H 4790 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE May 10, 1995

I can remember walking there

through the talk radio, through all the

talk show hosts who were located on

the White House grounds, at President

Clinton’s invitation, giving their commentary on American politics, and this

President’s performance. When the

President thought that he could bring

these people to his side and swing opinion in his direction, he lobbied the talk

show hosts. He thought they were great

people. However, they listened to people, and most Americans are fairly conservative. Apparently, he has not appreciated the heat that he has taken

from these people.

In a couple of weeks, Mr. Speaker, we

are going to celebrate and commemorate the Americans who lost their lives

in battles in this country and outside

of this country, from Bunker Hill to

Belleau Wood to Inchon in Korea, to

Khe Sanh, to the Persian Gulf, and

those Americans who lost their lives

fought, of course, for that broad array

of freedoms that we generally describe

as liberty in this great land. One of

those greatest freedoms is the right to

criticize your elected officials.

Therefore, Mr. President, when you

listen to talk show hosts and you do

not like to the fact that they are criticizing you or taking you on, do not

worry. Do not complain. It is the sound

of freedom.

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

ftleman from Massachusetts [Mr.

FRANK] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts addressed the House. His remarks will appear hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.]

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

ftleman from Tennessee [Mr. BRYANT] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. BRYANT of Tennessee addressed

the House. His remarks will appear

hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.]

REPUBLICANS WANT TO BALANCE

THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF

fAMERICANS

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. JACKSON-LEE]

is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I

think it is important that we are facing up to a very important decision, albeit late, and that is the budget for the

people of the United States of America.

I stand here this evening because a

couple of weeks ago the State Comptroller for the State of Texas announced that through the rescission

cuts, the State of Texas and its people

will lose $1.5 billion.

Yet, now, we have a budget proposal

that takes those dollars on the backs

of Texans and eliminates some 283 programs, as proposed by Republicans, and

agrees to give the full measure of tax

cuts already denied and rejected by the

Senate Committee and the Budget

chairman, Senator DOMENICI. This is

the tax cut that will give those individuals making $30,000 or less a mere $124

a year, and the tax cut that gives the

real working Americans, along with

those Americans making $30,000 or less,

some $760; that is, those making between $30,000 and $75,000.

In the course of this budget proposal,

which is focused particularly on the

backs of young people, on teachers, on

students, and on the elderly, we first

come full force to cut the Department

of Energy, at the same time that the

Secretary of Energy is reforming and

reinventing her own department.

Here, now, we are a country which indicates a great interest in technological discoveries, a great need for a

renewed energy policy, and many of

the environmental efforts that have

been made by the Department of Energy. Now we want to eliminate that

department, just as we are addressing

the focus of that department, which is

to develop a real domestic energy policy, one that will address the needs of

business, create jobs, and yes, open up

opportunities internationally.

That department has been targeted

for elimination, not improvement, not

downsizing, but elimination, so I guess

we will throw technology to the winds,

the environment to the winds, and certainly, we will throw the opportunities

for bringing the energy industry to the

table to discuss important issues of developing a domestic energy policy that

many could agree with, we will throw

that to the winds, too, by eliminating

the department.

The Department of Commerce, which

over the last couple of years has generated more business for Americans

than any other department, rather

than downsizing and effectively making it work for the American people,

this budget proposal targeting the

backs of Americans wants to eliminate

the Department of Commerce.

We go further. Many of us have had

the opportunity, particularly in the

city of Houston, to see the Americorps

students working, the domestic Peace

Corps. We have seen them working to

help communities, but as much as

them working to help communities, we

have seen them build opportunities for

themselves by providing for themselves

to go to college.

What are we trying to do with this

new budget proposed by the Republicans? Shut down departments that

are effective and working, rather than

creating opportunities for downsizing,

and over a measured period of time

bringing down the deficit, as all of us

could agree with, now we are attacking

Americorps and totally eliminating it,

a program that has gone into the

trenches of America and worked with

communities to improve housing, to

clean up neighborhoods, to work with

underprivileged children, to work with

seniors, to build buildings, if you will,

and to help those particular areas to

cut down on their costs. We are eliminating it.

Then we are so generous-spirited and

generous-hearted, along with the $280

billion cut from Medicare, which our

seniors have vigorously indicated

‘‘What more do you want from us,’’ we

now want to cut from the Republican

budget now being discussed, as we

speak, housing for the elderly; individuals who have worked all their lives,

but possibly worked in jobs that would

not allow them to have the kinds of

savings that you need, and they are

provided for in these group retirement

homes that are assisted by our housing

authorities throughout this country.

Yet, we wish to cut that. No alternatives could be offered, other than to

cut housing for the elderly, along with

Medicare.

The State Bar of Texas, which I have

had the great pride of serving as a

member of the legal profession on the

board of directors on that organization,

comprised of law firms and sole practitioners and attorneys who understand

what it is to serve the public, they

pleaded in my office for us to preserve

the Legal Services Corporation; not a

group that goes out and instigates litigations, as would be accused by Republicans who are apparently cutting it

out, but those who would help individuals who do not have the ability to secure their own lawyers; the Legal Services Corporation, helping mothers get

child support payments, working with

the elderly, working with those legal

immigrants who come in and need services. Yet, they are totally cutting out

Legal Services.

We do not have a budget, we have a

joke. We have something that is going

to hurt the citizens of Texas, hurt the

citizens of Houston. We need to get

down to the business of working for

America. Mr. Speaker, we need a real

budget to work for Americans.

fb 2215

THE FLAT TAX

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

NORWOOD). Under a previous order of

the House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. FOX] is recognized for 5

minutes.

Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address the House on an important issue.

Now that the House has completed

work on the Contract with America is

a good time to begin looking past the

first 100 days to future legislative

goals.

I believe, Mr. Speaker, that a flat tax

is in America’s future. It is an idea

which is catching fire across the Nation. What is it about the flat tax that

Americans find so attractive? I believe

the answer can be summarized in three

words: trust, simplicity, and fairness.