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.

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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Republicans repealed Clinton’s tax increase on seniors.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