September 18, 1979
Page 25042
SECOND CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will now resume consideration of the pending business, Senate Concurrent Resolution 36, which the clerk will state by title.
The second assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Second Concurrent Resolution 36 revising the Congressional Budget for the U.S. Government for the fiscal years 1980, 1981, and 1982.
The Senate resumed consideration of the concurrent resolution.
Mr. JAVITS. Mr. President, may I be recognized?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York is recognized.
Mr. JAVITS. Mr. President, if I may have the attention of the two managers of the bill, I have introduced an amendment to the second budget resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 36, to add $1.1 billion in budget authority and $0.9 billion in outlays to income assistance (function 600) for the purpose of providing fuel assistance to needy families this winter. This action will not increase the deficit, because the funds are to be transferred from the energy supply mission (function 270).
I am keenly aware that this will constrain the already stretched energy outlays budgeted by the committee and that amendment poses some extremely difficult choices. While there is ample room within the budget authority figure of $41 billion to accommodate this and other portions of the President's energy initiatives, the $7 billion in outlays budgeted by the committee is extremely tight. It is our intention that the transfers come from energy supply outlays and be allotted in such a manner that parts of new projects be marginally delayed and that some contracts be put off till next fiscal year. Indeed, the committee may wish to arrange for other transfers among outlays.
However, the urgent needs of the poor for heat and light in the wake of the recent devastating OPEC price increases must be our first priority. It is, indeed, a life and death matter before which other priorities, even important ones like some of our energy construction projects, must give way. The $500 million ceiling on fuel assistance recommended by the committee is simply inadequate to meet the heating needs of the elderly and the poor this winter.
The recent escalation in residential fuel bills means we would have to double the level of last year's crisis assistance program which was $200 million, merely to meet the needs of the same 900,000 households served by that inadequate program. Yet the administration and the groups representing the poor and the elderly agree that there are many times that number of households in need. The White House has estimated the $1.6 billion in funds requested would provide $200 each to 6 million families in need. Our estimates and those prepared for the Department of Energy show 12.5 to 16 million poor and near-poor families needing help to avoid the dreadful choice between heating and eating.
My amendment accommodates this more realistic estimate of the minimum need for emergency assistance. At present the committee has allotted $22 billion in additional budget authority in function 270 to reflect commitments from new oil tax revenues to new energy supply programs; and our amendment transfers $1.1 billion from this $22 billion to function 600. The Budget Committee has allotted $4.7 billion in outlays for new energy supply program; and our amendment transfers $0.9 billion of that
Mr. President, we face difficult choices given these tight budget conditions. If we accept the responsibility for protecting the poor from cold weather, we must either cut back important substantive programs like energy, or we must cut back administrative costs , perhaps by cutting back the new funds for Federal pay increases and allowing agencies to reprogram other funds for that purpose. The final option is to increase the size of the budget deficit.
My amendment adopts the first course, but it is my hope that together with the distinguished chairman and members of the Budget Committee we can arrive at a consensus on how to provide the sorely needed basic energy assistance.
Therefore, the question that I would like to put to the Senator from Maine and to the Senator from Oklahoma is this: I realize, as I say, the budget problem. I also have been given to understand that it is felt on the part of the committee that there is the money available for this emergency fuel assistance program. If we could have some understanding of the situation as the two managers of the bill for the Budget Committee see it, it may be that it may not be necessary for me to call up this amendment.
This is also, of course, as both Senators know, a program which has been put forward by the President of the United States, so the $1.6 billion level is almost generally agreed upon; the only question is how do we do it, and where do we get the money?
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I think the Senator, in his closing comment, did state the question.
I consider this program of energy assistance for low income families to be of the highest priority.
With respect to the provisions in the second resolution for energy, what we wished to do is to put both budget authority and outlay figures realistically large enough to accommodate all the options which the Senate and Congress might wish to consider. We did not try to pinpoint specificassumptions when it came to energy, even to the degree that we usually do with the functional numbers. One practical reason for this was that much of the legislation is still in the evolutionary stage in the appropriate committees — Finance, the Energy Committee, and otherwise — so that we could not very well anticipate what the specific outcomes would be.
