Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4990 — Rescission Bill, FY 1992

(House Floor)
(Sponsor: Whitten (D), Mississippi)

This Statement of Administration Policy expresses the Administration's views on H.R. 4990, the rescission bill, as Approved by the Appropriations Committee.

The President has recently proposed 224 rescission items totaling $7,879 million. It remains the administration's belief that these proposals should be considered on an individual basis in accordance with Section 1017 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, The Administration strongly objects to the rule that would circumvent the procedures established in the Impoundment Control Act.

Should the rule preventing individual consideration of proposals be adopted, the Administration would support the substitute that is made in order to approve the rescissions that were proposed by the President on March 10th and 20th and April 8th, 1992.

The Administration believes that, as the bill moves through the process, the rescission proposals for the Department of Defense should be aligned more substantially with the President's requests. In particular, the Administration urges that all of the rescission associated with the two Seawolf submarines be adopted in order to avoid reductions in higher priority defense programs.

FY 1992 appropriations for International Affairs programs have Already been cut substantially more in percentage terms than either domestic or defense programs, relative to the spending limits in the Budget Enforcement Act. Funding for foreign assistance is especially constrained under the Continuing Resolution and because of reprogramming of existing funds to the former Soviet Republics. The Administration believes that most of the reductions identified by the Committee would adversely affect the Administration's ability to support important foreign policy objectives.