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The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 701) to provide Outer Continental Shelf Impact Assistance to State and local governments, to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978, and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act) to establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation and recreation needs of the American people, and for other purposes:

• Mr. HOYER Mr. Chairman, I regrettably oppose H.R. 701. I say regrettably, Mr. Chairman, because there is much in this measure that I strongly support. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, Wildlife Conservation, Urban Parks, Historic Preservation, and Conservation Easements are objectives that I have supported throughout my career.

• Unfortunately, H.R. 701 funds these measures by making approximately $2.8 billion in discretionary spending mandatory spending. As mandatory spending it is not subject to the annual appropriations process. I know that for some this is a positive thing but as a member of the Appropriations Committee, I simply cannot support this.

• In the past I have opposed similar efforts to make highway and aviation spending mandatory. Not necessarily because I opposed the objective, but because I disagreed with the precedent.

• My friends, since coming to Congress I have seen discretionary spending squeezed harder and harder every year as the mandatory spending components of the budget have grown. Thirty years ago discretionary spending accounted for 61.5% of the budget with the remaining 38.5% reserved for mandatory spending. By 1980 discretionary spending had declined to 46.7% of the budget. By 1990 this figure fell even further to 39.9% and this year the estimate is that discretionary spending will account for only 34.5% of the budget.

• The remaining 65% percent of the budget next year will be consumed by mandatory spending and interest on the national debt. And, we are here today taking about moving another $2.8 billion from discretionary spending over to the mandatory side.

• If we pass this bill, we are going to squeeze Head Start, student loans, cancer research, law enforcement, defense and every other discretionary spending priority you can think of even further.

• As I said at the beginning, I support the items contained in this legislation. What I cannot support is putting land acquisition and historic preservation ahead of defense, cancer research, and education. Governing is about making choices--sometimes difficult ones. This legislation is another step toward putting as county's spending decisions on autopilot. I urge all my colleagues to reject it.

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