By REP. MAC COLLINS
3rd District U.S. Congress

We have passed a continuing resolution to continue funding for the government while we work to pass the appropriations needed to run government. The legislative process starts in House committees.

First, the House votes on a bill. The Senate meanwhile works on its own version of the bill. If both the Senate and the House pass the bills, the bill is sent to a conference committee that works out a compromise version. The Senate and the House each vote on the conference bill. If it passes, the bill is sent to the President to either be vetoed or signed into law. It is a complicated process.

Here is the status of this year's 13 appropriations bills:

Agriculture: The conference bill has passed the House, but has not yet passed the Senate.

Commerce, Justice and State Department: Versions have passed the House and the Senate, but the bill still has to go to conference.

Defense: Versions have passed the House and the Senate, but the bill still has to go to conference.

District of Columbia: Vetoed by President Clinton.

Energy and Water: Signed into law by President Clinton.

Foreign Operations: Conference version of the bill must go to Senate and House.

Interior: Versions have passed the House and the Senate, but the bill still has to go to conference.

Labor, Health and Human Services and Education: No passage.

Legislative Branch: Signed into law by President Clinton.

Military Construction: Signed into law by President Clinton.

Transportation: Conference version has passed House, but not the Senate.

Treasury: Signed into law by President Clinton.

Veterans Affairs/Housing and Urban Development: Versions have passed the House and the Senate, but the bill still has to go to conference.

I have noticed a disturbing trend in the conference bills. They are beginning to come back from the conference loaded up with pork, and millions, if not billions of dollars more expensive than they were when I voted on the bills in the House. That is why I voted against several of these conference bills. Government simply has to learn to live within its budget the same way all working families do.

Unborn Victims Act

I was a cosponsor of the Unborn Victims Act, which makes it a federal crime to harm an unborn child during the commission of a violent criminal act. If a criminal's attack causes a mother to lose her child, he will not be punished for that action. Punishments are the same for physically attacking the mother, with the exception of the death penalty.

There are cases where people have assaulted expectant mothers with the aim of causing her to lose her child. This law finally provides just punishment for such a hate-filled action.

The only mystery to me in this vote was that many of the child protection advocates and the members of the Democratic Party who are against violence to women, fought the law. The bill specifically exempts lawful activity, such as abortion, yet the pro-abortion forces are so ideological that they could not make an exemption for a woman who wants her child, and who loses that child because of a criminal assault. What kind of choice is that?

Social Security Raid

You may have heard some people saying the Republicans are going to spend Social Security money. I'm not sure where that came from, because Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert told me that we will not spend a dime of Social Security. That has been my position all along.

Tax money put into the Social Security Trust Fund, should be spent for that purpose alone. Spending that money on special programs is a violation of the trust of all the people paying their Social Security and Medicare taxes. I will not sit still for a raid on people's Social Security. That is why the tax relief vetoed by President Clinton ensured that every dime paid in Social Security and Medicare went only for those two programs.

Visitors Gary and Wilma Rowe from Cherokee County; Marsha and Jim Watkins from Marietta, and the Wegienkas of Hogansville dropped by the Washington Office. Brenda Craven of Snellville, Linda Parker and Tammy Parker of Fayetteville, Mary Tanner of Sharpsburg, and Anne Sims of Carrollton also visited.

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