June 20, 1974
Page 20190
TEMPORARY INCREASE IN THE PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT – PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that during the subsequent consideration of the debt ceiling legislation and amendments thereto, Reid Feldman of my staff have the privilege of the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1975
The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill (H.R. 14012) making appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, and for other purposes.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished manager of the legislative appropriations bill for yielding to me. I am delighted to see the distinguished senator From Illinois (Mr. PERCY) in the Chamber.
I wanted to raise a question, which I discussed with the distinguished floor manager of the bill earlier, which has to do with the conference report on the budget reform legislation, which the Senate will consider tomorrow.
If, as I expect, the Senate approves the report, it will go to the President, presumably he will sign it, and we will face the challenge of implementing it. That bill calls almost immediately for the appointment of a Director of the Congressional Budget Office, which would be created by the bill, the appointment of budget committees, and the beginning of business under that very important legislation.
Normally, we would seek an appropriation in this bill to fund that office.
Mr. HOLLINGS. That is correct.
Mr. MUSKIE. We are not ready at this point for that, but I wanted to have this colloquy with the distinguished Senator from South Carolina so that we may understand what the requirements may be.
I take it that under the authorization contained in the budget reform bill we can draw on the contingent fund of the Senate to carry us in the early weeks after enactment of the legislation. Is that the Senator's understanding?
Mr. HOLLINGS. That is my understanding. The Senator from Maine is correct.
I may add that as we have drawn to the end of the fiscal year, we wanted to expedite the regular legislative appropriations bill. All of us are ready, willing, and able to fund the budget reform bill; but until that is worked out in due course, the funding of that particular measure should be done from the Senate contingency fund, upon approval of the Rules Committee.
Mr. MUSKIE. I understand further that as soon as the budget committees are in position to develop a budget for the Congressional Budget Office, the Senator from South Carolina is willing to conduct hearings and to report a supplemental appropriations bill to fund that office, a bill that contains nothing else, if necessary.
Mr. HOLLINGS. That is right. We expect to report a supplemental bill later this year, as we normally do. But unless something unusual occurs we will make a special supplemental budget for the budget reform bill.
Mr. MUSKIE. I thank the Senator for that understanding.
We anticipate that annual funding for the Congressional Budget Office will be on the order of $900,000 to $1 million the first year. It is anticipated that a staff of 70 to 100 people will be needed. Those estimates will be firmed up and the appropriate committee will develop a budget for later submission to the Appropriations Committee.
I appreciate the interest of the distinguished Senator from South Carolina and the promise of subsequent action.
I should like to yield at this point to the Senator from Illinois.
Mr. HOLLINGS. There is one other caveat, of course, and that is that a supplemental appropriations bill must originate in the House.
Mr. MUSKIE. I understand.
Mr. HOLLINGS. We already know of some items that may lead to supplemental appropriation requests for the normal supplemental appropriations bill for this fiscal year.
Mr. MUSKIE. I appreciate the efforts made by the Senator from South Carolina, and I express my appreciation to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee for his understanding.
I think my distinguished colleague on the Republican side, the Senator from Illinois (Mr. PERCY), would like to indicate his appreciation.