Louis Stokes: “I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana. The amendment would rescind $750 million of…”

“I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana. The amendment would rescind $750 million of 1994 salary funds from all Federal agencies, except the Department of Defense. The amendment would also rescind $3.2 billion in administrative expenses--items other than salary costs--from all Federal agencies, except the Defense Department. Both of these rescissions would be distributed by the administration. Madam Chairman, this amendment would have a disastrous impact. It would cause Federal employees to be furloughed or involuntarily separated--or in a more understandable term, fired. The agencies under the VA-HUD Subcommittee barely have sufficient salary funds for 1994. Madam Chairman, because this amendment exempts Defense employees-- about 40 percent of the total Federal civilian employment--the reduction is applied to a smaller base. Further, because this provision could not be implemented until the last half of the year, the real impact is doubled. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a little over 10 percent of the total Federal employment. That number becomes closer to 20 percent when Defense employees are not included. A reduction of this magnitude will simply mean that fewer veterans will receive necessary medical care. I received a letter from VA Secretary Jesse Brown today urging the Congress to reject any proposal to offset the costs of the supplemental.”