The Administration has no objection to House passage of H.R. 1659, which
would provide for the Federal acquisition of private mineral rights within
the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. During further
consideration of the bill, the Administration will work with Congress to
identify the necessary offsets.
Pay-As-You-Go Scoring
H.R. 1659 would increase direct spending; therefore, the bill is subject to
the pay-as-you-go requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1990. The bill does not contain provisions to offset the increased direct
spending. Therefore, if the bill were enacted, its net budget costs could
contribute to a sequester of mandatory programs. OMB's preliminary scoring
estimate of this bill (in the form of the manager's amendment) is that it
will increase direct spending by $4.2 million in FY 1999. Final scoring of
this legislation may deviate from this estimate. If H.R. 1659 were
enacted, final OMB scoring estimates would be published within seven
working days of enactment, as required by OBRA. The cumulative effects of
all enacted legislation on direct spending and receipts will be reported to
Congress at the end of the Congressional session, as required by OBRA.
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