Date: 1982-06-10
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I come here with the same complaint I had last year when we had the GrammLatta budget resolution. Now. we have the Latta proposal. and if it did not have the name or my dear. good friend. Mr. LATTA. on it. I would say it was very sloppy work. As chairman of the Agriculture Committee. I cannot yet find out what the Latta proposal would do to agriculture. The staff on this side. does not have the information. and neither does the staff on the minority side. We are asked here to vote. but regretfully. unfortunately. the communications I am getting do not go into details. Instead. they say. "Support the President." or "Dont support Tip ONEILL." With all due respect to both gentlemen. in the end I doubt that either one of them knows what is in the packages if even our House staffs do Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of not know what is in the packages. the Latta substitute. I think it is absoI am very concerned because. for ex- lutely vital that we adopt a budget ample. there are errors still in the today. not just a budget but a fiscal Latta proposal. And our copy of the policy for the U.S. Government. proposal was not stolen at midnight. I recognize that it is a temptation to as I understand they claimed the 1981 vote no. to vote no on everything. version was. For example. the Latta That Is easy to defend at home. but it proposal now before us counts the is not responsibleit would be an abdisame savings in soil conservation. wa- cation of our duty. A Member can vote tershed programs twiceonce in func- no and say. "I am waiting for the pertion 300. and a second time in function. feet budget." Well. we are not going to 350. Turning to the Rural Electrifica- get the perfect budget because we tion Administration. program I am in- would need 435 budgets or perhaps 240 formed that Mr. STENHOLM advised the million budgets to satisfy everyone In National Rural Electric Cooperative our Nation. Association that REA would not be in- We have a basic choice today. Do we cluded in the Latta proposal. Mr. want more Government or less? In the STENHOLM now tells me he really does absence of adopting a fiscal policy. the not know. The staff over here does not economy stagnates and interest rates know. My staff cannot find it in the go UP. documents. On Monday Treasury had an auction I am not going to vote. as a responsi- of Treasury bills. the bid price was up ble legislator. for something when I do from 11.5 to 12.1 percent. This innot know what is in it. when the staff crease in rates recognizes that the does not know what is in itand when marketplace looked at what this body the authors of the proposal do not did 2 weeks ago In not establishing a know what is in it. Certainly. Tip fiscal policy as a result interest rates ONEILL and Ronald Reagan do not are starting to climb. know what is in it. Mr. Chairman. this I think we have a great responsibiliis a very irresponsible way to legislate. ty to the people of this Nation to make a choice today. We have a reO 1350 sponsibilty to the American people. to They tell me that the answers are In those who arc seeking jobs and who the figures shown in the proposalbut are making decisions on job producing they cannot give me the figures. They investment to adopt a fiscal policy for say it will be taken care of in reconcili- this Nation. ation. In the campaign of 1980. President