Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 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 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 143 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1997 No. 12 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was will he be remembered for his admira- ing the insidious barriers that once called to order by the Speaker pro tem- ble courage as a Vietnam veteran and a confronted African-Americans and pore [Mr. GUTKNECHT]. scholarly education at Harvard and other minorities in tuition broadcast- f Yale, but FRANK's true dedication and ing. He helped bring the change by allegiance to the people of the 28th being the best, both in sports and in DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO Congressional District of Texas will re- news coverage. For that historic and TEMPORE main in the hearts and minds of his proud achievement, we are all in his The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- constituency. debt. fore the House the following commu- In fact, whenever there was an issue I am confident that his future plans, nication from the Speaker: affecting his district or whenever we whatever they may be, will include a needed a vote from FRANK TEJEDA, he continuing contribution to his commu- WASHINGTON, DC, nity and his country. Whether these February 4, 1997. would always say two words: Wilson I hereby designate the Honorable GIL County. Whenever he saw me on the plans include award-winning broad- GUTKNECHT to act as Speaker pro tempore on House floor and we were trying to get casts like those he anchored from Afri- this day. a vote out of FRANK, this is what he ca, raising funds for the United Negro NEWT GINGRICH, wanted in return: his district, his peo- Fund, or quietly lifting the spirits of Speaker of the House of Representatives. ple, the kind of allegiance and rep- young people aspiring to be better, I f resentation a good Member of Congress know that Bryant Gumbel will be mak- always shows. His relentless efforts to ing this country a better place. MORNING BUSINESS Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to pay save Kelly Air Force Base will remain tribute to the gentleman from Okla- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- on the minds of every Member. homa [Mr. WATTS], our colleague, who ant to the order of the House of Janu- I will miss FRANK TEJEDA, as many of will deliver the answer to the Presi- ary 21, 1997, the Chair will now recog- us will, especially when he stood or sat dent's State of the Union Address. nize Members from lists submitted by next to the gentleman from Texas, the majority and minority leaders for There will be two eloquent speakers SOLOMON ORTIZ, as he always did on the tonight, the President of course and morning-hour debates. The Chair will House floor. These two were insepa- J.C. WATTS. They will differ in views, alternate recognition between the par- rable. FRANK's spirit will forever re- ties, with each party limited to not to but one of the sad parts of my job is main within the walls of this Chamber that I will miss individuals not just on exceed 30 minutes, and each Member and within the hearts of all who knew except the majority and minority lead- my side, but on the Republican side, him. like J.C. WATTS, that show class, com- er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I also want to rise in The Chair recognizes the gentleman mitment, dignity, outstanding athletic tribute to Bryant Gumbel. I wish to ex- ability, and many other admirable from New Mexico [Mr. RICHARDSON] for tend my enthusiastic congratulations qualities. 5 minutes. to Bryant Gumbel, who has departed So, today, I want to pay tribute to f the ``Today Show'' after serving as its FRANK TEJEDA, Congressman TEJEDA, anchor for longer than anyone in the who departed us last week; to Bryant TRIBUTE TO FRANK TEJEDA, show's long, distinguished history. BRYANT GUMBEL, AND J.C. WATTS Gumbel, an African-American who pio- The Emmy Award winner has ex- neered broadcasting and journalism, Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, celled at bringing news and insight to and to say that I will be one of the mil- today I want to speak about three indi- millions of viewers here and around the lions watching tonight the eloquence of viduals, one Hispanic-American and world. His reporting has come not just two men and the grace of two men, two African-Americans: First, our de- from the studios in Rockefeller Center, President Clinton and our friend J.C. parted colleague, FRANK TEJEDA who but also from China, Australia, Mos- WATTS. passed away courageously and with cow, Cairo, Tunisia, Buenos Aires, Ha- f great dignity last week in his home- vana, Saudi Arabia during the Persian town of San Antonio, TX. Gulf war, a number of European cities, REINTRODUCTION OF LEGISLA- Congressman TEJEDA was a man of and the Olympic games. TION TO END GOVERNMENT great dignity and distinction, but what I think one of Bryant Gumbel's most SHUTDOWNS FOREVER made FRANK special was his quiet and enduring contributions to his industry The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under unpretentious manner despite his dis- and, more importantly, to his country the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- tinguished accomplishments. Not only is a significant contribution to shatter- uary 21, 1997, the gentleman from 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. H247 H248 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE February 4, 1997 Pennsylvania [Mr. GEKAS] is recognized numbers, but rather to give them in- their first year of college and another during morning-hour debates for 5 min- centive to proceed to finalize a budget $1,500 in the second year if they work utes. with the priorities that they will be hard, stay off drugs and maintain a B Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, today I setting unencumbered, shall we say, by average. While the $1,500 was designed will be reintroducing a measure, which a full funding that would make them to meet the costs of the average com- I have in every one of the last five ses- lax in the proposition that a new budg- munity college, it can be put toward sions introduced at the very early part et has to be adopted. So the 75-percent the costs of any tuition bill, not just of the session. It has a simple premise, level is now a part of it. the community college. And the goal yet it is in the best interests of the One example serves to show the abso- we had in mind when we first developed search for better government, and I lute ludicrousness of continuing down this plan was not only to help pay for hope that we can as a body, together the path of these continuing resolu- the costs of college, but to work to- with the other body, see fit to imbed it tions and the possibility and actual- ward making 2 years of postsecondary into our body politic and into our legal ities of Government shutdowns. In 1990, education as common as a high school system right at the start. in December 1990, while we had education. It is simply this, Mr. Speaker. We amassed ourÐhalf a million of our To complement the HOPE scholar- now have a situation where the fiscal young fellow Americans in the deserts ship the President and congressional year of the Federal Government ends of the Middle East, poised to do battle Democrats will be working to make a on September 30, and legally under with the Iraqi aggressors in Kuwait, $10,000 deduction for tuition for college, Congress' own laws we are compelled to while they were poised and armed to graduate school, community college, pass a new budget by the next day, Oc- the teeth, their Government, the Unit- and certified training and technical tober 1. We have never, or perhaps only ed States Government, shutdown. Now programs. The deduction would be one time, accomplished that during the that is abhorrently embarrassing, em- available on a per family basisÐthis is time that I have been a Member of Con- barrassing to say the least, but abso- a little different than the per student gress, since 1983. lutely horrendous if we look at it in its basis in the pastÐand will be accessible Not only have we failed to do that, historic perspective, to have our young for any year any family has education but on 53 occasions during my incum- people with their rifles in hand with no or training expenses. These targeted bency these last 14 years, on 53 occa- government for which to fight. That is tax breaks, in my opinion, will surely sions we have had to resort to tem- abysmal and something that we must direct us toward our goal of making porary funding until a full budget correct. education less expensive and more af- could be put in place. Those temporary So what are we going to do? We are fordable for all Americans. funding measures, called continuing going to try to mesh with the Senate's, There are, however, other elements resolutions, have become a way of life the other body's action in this regard. of the President's education plan that I for the Congress of the United States, I have the support of a strong handful would like to mention briefly, Mr.