May 9, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE H 4553

balance the budget. It just simply is

not there.

So suddenly we have a crisis in Medicare that cries out for immediate action, for immediate cuts totaling 80

percent of the money they need to fund

their tax cuts. No, the crisis is not so

much in Medicare, and it is not a new

crisis. In fact, Medicare, according to

the trustees, is in better condition

today than it was a year ago. They

have put off its potential insolvency

for 12 months into the next century.

No, the crisis is in the corporate

board rooms. The crisis is in the country club cocktail lounges. The crisis is

that the Republicans in their contract

promised the most powerful and the

most wealthy and the most well off

Americans a nice, big, fat, juicy tax

cut, and they promised everybody else

in America they would balance the

budget. And now they want to balance

the budget on the backs of the seniors

by cutting Medicare to fund their tax

cuts.

Congress is going to say no to this

outrage, this new abomination worse

than the worst aspects of the first 100

days of this Congress.

fRECESS

The SPEAKER pro tempore. There

being no further requests for morning

business, pursuant to clause 12, rule I,

the House will stand in recess until 2

p.m.

Accordingly (at 1 o’clock and 5 minutes p.m.), the House stood in recess

until 2 p.m.

fb 1400

AFTER RECESS

The recess having expired, the House

was called to order by the Speaker pro

tempore [Mr. E

fWING] at 2 p.m.

PRAYER

The Chaplain, Rev. James David

Ford, D.D., offered the following prayer:

We are reminded during these days of

the momentous occasion of the ending

of conflict in Europe 50 years ago. As

our thoughts go out in thanksgiving

for the blessings of peace, we remember

specially those members of our Armed

Forces whose dedication and sacrifice

brought new hope to so many people

who had known destitution and suffering and death. We laud all those who

labored for freedom and recall with

praise their commitment and their allegiance to liberty. O gracious God,

whose power created the Heavens and

the Earth and whose grace is all about,

may Your blessing be upon those who

gave of themselves that others might

live. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

THE JOURNAL

fChair has examined the Journal of the

last day’s proceedings and announces

to the House his approval thereof.

Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to

clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on

agreeing to the Chair’s approval of the

Journal.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

question is on the Chair’s approval of

the Journal.

The question was taken; and the

Speaker pro tempore announced that

the ayes appeared to have it.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I object to

the vote on the ground that a quorum

is not present and make the point of

order that a quorum is not present.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule I, further proceedings on this vote will be postponed and

the vote will be taken later today.

The point of no quorum is considered

withdrawn.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

fgentleman from Ohio [Mr. CHABOT]

come forward and lead the House in the

Pledge of Allegiance.

Mr. CHABOT led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for

which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

A message from the Senate by Mr.

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

fLundregan, one of its clerks, announced that the Senate had passed

without amendment a concurrent resolution of the House of the following

title:

H. Con. Res. 53. Concurrent resolution expressing the sense of the Congress regarding

a private visit by President Lee Teng-hui of

the Republic of China on Taiwan to the United States.

The message also announced that the

Senate had passed a bill of the following title, in which the concurrence of

the House is requested:

S. 103. An act entitled the ‘‘Lost Creek

Land Exchange Act of 1995’’.

The message also announced that

pursuant to sections 1928a–1928d of title

22, United States Code, as amended, the

Chair, on behalf of the Vice President,

appoints Mr. MURKOWSKI, Mr. BROWN,

Mr. GREGG, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. JOHNSTON, Mr. PRYOR, and Mr. AKAKA as

members of the Senate delegation to

the North Atlantic Assembly Spring

Meeting during the First Session of the

One Hundred Fourth Congress, to be

held in Budapest, Hungary, May 25–29,

1995.

The message also announced that

pursuant to sections 276h–276k of title

22, United States Code, as amended, the

Chair, on behalf of the Vice President,

appoints Mr. BINGAMAN as a member of

the Senate delegation to the MexicoUnited States Interparliamentary

Group during the First Session of the

One Hundred Fourth Congress, to be

held in Tucson, AZ, May 12–14, 1995.

The message also announced that

pursuant to sections 276d–276g of title

22, United States Code, as amended, the

Chair on behalf of the Vice President,

appoints Mr. GRASSLEY and Mrs.

HUTCHISON to the Senate delegation to

the Canada-United States

Interparliamentary Group during the

First Session of the One Hundred

Fourth Congress, to be held in Huntsville, ON, Canada, May 18–22, 1995.

The message also announced that

pursuant to sections 276d–276g of title

22, United States Code, as amended, the

Chair, on behalf of the Vice President,

appoints Mrs. MURRAY as vice chairman of the Senate delegation to the

Canada-United States Interparlia

mentary Group during the One Hundred Fourth Congress.

fAWOL

(Mr. DELAY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DELAY. Mr. Speaker, as President Clinton goes to Moscow, he once

again has dodged his responsibility.

This time, he has failed to exhibit

any leadership when it comes to saving

Medicare.

According to the Medicare Board of

Trustees, a group which includes three

members of the President’s Cabinet,

Medicare will go bankrupt by the year

2002.

Republicans are developing a plan

which will protect, improve and preserve the Medicare system. We will do

this by eliminating fraud and abuse,

while slowing the explosive growth in

costs.

Instead of joining with us in our reform efforts or offering solutions of his

own, the President has gone AWOL.

Yes, he is absent without leadership.

Mr. Speaker, the American people

want real leadership from their President.

They want us to take steps to save

Medicare, not allow its costs to continue to skyrocket to the point of

bankruptcy.

I urge the President to live up to his

responsibilities and work with Congress to save Medicare.

(Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

REFORMING MEDICARE

fasked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr.

Speaker, anyone reading the paper or

watching the news last week knows

that Medicare is on the front line in

the battles that lie ahead. Seniors are

watching and what they see is troubling. Yes, we do need to reform Medicare—but there is a right way and a

wrong way. Last year we had the

chance to strengthen Medicare the

right way—in the context of health