Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 141 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JULY 17, 1995 No. 115 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was that is good, the pilot that gives us di- ensuring the solvency of Medicare and called to order by the Speaker pro tem- rection and our guardian through all the health of their seniors, why are pore [Mr. EVERETT]. the perils of life. Bless us this day and they keeping them a secret? What are f every day, we pray. Amen. they afraid of? f It appears that they are trying to DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO sneak their radical and extreme cuts TEMPORE THE JOURNAL by the American public. I can under- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The stand why they would be inclined to do fore the House the following commu- Chair has examined the Journal of the so, given the fact that they are also nication from the Speaker: last day's proceedings and announces pushing a $240 billion tax cut for the wealthy. WASHINGTON, DC, to the House his approval thereof. July 17, 1995. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- Raiding Medicare to pay for this un- I hereby designate the Honorable TERRY nal stands approved. wise tax cut will inflict unacceptable pain on this Nation's seniors. Out-of- EVERETT to act as Speaker pro tempore on f this day. pocket expenses for seniors will rise by NEWT GINGRICH, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE $850 by the year 2002. These cuts will Speaker of the House of Representatives. also greatly diminish the ability of The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman f older Americans to access quality care. from Michigan [Mr. DINGELL] come for- Seniors have a right to know what is RECESS ward and lead the House in the Pledge in store for Medicare, especially if they of Allegiance. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- are being asked to bear skyrocketing Mr. DINGELL led the Pledge of Alle- ant to clause 12, rule I, the House will premiums and limited access to care to giance as follows: stand in recess until 12 noon. help finance tax breaks for the Accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 31 I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the wealthy. United States of America, and to the Repub- minutes a.m.), the House stood in re- I call upon my Republican colleagues lic for which it stands, one nation under God, to deliver a full and open debate on cess until 12 noon. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. how best to improve and strengthen f f Medicare. I also urge them to join me AFTER RECESS ON MEDICARE in rejecting the unfair tax break/Medi- care cut tradeoff being advanced. The recess having expired, the House (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given f was called to order by the Speaker pro permission to address the House for 1 tempore (Mr. EVERETT) at 12 noon. minute and to revise and extend his re- DO NOT TAKE AWAY HEALTH f marks.) CARE SECURITY FROM OUR SEN- Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, like the IORS PRAYER many seniors who have contacted me, I (Mr. LEWIS of Georgia asked and was The Chaplain, Rev. James David am shocked that the Republican budg- given permission to address the House Ford, D.D., offered the following pray- et slashes Medicare by $270 billion. for 1 minute and to revise and extend er: It now appears that Republicans are his remarks.) We speak about Your sovereignty, O preparing to end Medicare as we know Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, God, and yet we often act as if You did it. Recent media reports indicate that while I was in my district yesterday, I not exist; our prayers of devotion call they want to privatize this valuable met senior citizens who are frightened. upon Your name and yet we think we program, as they did when it was en- They don't have much money to spare, can walk alone; our public petitions in- acted in 1965. and they watch what they spend. They voke Your grace and yet privately we Sadly, the Republicans are hiding are worried that they will lose the se- do not care; our mouths call upon You their plans for reforming Medicare. curity of Medicare. with requests and appeals and yet our The current legislative schedule allows They understand that cuts to Medi- hearts and souls go their own way. for only a few days in September to in- care are not reform. They understand Slow us down, O gracious God, and turn troduce, review, and vote on their pro- that they will pay more. us to the truth to see You as the au- posed changes. If my colleagues across I share their concern. The Repub- thor of all creation, the redeemer of all the aisle have such wonderful ideas for licans say they will give seniors more b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H 7015 H 7016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE July 17, 1995 choice. But they do not mention that BIENNIAL REVISION TO U.S. ARC- In just 7 pages of the bill dealing many seniors cannot afford the choice. TIC RESEARCH PLANÐMESSAGE with the EPA, there are 21 anti-envi- Our elderly will pay more and get less. FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ronment riders, including the following Republicans say they must cut Medi- UNITED STATES provisions: blocking enforcement of air care to save it. If my Republican col- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- pollution permits; limiting enforce- leagues are concerned about the Medi- fore the House the following message ment of storm water and sanitary care Program, why do they cut Medi- from the President of the United sewer provisions in the Water Pollu- care to pay for tax cuts for the rich? States; which was read and, together tion Control Act; handicapping the This will not help Medicare. with the accompanying papers, without EPA's ability under the Clean Air Act Thirty years ago, Congress and the objection, referred to the Committee to regulate toxic emissions from cer- President signed a sacred trust with on Science: tain refineries; putting other limits on our seniorsÐMedicare. We must not enforcing environmental laws affecting stand by while that trust is broken. To the Congress of the United States: other parts of the oil and gas industry; Pursuant to the provisions of the stopping EPA from taking steps to f Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984, keep arsenic, radon and other as amended (15 U.S.C. 4108(a)), I trans- WAKE UP, AMERICA radionuclei out of our drinking water; mit herewith the fourth biennial revi- (Ms. FURSE asked and was given per- sion (1996±2000) to the United States limiting the EPA's efforts to control mission to address the House for 1 Arctic Research Plan. toxic releases from cement kilns and other incinerators; restricting the minute and to revise and extend her re- WILLIAM J. CLINTON. marks.) THE WHITE HOUSE, July 14, 1995. gathering and publishing of informa- tion about the use of chemicals; re- Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, I want to f issue a wake-up call to the American stricting the protection of the coun- people. I want to say to the American REPUBLICAN SNEAK ATTACK ON try's wetlands, blocking efforts to en- voters: Please watch closely what's THE ENVIRONMENT courage car pooling; restricting efforts happening here in Congress. I don't The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a to improve water quality in the Great think you'll like what you'll see. previous order of the House the gen- Lakes; and, undermining the regula- What you'll see during this appro- tleman from Colorado [Mr. SKAGGS] is tion of pesticides in foods. priations process is a back-door attack recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, the pattern could not be on the environment. Instead of reau- Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, I am clearer. Just take a look at it, page thorizing and finetuning laws in the afraid that the new Republican major- after page of regressive anti-environ- light of day, this Congress is covertly ity in the House is carrying out what is mental and underhanded provisions starving programs to death through in effect a sneak attack on public aimed at handcuffing efforts to protect lack of funding. health, on environmental protection our food supply, keep our air and water The American people trust that the and on our national park system, clean, protect vital wetlands, all things environmental laws that we've had on among other things. vital to our natural systems all over the books for the past two decades will Following the unfortunate example the country. It is no wonder, Mr. Speaker, that continue to be enforced, because of James Watt, they are distorting the Carol Browner, the EPA administrator, they're law. Wrong. This new Repub- normal legislative process around here, has concluded that we are seeing ``an lican Congress is in the process of: acting against House rules by using the organized, concerted effort to under- Taking away money from the Fish and appropriations process to rewrite law mine public health and safety and the Wildlife Service which lists species and reshape policy, so that they can environment.'' that are on the brink of extinction; achieve, by stealth, objectives that If anything, Carol Browner under- taking away money from the EPA lack real public support.