Speech #1040269405

What was the response? "No way." He then offered to start a debate on a resolution that would keep the safety net under the Government this past Tuesday with no limits on the amendments in process but an agreement that we would finish in an orderly manner by Wednesday night. What was the answer? "Absolutely not." Then he said. lets take the Department of Defense appropriations conference report and. with a continuing resolution. you know. a safety net under the Government. omnibus spending vehicle attached to it. "No way." So. option after option is presented. denial after denial occurs. and the clock is running and the troops are still in harms way. The White House has indicated that it wants to make the illegal immigration bill. which is a very. very large piece of legislation on which hours and hours and hours have been expended. wants to make this a center point. some sort of a leverage to bring us to the brink. I am reading from the Los Angeles Times: "Clinton seeks to halt further limits on noncitizens. Holdup of appropriation would vex GOP members anxious to hit campaign trail." WashingtonSetting up a confrontation with Republican leaders. the White House Indicated Thursday that President Clinton will not sign a mustpass spending bill [that is the safety net] until the GOP agrees to amend separate immigration legislation. There will be others who will speak to this. but the White House said you have to take out the Gallegly amendment. The Gallegly amendment left States the right to choose to allow legal immigrants in schools or not. and it has been argued and argued and argued. But the Republican leadership of the Senate and House said. "OK. In an effort to maintain the safety net. in an effort to bring a bipartisan conclusion to the 104th Congress. we will remove it." So. they did.