The House : School Kitchens

An amendment to kill a new federal program that would help schools buy kitchen equipment as part of the National School Lunch Act was rejected by the House on a vote of 157 for and 235 against. This left intact a $1-million outlay to be awarded by the Department of Agriculture, on a competitive basis, to certain school districts around the country for upgrading their kitchens. The vote came during debate on a bill (HR 7) that extends several food and nutrition programs for the poor. The bill, authorizing $1.86 billion in fiscal 1986, was sent to the Senate.

Sponsor Steve Bartlett (R-Tex.) said, “In these days of scarcer resources, we should not be adding on new programs, particularly programs that go for equipment instead of food.”

Opponent Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Los Angeles) called it “rather peculiar” and “a grave inconsistency” that Bartlett was advocating this $1-million cut after having opposed a $10-billion cut in defense outlays.

Members voting yes wanted to block creation of the school kitchen equipment program.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x

Nutrition Program

The House rejected, 143 for and 284 against, an amendment to cancel the next scheduled cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for certain food and nutrition programs. The vote occurred during debate on a bill (HR 7 above) extending the women, infants and children nutrition program, the National School Lunch Act and other federal food-aid programs. Slated to take effect next July 1, the COLA hike will raise federal outlays to keep pace with inflation. Supporters said a one-year cut would lower fiscal 1986 outlays by $38 million.

Supporter Tom Tauke (R-Iowa) said, “When we have limited dollars with which to work, we have to make tough decisions.”

Opponent Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) accused Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger of “filching dollars from schoolchildren, from pregnant women and from the poor.”

Members voting yes wanted to cancel the next annual COLA hike for certain food and nutrition programs.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x

Stopgap Funding

By a vote of 272 for and 156 against, the House passed and sent to the Senate a “continuing resolution” (HJ Res 388) to keep the federal government in operation for the first several weeks of fiscal 1986, which begins Oct. 1.

Congress is resorting to the stopgap funding procedure because it cannot enact regular fiscal 1986 appropriations bills on time. The measure will expire on Nov. 14. Continuing resolutions are criticized by many observers as an exercise in fiscal irresponsibility. In part, they enable the House and Senate to disregard, for weeks or months at a time, the spending limits and priorities set by the congressional budget resolution.

Sponsor Jamie Whitten (D-Miss.) said, “This is a very straightforward continuing resolution. There are no special provisions and no special funding levels for any programs.”

“Continuing resolutions are nothing but a cop-out,” said opponent Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.) in a statement inserted into the Congressional Record. “They are required because we didn’t do our job, as required by law, in the time allowed.”

Members voting yes supported the continuing resolution.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x