Statement of Administration Policy: [H.R. 3026] - District of Columbia Appropriations, FY 1990

(House Floor)
(Sponsors: Whitten (D), Mississippi; Dixon (D), California)

The Administration objects strongly to a number of provisions in the current bill. In particular, the Administration opposes the deletion of language included in the FY 1989 District of Columbia Appropriations Act that prohibits the use of Federal and local funds for abortion except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term. We urge the House to restore this language in the FY 1990 bill. The absence of this prohibition would be viewed as sufficient reason for the President's senior advisors to recommend that he veto this bill.

The Administration has two other significant concerns regarding the House~reported bill:

• The Administration objects to the Committee's addition of $34.7 million to the President's request for a consolidated Federal payment to the District for water and sewer services supplied to Federal facilities located within the District. Federal agencies' budget requests already contain funds to pay these costs directly to the District. The Administration encourages the House to consider legislation requiring the District to bill Federal agencies directly for water and sewer services.
• The Administration also requests that legislation excluding Federal Fund payments to the District from the apportionment process, contained in section 132 of the FY 1988 District of Columbia Appropriations Act, be repealed. This exclusion is a highly objectionable erosion of Presidential authority.

The House is urged to remove the objectionable provisions noted above so that the President's senior advisors could recommend that he sign the bill.