Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 2076 - Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, FY 1996

(Senate Floor)
(Sponsors: Livingston (R), Louisiana; Rogers (R), Kentucky; Hatfield (R), Oregon; Gregg (R) New Hampshire)

This Statement of Administration Policy provides the Administration's views on H.R. 2076, the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, FY 1S96, as approved by the Conference Committee. Your consideration of the Administration's views would be appreciated.

The Administration strongly opposes several aspects of the Conference Report. For the reasons discussed more fully below, the President would veto the bill if it were presented to him in its current form.

The bill would provide insufficient funds to support the important activities covered by this bill. It would undermine our ability to fight the war on crime and to support international organizations and peacekeeping activities; decimate technology programs that are critical to building a strong U.S. economy; and cripple our ability to provide legal services for disadvantaged individuals.

Programs to Fight Crime

The bill would eliminate the COPS program and, instead, fund a law enforcement block grant program that would allow spending on anything from street lights to public works projects. The American public has shown a clear desire for additional police to work hand-in-hand with communities to fight crime. The block grant approach would not guarantee a single new officer. COPS is a proven success and should be maintained as a separate discretionary program. The COPS program has reinvented Federal grant making, putting grant monies into the hands of local agencies on an expedited basis. A block grant program cannot accomplish what the current program has done.

The President would not sign any version of this appropriations bill that does not fund the COPS program in its authorized form.

Similarly, the bill fails to ensure funding for important crime prevention activities, most notably so-called "drug courts," the Community Relations Service, and the President's Crime Prevention Council. In addition, there are reductions below the request for the President's immigration initiative. The Administration urges the Congress to support increased funding for these vital programs, as well as the continuation of the Associate Attorney General's Office.

The prison grants "Truth in Sentencing" provisions of the bill would disproportionately and unfairly benefit a small number of States, deprive some States of any funds, and harm many States — including some with very strong sentencing policies. In addition, the provisions would generate delay in the awards of much needed prison grant funds for all States.

Technology Programs of the Department of Commerce

The Administration urges the congress to support the technology programs of the Department of Commerce that work to expand our economy, help Americans compete in the global marketplace, and create high quality jobs. The conference level would eliminate funding for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and prohibit new awards, which is unacceptable to the Administration. ATP is a highly competitive, cost-shared program that fosters technology development, promotes industrial alliances, and creates jobs. Eliminating ATP funding would force wasteful cancellation of ongoing research projects before they are complete. The ATP program was created with bipartisan support, which it continues to deserve.

The bill also would sharply reduce funding for the National Information Infrastructure (NII) grant program. The NIL program assists hospitals, schools, libraries, and local governments in procuring advanced communications equipment to provide better health care, education, and local government services. The conference level would eliminate funding for the GLOBE program, which promotes knowledge of science and the environment in our schools. The Administration is also concerned about reductions below the request for the Manufacturing Extension program.

The Administration is concerned with the funding levels provided for the Technology Administration to fulfill the U.S. Commitment for the U.S.-Israeli Science and Technology Commission and to maintain valuable technology analysis and advocacy work at a time of increasingly fierce global competition. The Administration seeks additional funding for economic and statistical analysis and for the Census Bureau. In addition, we are concerned about the level of funding for the Economic Development Administration Defense Conversion program.

Legal Services Corporation

The Administration is greatly concerned with the conference funding level for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which would cripple the ability of the Corporation to serve people in need, and urges the Congress to restore funding for the Corporation. The Administration does not support the excessive restrictions on LSC operations contained in language provisions in the Conference Report. The restrictions imposed on the representation of clients unduly limit their access to the justice system. An allocation of $9 million for management and administration is essential to permit Corporation management to meet its statutory responsibilities, which include for the first time the awarding of grants on a competitive basis.

International Programs

The Conference Report includes a 50-percent reduction to Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities and a 24- percent reduction to Contributions to International Organizations, which fund the treaty-obligated U.S. share of activities of the United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, NATO, and others. These activities support important U.S. national security and foreign policy interests including, among others, the Middle East (including Israel's borders and Kuwait/Iraq), weapons nonproliferation and safeguards activities, sanctions against international renegade countries, promotion of an open international trading framework, control of diseases such as Ebola viruses, and promotion of human rights. These reductions would impair the ability of the U.S. to carry out and safeguard important U.S. interests around the world. Also, without restoration of funding for these accounts, the Administration would be severely hindered in the pursuit of much needed reforms at the organizations.

In addition, other international affairs programs of the Department of State, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the United states Information Agency, are reduced to levels that would hinder the execution of important national security and foreign policy activities. Finally, the Administration regrets the inclusion of extraneous language in the bill related to the presence of U.S. Government facilities in Vietnam.

Other Issues

The Administration objects to section 103, which would prohibit the use of funds in the act for performing abortions, with certain exceptions.

In addition to the issues discussed above, the Administration would like to work with the Congress to address the other concerns that were outlined in the conferees letter of November 6, 1995.

Clearly, this bill does not reflect the priorities of the president or the values of the American people. The Administration urges the Congress to send the President an appropriations bill for these important priorities that truly serves the American people.