H 5088 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 1995

billion are unacceptable. And continuing to saddle our children with a mountain of debt they cannot afford to pay

is unacceptable.

This budget proposal represents a

historic change in the direction of our

country. It moves us from a government that is too intrusive, wasteful

and debt ridden to a smaller, more efficient government that costs less and is

responsive to State and local needs.

This budget is a gateway to the future

presenting a new vision of government.

It moves authority out of Washington

and helps empower every individual

American.

It cuts taxes for America’s families,

seniors, and small businesses. It restores hope. It promises opportunity

for the next generation. It protects Social Security. It increases spending on

Medicare by over $80 billion. And it

saves it from bankruptcy. It will result

in a higher net rate of savings and a

higher standard of living for everyone.

And should not everybody celebrate

that?

Mr. Speaker, it is in the best interest

that I strongly urge my House colleagues to support this resolution. It is

for the children.

SAYING ‘‘NO’’ TO THE SOUND

BITES AND PHOTO OPS

f(Mr. GUTIERREZ asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, as

you well know, posing for photo ops,

listening to sound bites, and giving

easy answers can be kind of addictive.

Sometimes, the sound-bite addict

needs a little help in kicking the habit.

In this House, that Republican habit

is to stand before the cameras and pretend that they are getting our budget

in line without hurting working Americans.

That is why this House passed a rescission package that went easy on

closing tax loopholes for the rich and

eliminating Government bureaucracy

and boondoggles.

But those rescission got tough on

something.

They got tough on summer jobs and

worker training, and they got tough on

student loans and day care.

Well, these sound bite addicts are

about to get some tough love.

It is called a veto pen.

I applaud President Clinton and his

tough choice to say no to the sound

bites, photo ops and easy answers that

hurt our kids, hurt our students and

punish working Americans.

And I encourage my friends on the

other side of the aisle to kick their

easy answer habit before it is too late

for the American people.

THE REPUBLICANS WILL BALANCE

THE BUDGET

f(Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked

and was given permission to address

the House for 1 minute and to revise

and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr.

Speaker, the Democrats, scare-the-people campaign about draconian cuts by

Republicans is just ridiculous. The Republican budget actually increases

spending by 3 percent every year for

the next 7 years, spending nearly $12

trillion more in the next 7 years than

in the past.

When I was back in Dallas, my constituents put together three notebooks

full of comments about ideas for reductions in Government spending. Do you

know what they say? Balance the budget. So do not try to fool the American

people into thinking that balancing the

budget will hurt them. They know better. They know Government spends too

much, and, most importantly, they

know the consequences if we continue

down the path that we are going on

now.

They will also know, after tomorrow,

that it is the Republicans who have

taken the first major step toward balancing our budget.

THIS IS PUNISHMENT, NOT A

fBUDGET

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

her remarks.)

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker,

what is wrong with the truth? It seems

that many people are running in the

opposite direction when we simply

want to tell you the truth. This is not

a budget, it is simply pure punishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to

report to you on the growing sentiments of my constituents in Houston,

TX. Like other Texans and Americans

nationwide, they are beginning to understand what the Republican budget

proposals could really mean to their

lives. I have no problem with telling

them the truth, and they do not like it.

To pay for the huge tax cuts for the

well-to-do, leaders of the other side of

the aisle want to enact a $283 billion

cut in Medicare, three times the size of

the largest previous cut in history, and

Medicaid will be cut approximately

$182 million.

The lives of more than 2,000,000 Medicare seniors in Texas would be dramatically impacted, and by the year

2002 each Medicare senior in Texas

would be asked to pay an additional

$1,122 out-of-pocket expenses. Each

would be forced to pay $4,000 more for

fiscal years 1996 through 2002 to make

up for these cuts. We want the future

to be free for future generations but

not on the backs of seniors and those

most vulnerable.

Look at this, Mr. Speaker. Here the

Republicans are cutting the dollars

that the Association for Retired Citizens are about to use to help seniors

find jobs. We need to do something better, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what’s wrong with the

truth? This is not a budget; this is punishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to report to

you on the growing sentiments of my constituents in Houston.

Like other Texans and Americans nationwide, they’re beginning to understand what the

Republican budget proposals could really

mean to their lives, and they don’t like it.

