Congressional Record UNUM

E PLURIBUS

United States

of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m.

Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

H 5085

House of Representatives

Vol. 141 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1995 No. 82

The House met at 10 a.m. and was

called to order by the Speaker pro tempore [Mr. UPTON

f].

DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER

PRO TEMPORE

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following communication from the Speaker:

WASHINGTON, DC,

May 17, 1995.

I hereby designate the Honorable FRED

UPTON to act as Speaker pro tempore on this

day.

NEWT GINGRICH,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

fPRAYER

The Chaplain, Rev. James David

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

As we look at the myriad decisions of

the day and the options that are before

us and all people, we pray, almighty

God, for the assurance that Your Word

does give. We know of the uncertainty

of every life and we are aware of how

our plans go awry, and yet we know too

of the confidence we can have in Your

love that sustains into every day

ahead. May Your strong Word, O God,

that brought the world into being and

breathed into us the very breath of life,

give each person the faith and hope and

love to live each day with fullness and

with grace. 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. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to

clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on

agreeing to the Speaker’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. HOKE. 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 1, rule I, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed

until later this afternoon.

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withdrawn.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.

REMOVAL OF NAME OF MEMBER

AS COSPONSOR OF HOUSE CONfCURRENT RESOLUTION 32

Mr. MCNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent that my name be

removed as a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 32.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER

There was no objection.

PRO TEMPORE

fThe SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair would announce that he will entertain 15 1-minutes on each side.

STILL NO PLAN FROM THE PRESIDENT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET

Mr. WELLER asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

(Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, Thomas

Jefferson said, ‘‘We should consider

ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally

bound to pay them ourselves.’’ And yet

as of yesterday, the national debt stood

at $4,881,377,281,278.42, an increase of

$22.2 billion.

At this rate, the national debt will

have increased by another $15,448,819 in

the time it takes me to finish this

short 1-minute speech.

The debt burden for each individual

American, including those babies born

yesterday, now stands at $18,626.02, an

$89 increase—again that is per person.

It has been 76 days since we challenged the President to present his

plan to balance the budget and 20 days

since we asked him to help us help fix

Medicare.

In the absence of leadership from the

White House, Republicans have offered

a plan to balance the budget by 2002 so

that our children will have a future

free from debt and a standard of living

better than our own.

Mr. Speaker, where is the President’s

plan? We are still waiting.

(Ms. RIVERS asked and was given

SAVING MEDICARE?

fpermission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. RIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to point out some inconsistencies in many of the arguments that

we are hearing today. In the Republican budget, the line item that guts

Medicare is called saving Medicare.

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, this

is not about saving Medicare. This is