Date: 1981-05-06
Speaker: WILLIAM J. COYNE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I strongly urge that we adopt the Obey amendment. It Is the best option available for *maintaining a humane level of services for our fellow citizens who. through no fault of their own. need assistance. On tax policy. It reflects what so many people tell me when I meet them back In my home district. They say. "Forget about a:10percent tax cut and save these programs that are needed to keep people working and to keep our city healthy." This Is a prudent fiscal package. It is the balanced budget alternative. In contrast to the $31 billion deficit expected under the administrations proposal. the Obey budget will keep Federal expenditures within the limits of Federal income. It does not promise to do this years down the pike. but right away. It will cut down on the runaway national debt and the heavy interest May 6. i981 burdanthis. Imposes. It is thus the antiinflation alternative. On the* spending _side.: the Obey measure Is attuned to the times. It must be characterized as cautiousas measured against the spending trends. of the past decade. Although the administration budget flies under the banner of conservatism. itstrikes me as radical. GrammLatta. seems radical in the cuts It Imposes on school children. on infants. on -the elderly. on the unskilled who now benefit from job training programs. It strikes me as radical. too. In the new economic theories on which It is based. It assumes. for example. that Americans can spend their way out of Inflation. It assumes that cutting out Federal programs that bolster employment will somehow result in more Jobs. It assumes that whittling support for research and college training will incredse productivity. It assumes that we can overcome our energy shortages by Imposing severe cutbacks to energyefficient rail transport.Despite my own extreme misgivings about the administrations GrammLatta package. I can respect those who support it because of their genuine conviction that these proposals will be good for the country. There are some who share my own fears that the administrations recommendations will hurt the country. but are tempted to lend their support because eventual failures - from the new strategy will assure the defeat of the Republicans In the next elections. We should not be playing these political games. Mr. Chaiman. I believe ~we were elected to serve the best interests of our districts and of the country. Those of -us who foresee troubles arising from -the administration budget have a responsibility to prevent the Federal Government from taking us down -the wrong road. The Obey measure gives us the opportunity to do Just that. As the Representative from Pittsburgh. I want to say that the cities of America are looking to Congress to prevent them from being handicapped. My city. like many others. through splendid cooperation. between private and public sectors. has been taking the difficult road back to revitalization. The Government is not the enemy. but a partner In this effort. The Obey measure comes closest to saving programs which are vital to every large city. In conclusion. I repeat that our task here Is not to help or hurt the new administration. Our duty Is to support the measure that comes~ closest to serving the wellbeing of the Nation In the next several years. The Obey amendmnent. I believe. will do that.e