To pay for huge tax cuts for the well-to-do,

leaders on the other side of the aisle want to

enact a $283 billion cut in Medicare three

times the size of the largest previous cut in

history. Medicaid would be cut approximately

$182 million.

The lives of more than 2-million Medicare

seniors in Texas would be dramatically impacted.

By the year 2002, each Medicare senior in

Texas would be asked to pay an additional

$1,222 out-of-pocket dollars per year for their

health coverage.

Each would be forced to pay nearly $4,000

dollars more, from fiscal years 1996 through

2002, to make up for GOP cuts.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on this side believe that a balanced budget is the correct

goal, we want to free future generations from

the burden of today’s debt. We want to shrink

the size of government in a responsible manner that will not pull the rug out from under a

steady, strong economy.

And we want to make government more efficient and fair without breaking long-standing

promises to the Nation’s seniors or vulnerable

children.

VOTE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET

(Mr. CHRISTENSEN asked and was

Mr. Speaker, we must and can do better.

fgiven permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, let

me remind my friend on the left that

just spoke that punishment is saddling

the future generation with the debt, if

we fail to act, if we fail to pass a budget that balances over the next 5 to 7

years.

Punishment is failing to do something in the next few days that will get

this country in the right direction fiscally. If we fail to act, the children of

this country face $187,000 in interest

alone if they were born tomorrow. A

child born tomorrow would pay $187,000

in interest alone on this Nation’s debt.

Tomorrow we have the opportunity

to vote on a budget that will balance

over the next 5 to 7 years. Tomorrow

we have an opportunity to send this

country in the right direction, to take

it out of its financial abyss where the

left-leaning liberals have taken it over

the last 40 years.

Tomorrow we have an opportunity to

take this country in the right direction. I ask my colleagues to consider

very strongly where they want this

country to go, a budget that is balanced or where it has been over the

last 40 years.

REPUBLICAN BUSINESS AS USUAL

(Mr. WARD asked and was given perfmission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
May 17, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 5089

Mr. WARD. Mr. Speaker, I am a

freshman. I voted for all of the reforms

that we proposed, that were proposed

on the 1st day of this session, especially the reform that required a threefifths supermajority of this House to

raise taxes. But now what do we see?

We see the Republicans reverting to

business as usual.

Since our income tax brackets are

adjusted each year to reflect inflation,

to keep people from being pushed into

higher tax brackets simply due to that

inflation, the arbitrary reduction in

the Consumer Price Index by the Republicans will, in effect, increase taxes

for millions of Americans. And it will

do that without a three-fifths vote of

this body, in direct violation of that

rule that I supported.

I am deeply disappointed that we are

seeing business as usual by the Republican majority.

fb 1030

HAVE THE CLINTON DEMOCRATS

NO SHAME?

(Mr. HERGER asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, after

watching the Clinton Democrats for

the past few weeks, I have finally figured out what their strategy is. Since

they have no solid ideas of their own,

they have started on a fear campaign

filled with illegitimate scare tactics

designed to try derail any legislation

Republicans offer. Have they no shame.

First it was the children. The Clinton

Democrats said school lunch programs

were being cut, when in fact funding

was increasing. Now they are saying

children will suffer if we try to balance

the budget. I say what kind of future

will our children have if we do not balance the budget. Have they no shame!

Next it is the college students. Clinton Democrats are scaring college students by playing fast and loose with

the facts about school loans, when in

reality a balanced budget will bring

down interest rates by at least 2 percent, ultimately saving students

money. Have they no shame.

And finally, the Clinton Democrats,

in their eagerness to score political

points, are using their distorted fear

tactics to scare senior citizens. Republicans are working to save Medicare—

Republicans repealed Clinton’s tax increase on seniors. Republicans are protecting Social Security. Have the Clinton Democrats no shame.

THE CONTRACT’S CROWN JEWEL—

TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH, BROfKEN PROMISES TO SENIORS

(Ms. DELAURO asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DELAURO Mr. Speaker, today

the bill comes due for the Republican’s

tax giveaway to the privileged few, and

the primary bill payers are senior citizens who will be hit with $288 billion in

cuts to Medicare.

