Jon S. Corzine: “I have serious ambivalence about how we should deal with the specifics of this measure. Unfortunately, through the…”

“I have serious ambivalence about how we should deal with the specifics of this measure. Unfortunately, through the conference process, a product has emerged that differs from that sought by our leaders here in the Senate. It is with some ambivalence that I feel the need to express some of the reasons why I will not be supporting the Omnibus appropriations bill for 2004. It contains what I believe are serious policy flaws that, furthermore, don't deal actually with the appropriations process. They go far beyond what should be addressed, debated and concluded in the democratic forum of this Senate, and in the House. It seems to me that the most serious problem here is not even those policies, although they are very important in and of themselves, but this process that has somehow overturned the policies supported by wide majorities in both houses, policies we worked so long and hard to deal with--I think this process is out of kilter.”