Date: 2002-05-23
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. we are here at the eve of Memorial Day. and as we approach this weekend and we approach Memorial Day. we think about all of the symbols of the values of this country and all of the battles that have been waged on behalf of those values of democracy. of freedom. all of the sacrifice that has been given to this country on behalf of those values. on behalf of those freedoms. We all recognize our duty. as we have young men and women in harms way in Afghanistan. in the Philippines. in Colombia. and so many troubled areas of the world where those values of democracy and freedom are not near and dear as they are here. We all understand our obligation to provide the resources to those individuals. to those troops. to those support organizations for those young men and women. That is what this supplemental is supposed to be about. to provide those resources so that there will be an unbroken chain of support on behalf of our troops. We are all prepared to meet that challenge. as we have so many times in the Congress of the United States. We have met that challenge. along with our citizens. from small towns. from urban centers. from rural areas. because Americans understood what we were supposed to be about. that we were about defending democracy. that we were about defending freedom. They understood it as we engaged in the war on terror to repel the attack that was made on our country. They understood that their sons and daughters would be placed in harms way. They understood that their neighbors. their friends would be placed in harms way. But we all also understood Americas role in the world. Yet. we now find. we now find. as we will remember in speeches this weekend. in parades and ceremonies. the courage of these young men and women. the great symbols of the past. the Midways. the Pearl Harbors. the Antietams. the great symbols of this country. the pieces of history of this country. the sacrifice of this country. as we remember that and remember that courage. we will have to think back to today when the House of Representatives and the Republicans in the House decided they would not exhibit that courage! They would not exhibit the courage equal to that of the young men and women who are in harms way. to those who sacrificed in the past. The simple courage would be to stand up and cast your vote. to cast your vote. yes or no. to add $750 billion to the debt limit. to cast your vote. yes or no. whether or not we want to invade the Social Security trust funds. to cast your vote. yes or no. whether or not you want to make it more difficult to take care of the baby boomers who are getting ready to retire. to cast your vote. yes or no. whether or not Medicare will be available for them to the extent that it is today. That is what we all said we would do when we ran for Congress. But today. today courage is failing the Congress. the House of Representatives. the Republican majority. Today. courage seeps out of their body as they try to disguise this vote. to camouflage this vote so that they will not be held accountable for the results. The results are a dramatic addition to the national debt of this country. The results are increasing liability of the Social Security trust fund. the vulnerability of the Social Security trust fund. It was said by Alexander Hamilton on the explanation of representative government when he answered the question. he said. "Here. sir. the people govern." The people govern. And we govern through them and they govern through us. What the Democrats are asking for is the opportunity to cast a vote. yes or no. up or down. on the most important issue confronting our economy and our country. and that is the debt of this Nation. My colleagues are not denying GEORGE MILLER a vote. My colleagues are not denying the gentleman from Tennessee a vote. They are denying the people of Tennessee and the people of California a yote who have strongly held views. That is why we have had great debates in this Congress in the past. That is why we had votes where a onevote margin raised the taxes or lowered the taxes or got rid of the debt. Mr. Chairman. we need to have the courage of our convictions. The Republican Party has to have the courage of its convictions. If you believe the debt limit should be raised. if you believe Social Security should be invaded. then have the courage of your convictions to stand up and do it. Our men and women in harms way have their courage.