The Speaker has called the Republican tax plan the crown jewel of the

Contract With America.

It is a crown jewel all right—if you

are a large corporation that may not

have to pay any taxes at all—if you are

a billionaire expatriate who gives up

your citizenship to avoid paying

taxes—if you are making more than

$350,000 and you are going to walk away

with a $20,000 tax break.

But if you are a senior citizen, get

ready to pay up for that crown jewel.

Your Medicare premiums and

copayments are going up, and your

benefits are being cut. Altogether the

average senior should expect to pay

$1,060 more in out-of-pocket expenses

by the year 2002.

Make no mistake about it, the Republican budget plan robs Medicare to

pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest

Americans. To keep their promise to

the rich, the Republicans must break

our most sacred promise to America’s

seniors.

REPUBLICAN BUDGET PUTS GOVERNMENT ON A DIET AND REfSTORES THE AMERICAN DREAM

(Mr. HOBSON asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government has not run up a $4.7

trillion debt because the American people pay too little taxes. The huge debt

and deficits have exploded because the

Federal Government is too big, spends

too much of your money, and tells too

many people what to do. It is big government, stupid!

Our balanced budget, for the first

time in 25 years, solves this problem of

oversized Government by reducing

Government’s size: It puts the bloated

Federal Government on a diet. It eliminates the Federal deficit by trimming

the size, power, intrusiveness, of the

Federal Government.

Past attempts to reduce the deficit,

like the Clinton tax increases, have

failed because they have not addressed

the deficit’s root cause: oversized Government. Every dime they have collected in increased revenues has been

spent on government gimmicks, spending schemes, and partisan pork. Every

dollar saved in reductions in defense

since 1985 has gone to feed the Government, not reduce the deficit.

Our balanced budget plan is different.

Not only does our plan just say no to

Clinton-style hikes. Our balanced budget actually includes tax relief for our

families, small businesses, students,

and seniors.

Our balanced budget finally solves

the problem of too much Washington.

It puts the Government on a diet, returns power to families, neighborhoods,

and communities, and restores the

American dream. I urge all my colleagues to support this plan for the future of our children.

WHY ARE REPUBLICANS GOUGING

MEDICARE TO PAY FOR TAX

fCUTS FOR THE PRIVILEGED

FEW?

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

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, why are Republicans gouging Medicare to pay for

tax breaks for the privileged few? Why

do they cut almost $300 billion in Medicare to senior citizens for tax breaks,

of which only 11⁄2 percent of those tax

breaks go to families under $20,000? Incidentally, 50 percent goes to families

over $100,000. Yet the Medicare cuts go

to 100 percent of all senior citizens.

Why are Republicans cutting the student loan program to pay for tax

breaks for the privileged few? Here are

petitions signed by thousands of West

Virginia high school and college students and parents asking Congress not

to cut the student loan program, not to

cut their future. We do not have to be

Phi Beta Kappas to know that giving

already wealthy Americans a tax break

while denying students a chance just to

be middle income simply is not fair.

Mr. Speaker, budgets reflect values.

Slashing Medicare, cutting student

loans, Americans want the budget balanced, but not on the backs of American values.

AMERICANS HAVE ENTERED A

NEW ERA: THE AGE OF RESPONfSIBILITY

(Mr. LINDER asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I have discovered the difference between the

Democrat and Republican Parties. The

Democrat Party lives in constant fear

that America is going to discover the

truth. The Republican Party lives in

constant fear that they will not.

The fact is, it is true that in 2 years,

according to the Clinton budget, interest on the debt will exceed all defense

spending. It is also true that in 7 years,

according to Clinton’s trust fund advisers, Medicare will be bankrupt and

they will not be able to pay any bills

for hospitals, any home health care.

Mr. Speaker, I think we have entered

a new era. It is the age of responsibility. Americans are willing to take responsibility for their actions. They are

asking us to take responsibility for our

actions. It is true that we have put our

children and grandchildren into 5 trillion dollars’ worth of debt. The responsible thing is to try and pay that down

and balance the budget. It is true that

education is an abject failure. The responsible thing is to reform it, not to

throw more money at it. It is true that

Medicare must be reformed to be saved