But speaking for myself, I think this priority, which the Senator has so appropriately advanced, is one that ought to be given the most serious consideration. It seems to me that it ought to be possible to accommodate this program within the confines of the second budget resolution as it stands, and it ought not to take too much skill to do so.
I assure the Senator that I sympathize with him completely. I would not presume to be speaking for all the members of the Budget Committee. Senator BELLMON is here and can speak for himself. But in my part of the country, what the Senator proposes would be a very important thing indeed.
Mr. JAVITS. Does the Senator feel it can be accommodated?
Mr. MUSKIE. I think it can. We might step on some toes of others who want to take advantage of those numbers. We have seen today what that can involve. But so far as I am concerned, we have included $550 million in the budget for this purpose. We did so in the context of what we had previously provided in the first resolution. We are now talking about higher numbers, and I do not see any reason why the higher numbers ought not to be considered for inclusion within the confines of this resolution.
Mr. JAVITS. I thank the Senator. I yield to the Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. BELLMON. Mr. President, I would like to join our chairman in the comments he has made. While the fuel problem is not as serious in the area that I know, I fully recognize the enormous impact that higher energy costs will have on low income families in the regions of the country where winters are more severe.
I think I can speak for those from the areas where I come from that we fully appreciate the fact that some relief will be absolutely necessary, and I feel that we have made room in the budget to do the things that the Senator from New York is concerned about.
It may be more difficult in the outlay area than the budget authority, but I feel there is room to write a reasonable program to alleviate the problem in the areas of the country that will be most highly impacted. I certainly will vote with the Senator to that end.
Mr. JAVITS. And the amount it can accommodate is a higher figure than the amount provided, $350 million, in your view?
Mr. BENTSEN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mr. JAVITS. Mr. President, I still have the floor.
Mr. BELLMON. We believe that both in the energy program and the low income assistance, there is ample room for the higher figure.
Mr. JAVITS. Mr. President, I thank both my colleagues. Under those circumstances, I shall not call up the amendment. I would like the record to show that the amendment is cosponsored with
me by Senators WILLIAMS, PELL, and DURENBERGER.
Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. President, I am pleased to learn there is room .in the budget for a fuel assistance program.
The dramatic increases in the price of household energy will create an unbearable burden this winter for many fixed and low income households.
We are all aware of the bad news on fuel prices. Energy officials have already warned that many people will face a choice of "heat or eat" this winter. At a time when the tragic economics of energy might conceivably produce wintertime deaths, Congress has no real choice but to provide the right kind of financial assistance to men, women, and children who are in danger of either freezing, starving, or both.
The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources has pending before it six bills which provide assistance to offset rising household energy costs. The committee has scheduled hearings for September 25, 26, and 27, and we plan to markup legislation October.
Senator JAVITS and I both have bills, and we have now agreed to move jointly in order to expedite passage of this much needed legislation. I am pleased to hear from Senator MUSKIE that the amendment proposed by Senator JAVITS and myself is not needed as there is sufficient money in the budget for the purpose of providing relief for skyrocketing household energy costs.
I am pleased that the distinguished chairman of the Budget Committee, recognizing the tremendous need, supports our efforts to alleviate the hardship which will be caused by rising energy costs.
The energy cost increases are sudden and largely unexpected. The June OPEC price increase was quite large and the need for this legislation did not become apparent until late summer. The Labor and Human Resources Committee did not act to mark up a bill prior to the May 15 deadline since the need for the legislation had not arisen at that time. Therefore, the bill which we will mark up in October will need a waiver from the Budget Committee.
The pressing need for the legislation has led the Budget Committee to make room for the program; it has led the Labor and Human Resources Committee to expedite the legislative process. I am very hopeful that fuel assistance legislation will pass the Senate this session and that an emergency appropriation will be made. This winter's needs must be met.
Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. President, I ask the distinguished majority leader, the minority leader, the managers of this bill, and the assembled Members, for unanimous consent that I be permitted to present an amendment at this time, with the understanding that I will be withdrawing it. I would like to speak upon it for a minute.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered.