Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I would like to finish by adding to what Senator Lautenberg has said, that we sent a bill to the President for disaster…”

“I would like to finish by adding to what Senator Lautenberg has said, that we sent a bill to the President for disaster relief for the victims of North and South Dakota and Minnesota. We sent him a bill that we hoped he would sign. I don't think the President has explained why he would veto a bill that he says is necessary for these disaster victims when, in fact, all we did was say we are also going to make sure that we don't shut down the Government so that the very people we are trying to help will not be able to get the checks that they need after September 30 if Congress and the President have not come to agreement. It is very important that people understand that the budget agreement for the 1998 budget year are allocations, they are not appropriations. In fact, to actually spend the money, it takes both Congress and the President to agree. Sometimes, the Congress and the President don't agree before September 30, which is the end of the fiscal year. So we have to start a new fiscal year. Now, if there is not an agreement and we don't have a provision for continuing Government, then we can shut down Government again. That is not what anyone wants to do.”