wish to acknowledge that the conferees have taken some positive steps. I am very pleased that the conferees heeded my advice to accept House language which would provide sufficient funds to permit needed reforms of a crop insurance system that just doesn't work. Agriculture Committee Chairman Leahy, Senator Kerrey, and I have acted on that opportunity by introducing the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994, which largely follows crop insurance reform legislation I have authored in the past two Congresses. As a complement to the crop insurance funding, the Budget conferees also provided that any future emergency appropriations for natural disasters must be paid for by offsets rather than by our usual habit of loading it on to the deficit. I have long opposed the concept of emergency supplementals--and for good reason. Just a few months ago, this Congress acted to provide much needed assistance to the victims of the California earthquake. Yet we borrowed the money to do so. Even worse, this free money was directed not only to the earthquake-ravaged regions in southern California, but also to legislators' pet projects located a continent away from the earthquake zone, adding many millions to the crushing debt we are imposing upon our children. This was simply indefensible.”