H. Con. Res.178—45
(5) the employer education assistance exclusion was first
enacted in 1978;
(6) the exclusion has been extended 7 previous times;
(7) the last extension expired December 31, 1994; and
(8) the exclusion has received broad bipartisan support.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate that
the revenue level assumed in the budget resolution accommodate
an extension of the employer education assistance exclusion under
section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 from January
1, 1995, through December 31, 1996.
SEC. 433. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE ECONOMIC DEVEL-
OPMENT ADMINISTRATION PLACING HIGH PRIORITY ON
MAINTAINING FIELD-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
REPRESENTATIVES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate makes the following findings:
(1) The Economic Development Administration plays a cru-
cial role in helping economically disadvantaged regions of the
United States develop infrastructure that supports and pro-
motes greater economic activity and growth, particularly in
nonurban regions.
(2) The Economic Development Administration helps to
promote industrial park development, business incubators,
water and sewer system improvements, vocational and technical
training facilities, tourism development strategies, technical
assistance and capacity building for local governments, eco-
nomic adjustment strategies, revolving loan funds, and other
projects which the private sector has not generated or will
not generate without some assistance from the Government
through the Economic Development Administration.
(3) The Economic Development Administration maintains
6 regional offices which oversee staff that are designated field-
based representatives of the Economic Development Adminis-
tration, and these field-based representatives provide valuable
expertise and counseling on economic planning and develop-
ment to nonurban communities.
(4) The Economic Development Administration Regional
Centers are located in the urban areas of Austin, Seattle,
Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
(5) Because of a 37-percent reduction in approved funding
for salaries and expenses from fiscal year 1995, the Economic
Development Administration has initiated staff reductions
requiring the elimination of 8 field-based positions. The field-
based economic development representative positions that are
either being eliminated or not replaced after voluntary retire-
ment and which currently interact with nonurban communities
on economic development efforts cover the States of New Mex-
ico, Arizona, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Illinois,
Indiana, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and North Carolina.
(6) These staff cutbacks will adversely affect States with
very low per-capita personal income, including New Mexico
which ranks 47th in the Nation in per-capita personal income,
Oklahoma ranking 46th, North Dakota ranking 42nd, Arizona
ranking 35th, Maine ranking 34th, and North Carolina ranking
33rd.
H. Con. Res.178—46
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate that
the functional totals and aggregates underlying this budget resolu-
tion assume that—
(1) it is regrettable that the Economic Development
Administration has elected to reduce field-based economic devel-
opment representatives who are fulfilling the Economic Devel-
opment Administration’s mission of interacting with and coun-
seling nonurban communities in economically disadvantaged
regions of the United States;
(2) the Economic Development Administration should take
all necessary and appropriate actions to ensure that field-based
economic development representation receives high priority;
and
(3) the Economic Development Administration should
reconsider the planned termination of field-based economic
development representatives responsible for States that are
economically disadvantaged, and that this reconsideration take
place without delay.
SEC. 434. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON LIHEAP.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that:
(1) home energy assistance for working and low-income
families with children, the elderly on fixed incomes, the dis-
abled, and others who need such aid is a critical part of the
social safety net in cold-weather areas during the winter, and
a source of necessary cooling aid during the summer;
(2) LIHEAP is a highly targeted, cost-effective way to help
millions of low-income Americans pay their home energy bills.
More than two-thirds of LIHEAP-eligible households have
annual incomes of less than $8,000, more than one half have
annual incomes below $6,000; and
(3) LIHEAP funding has been substantially reduced in
recent years, and cannot sustain further spending cuts if the
program is to remain a viable means of meeting the home
heating and other energy-related needs of low-income families,
especially those in cold-weather States.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—The assumptions underlying this
budget resolution assume that it is the sense of the Senate that
the funds made available for LIHEAP for fiscal year 1997 will
be not less than the actual expenditures made for LIHEAP in
fiscal year 1996.
SEC. 435. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON DAVIS-BACON.
Notwithstanding any provision of this resolution, it is the sense
of the Senate that the provisions in this resolution do not assume
the repeal but rather reform of the Davis-Bacon Act.
