July 29, 1975
Page 25736
Mr. MONTOYA. The bill that came out of committee was an authorization for public works for $2,125,000,000 for fiscal year 1976.
Mr. McCLELLAN. Of which $900 million would be outlays in fiscal 1976?
Mr. MONTOYA. That is correct.
Mr. McCLELLAN. After the amendments that have been adopted, what are the anticipated outlays for 1976 under the bill as amended? Is it $1.25 billion, if I understood the Senator correctly?
Mr. MONTOYA. Plus $900 million.
Mr. McCLELLAN. Plus $900 million.
Mr. MONTOYA. That is correct.
Mr. McCLELLAN. In other words, instead of being $900 million outlays for fiscal 1976 as in the committee bill under the bill as now amended it would be $2.15 billion.
Mr. MONTOYA. That is correct.
Mr. McCLELLAN. That is how much we are increasing the bill for fiscal year 1976 alone.
I thank the Senator. I think the amendments provide entirely too much. I think it is unwise to do this. Mr. President I support the committee bill as reported, but I cannot vote for this bill as amended. I shall now vote against it.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. MONTOYA. I yield.
Mr. MUSKIE. I will make the point which I made earlier when some of the Senators now present were not present. This is almost precisely the amount that was allowed in function 450, the congressional budget, $2.1 billion for public works and emergency assistance to State and local governments. So we are within the congressional budget.
Mr. HARRY F. BYRD, JR., and Mr. TUNNEY addressed the Chair.
Mr. MONTOYA. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Virginia.
Mr. HARRY F. BYRD, JR. I ask for clarification. Is the total of the bill now before us, as a result of the Muskie amendment, $5½ billion added by the amendment plus $2 billion in the original bill? Is the total then $7½ billion?
Mr. MONTOYA. As I stated before, the outlay anticipated for the first year under the Muskie amendment is $1,250,000,000. The outlay expected for the second year of authorization would be approximately $2 billion, depending on the rate of unemployment, and for the third year another $2 billion, depending on the constancy of the unemployment rate.
Mr. HARRY F. BYRD, JR. That is correct. The point I am not clear on is this: Is that on top of the original $2.1 billion?
Mr. MONTOYA. That is correct.
Mr. HARRY F. BYRD, JR. Now we have it.
I thank the Senator.