May 25, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 5591

In light of the potential serious threats the

U.S. and rest of the world faces, and because

of the benefits we all can gain from an exchange of ideas, we should consider whether

we can afford not to.

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PERMISSION FOR COMMITTEE ON

NATIONAL SECURITY TO FILE A

REPORT ON H.R. 1530, NATIONAL

DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996

Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent that the Committee on National Security be allowed

during the Memorial Day district work

period to file a report on the bill (H.R.

1530) to authorize appropriations for

fiscal year 1996 for military activities

of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for

fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

BURTON of Indiana). Is there objection

to the request of the gentleman from

California?

Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, reserving the

right to object, I will not object, and I

would simply observe that this was

cleared with the minority. We appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman from California?

There was no objection.

(Mr. MARTINEZ asked and was given

THE VALUE OF EDUCATION

fpermission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I do

not think anyone can dispute the fact

that education is one of the keys to

success.

All one needs to do is look around

and see that the leaders in every walk

of life are generally educated people.

Mr. Speaker, so many of our immigrants came here with no education

and not much else either.

But they worked hard and sacrificed

so that their children could have an

education and reap the harvest of the

bountiful opportunities in their wonderful new country.

As a result, each succeeding generation did better and we as a country enjoyed the fruits of that harvest.

Sadly, as hard as it was for the first

Americans, it is not that easy anymore—costs are up and the economy is

down.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the price of

freedom is a well-educated people, and

our Founding Fathers thought so too

when they created a public school system to educate every young person in

our country.

Now, as today’s leaders, we should realize in a modern world that K through

12 is not enough to keep us competitive.

If this is true, and I think most

would agree, then why is the leadership

on the other side of the aisle—who incidentally are both college professors

and know the value of education—leading us away from a full education commitment in a way that will allow only

the very rich of this country to be educated?

EXCERPT FROM ‘‘PRISONERS OF

THE JAPANESE’’

f(Mr. DORNAN asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, I have

been slowly going through an incredible book by a fine Australian author

named Gavan Daws. The title of the

book is ‘‘Prisoners of the Japanese.’’ I

have to return it this week to the Library of Congress, so I secured a copy

from William Morrow Publishing in

New York.

I would like to read a paragraph from

the young publicist Justin Loeber and

why I want to do an hour on this book

and the broader theme of the unbelievably savage and brutal sadistic medieval torture of our POW’s by Japan

under its warlords.

Young Justin Loeber writes to me:

‘‘On a wider scale, this book, ‘Prisoners

of the Japanese,’ is a story of compassion for the elderly. After reading Mr.

Gavan Daws’ book, I now have more

patience for that old person who is

standing in line at the post office—the

person that has a limp or bad eyesight

and moves a little slower than the rest

of us. This person could have been tortured by the Japanese. Also, this book

has taught me to commemorate Memorial Day as it should be, not at the

mall celebrating the greatest sale of

the year, but honoring those people

who fought for our country. I’’—this is

Mr. Loeber—‘‘will be going with Gavan

Daws to the 50th reunion of the survivors of Bataan and Corregidor in Braintree, MA, over this Memorial Day

weekend.’’

Mr. Speaker, I will do an hour on this

later.

(Mrs. SEASTRAND asked and was

BE RELEVANT, MR. PRESIDENT

fgiven permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

her remarks.)

Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, just

a few weeks ago the President insisted

in a press conference that he was relevant. Mr. Speaker, it is time for him

to prove his relevance.

As a freshman Member of this House,

I was under the assumption that the

President and the two Houses of Congress worked together diligently when

legislation would affect the very future

of our country and future generations.

Saving our country from bankruptcy is

just such an issue. Yet where is the

President on this issue?

Last week President Clinton indicated to New Hampshire radio interviewers he would offer a plan to balance the budget in either 7 or 10 years.

But insisting on remaining irrelevant,

this week Mr. Clinton backed away

from yet another campaign pledge and

said he would not offer a plan to balance the budget and save the next generation.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the President

is attempting to play politics with a

very important issue. I hope he will reconsider his political stance and join

the freshmen and other Members of

this body as we attempt to give a future to our children that includes the

ability to leave them the family farm

and not simply the mortgage.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under

SPECIAL ORDERS

fthe Speaker’s announced policy of May

12, 1995, and under a previous order of

the House, the following Members will

be recognized for 5 minutes each.

previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Ohio [Ms. K

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

fAPTUR] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[Ms. KAPTUR addressed the House.

Her remarks will appear hereafter in

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. B

the Extensions of Remarks.]

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

f URTON] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. BURTON of Indiana addressed

the House. His remarks will appear

hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.]

previous order of the House, the gentleman from New York [Mr. O

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

f WENS] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. OWENS addressed the House.

His remarks will appear hereafter in

the Extensions of Remarks.]

LET’S BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT

fMEDICARE

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. EHLERS] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, those in

this Chamber who know me know that

I am a person who values integrity.

You also know that when I speak on

the floor and discuss issues, I try to be

as factual as possible; perhaps that is

my scientific background, my scientific training coming to the fore.

But I have to confess that I was upset

this morning. I have been upset over

the past several weeks at the attempt

of the other side of the aisle to beat

upon the theme—and I really mean the

word beat and beat and beat again—to

beat upon the theme that somehow the

Republicans are trying to cut taxes by

$300 billion and they are trying to cut

Medicare by $300 billion to pay for the

tax cut.