SEC. 436. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON REIMBURSEMENT OF THE UNITED
STATES FOR OPERATIONS SOUTHERN WATCH AND PRO-
VIDE COMFORT.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) as of May 1996, the United States has spent
$2,937,000,000 of United States taxpayer funds since the
conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991 for the singular purpose
of protecting the Kurdish and Shiite population from Iraqi
aggression;
(2) the President’s defense budget request for 1997 includes
an additional $590,100,000 for Operations Southern Watch and
H. Con. Res.178—47
Provide Comfort, both of which are designed to restrict Iraqi
military aggression against the Kurdish and Shiite people of
Iraq;
(3) costs for these military operations constitute part of
the continued budget deficit of the United States; and
(4) United Nations Security Council Resolution 986 (1995)
(referred to as ‘‘SCR 986’’) would allow Iraq to sell up to
$1,000,000,000 in petroleum and petroleum products every 90
days, for an initial period of 180 days.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate that
the assumptions underlying the function totals and aggregates in
this resolution assume that—
(1) the President should instruct the United States Perma-
nent Representative to the United Nations to ensure any subse-
quent extension of authority beyond the 180 days originally
provided by SCR 986 specifically mandates and authorizes the
reimbursement of the United States for costs associated with
Operations Southern Watch and Provide Comfort out of reve-
nues generated by any sale of petroleum or petroleum-related
products originating from Iraq;
(2) in the event that the United States Permanent Rep-
resentative to the United Nations fails to modify the terms
of any subsequent resolution extending the authority granted
by SCR 986 as called for in paragraph (1), the President should
reject any United Nations’ action or resolution seeking to extend
the terms of the oil sale beyond the 180 days authorized by
SCR 986;
(3) the President should take the necessary steps to ensure
that—
(A) any effort by the United Nations to temporarily
lift the trade embargo for humanitarian purposes, specifi-
cally the sale of petroleum or petroleum products, restricts
all revenues from such sale from being diverted to benefit
the Iraqi military; and
(B) the temporary lifting of the trade embargo does
not encourage other countries to take steps to begin promot-
ing commercial relations with the Iraqi military in expecta-
tion that sanctions will be permanently lifted; and
(4) revenues reimbursed to the United States from the
oil sale authorized by SCR 986, or any subsequent action or
resolution, should be used to reduce the Federal budget deficit.
SEC. 437. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON SOLVENCY OF THE MEDICARE
TRUST FUND.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that repeal of certain provi-
sions from the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 would
move the insolvency date of the HI (Medicare) Trust Fund forward
by a full year.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate that
no provisions in this budget resolution should worsen the solvency
of the Medicare Trust Fund.
SEC. 438. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
CAMPAIGN FUND.
It is the sense of the Senate that the assumptions underlying
the functional totals in this resolution assume that when the
Finance Committee meets its outlay and revenue obligations under
this resolution the committee should not make any changes in
H. Con. Res.178—48
the Presidential Election Campaign Fund or its funding mechanism
and should meet its revenue and outlay targets through other
programs within its jurisdiction.
SEC. 439. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE FUNDING OF
AMTRAK.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds that—
(1) a capital funding stream is essential to the ability
of the National Rail Passenger Corporation (‘‘Amtrak’’) to
reduce its dependence on Federal operating support; and
(2) Amtrak needs a secure source of financing, no less
favorable than provided to other modes of transportation, for
capital improvements.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the Senate that—
(1) revenues attributable to one-half cent per gallon of
the excise taxes imposed on gasoline, special motor fuel, and
diesel fuel from the Mass Transit Account should be dedicated
to a new Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund during the period
January 1, 1997, through September 30, 2001;
(2) revenues would not be deposited in the Intercity Pas-
senger Rail Trust Fund during any fiscal year to the extent
that the deposit is estimated to result in available revenues
in the Mass Transit Account being insufficient to satisfy that
year’s estimated appropriation levels;
(3) monies in the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund
should be generally available to fund, on a reimbursement
basis, capital expenditures incurred by Amtrak;
(4) amounts to fund capital expenditures related to rail
operations should be set aside for each State that has not
had Amtrak service in such State for the preceding year; and
(5) funding provided by the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust
Fund shall be made available subject to appropriations and
shall not increase mandatory spending.
Attest:
Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Attest:
Secretary of the Senate.