CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE September 25, 1997
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
H7838 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE September 25, 1997 and $200 billion deficits as far as the willing to go to any length to overturn thing sometime. When is this House eye could see. the election of Congresswoman LORET- going to be ready? When will the lead- With a determination to save the TA SANCHEZ. The committee majority ership of this House be prepared to American dream for the next genera- is in the process of sharing the Immi- clean up the campaign finance mess we tion, the Republican Congress turned gration and Naturalization Service have in this country? the tax-and-spend culture of Washing- records of hundreds of thousands of Or- This House, the people's House, ton upside down and produced a bal- ange County residents with the Califor- should be the loudest voice in the cho- anced budget with tax cuts for the nia Secretary of State. These records rus. We must put a stop to big money American people. Now that the Federal contain personal information on law- special interests flooding the halls of Government's financial house is finally abiding U.S. citizens, many of them our Government. It is time, Madam in order, the big question facing Con- targeted by committee investigators Speaker, for the Republican leadership gress, and the President, by the way, is simply because they have Hispanic sur- to join with us to tell the American what is next? With the average family names or because they reside in certain people that the buck stops here. still paying more in taxes than they do neighborhoods, and that is an outrage. f for the basic necessities, the obvious Everyone in this House must be con- WORKING FOR RACIAL HARMONY answer is, an across-the-board tax cut cerned if the majority is simply acting for everybody. as a conduit to circumvent Federal pri- (Mr. DICKEY asked and was given As we move from the era of big budg- vacy protections. We need to be con- permission to address the House for 1 ets and budget deficits to budget sur- cerned with the legal issues that are minute.) pluses, some in this town will argue involved for every American in this Mr. DICKEY. Madam Speaker, in that we can afford to spend more country, and if Hispanic-Americans September 1957, I was a 17-year-old money on more Washington programs. have to believe that, in fact, simply be- freshman living in Pine Bluff, AR, and This is the mindset that created the cause of their Hispanic surname, like I I was traveling through Little Rock to problem in the first place. For our chil- who was born in the United States, will get to my school in Conway. I had no dren's sake, it should be rejected. I be on some list, that that is the reason idea what was actually going on. I am urge, Madam Speaker, to continue that they are going to be able to intro- here to tell my colleagues that I also fighting for more tax relief for the duce and get into their privacy records, went last week to Little Rock, AR, to American people. that has no end, and that cannot be a reconciliation rally and saw 13,000 f tolerated by this Congress. kids and the rest of the State working f to bring ourselves together because of THE LITTLE ROCK NINE: A what happened at Little Rock Central. RIGHTFUL PLACE IN HISTORY AGAINST H.R. 1270, NUCLEAR That rally made me think of Wiley (Mr. LEWIS of Georgia asked and was WASTE POLICY ACT Branton, who is a lawyer for my city, given permission to address the House (Mr. ENSIGN asked and was given who carefully saw that I was indiffer- for 1 minute and to revise and extend permission to address the House for 1 ent to this and carefully told me the his remarks.) minute and to revise and extend his re- story of what it was like. He was in the Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam marks.) middle of those heated exchanges, in Speaker, 40 years ago nine black stu- Mr. ENSIGN. Madam Speaker, I rise the middle of that history-making dents came to the doors of Central today in opposition of the Nuclear event. High School in Little Rock, AR, and Waste Policy Act of 1997. Rarely in I want to thank Wiley Branton, I demanded a seat in a classroom where America do environmental groups, do want to thank my colleague JOHN they were denied welcome. They were private property rights groups and the LEWIS, for the service that they have entitled to be there by law, but they people who truly believe in States given before and to thank them also could not be there because an angry, rights ever join together to oppose and all of the people who knew me and hateful mob and Arkansas State troop- something or to support something. knew how indifferent I was then for the ers turned them away. The Little Rock But in this case, Madam Speaker, they toleration they had for me and forgiv- Nine did nothing wrong. They were de- all join together to oppose the Nuclear ing me for my indifference. I want to nied an education. They were turned Waste Policy Act of 1997. The reason is do all I can to bring racial harmony to away by hatred and bigotry. They were because from an environmental stand- Little Rock, AR, to our State and to turned away because they were black. point, there are safety reasons. our Nation. Three weeks later, on September 25, During the transport of nuclear f President Eisenhower ordered Federal waste across 43 States, there are trans- ANTIPERSONNEL LANDMINES troops to escort the Little Rock Nine portation safety reasons that environ- into Central High School. In doing so, mental groups oppose this for. Private (Mr. CAPPS asked and was given per- the Little Rock Nine rocked not just a property rights oppose it because it de- mission to address the House for 1 city, they rocked the Nation. As giants values private property values as nu- minute.) in our Nation's struggle for civil clear waste is transported past those Mr. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I rise rights, the Little Rock Nine have private profits. And States rights peo- today in great dismay over the Presi- earned their rightful place in history. ple are against it because this is one dent's decision not to sign the Ottawa So today, Madam Speaker, we mark State having nuclear waste shoved treaty banning antipersonnel land the 40th anniversary of the desegrega- down its throat against its will. This is mines. The administration's position tion of Central High School. Because of against the U.S. Constitution. defies reason. The only way that the their action, we have witnessed a non- f United States can show leadership on violent revolution in America. Our this issue is to sign the comprehensive PASS MEANINGFUL CAMPAIGN country is a better country, a better ban treaty on these deadly devices. One FINANCE REFORM place, and we are better people because hundred nations courageously have of them. (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given changed their policy, but U.S. lawyers f permission to address the House for 1 have simply changed the definition of a minute and to revise and extend her re- landmine. LEGAL ISSUES IN DISPUTED marks.) But a landmine by any other name is CALIFORNIA ELECTION Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, we still a landmine, and landmines are im- (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was have heard from the White House, we moral. People around the globe have given permission to address the House have heard from the Senate, and we come together to say, no more. No for 1 minute and to revise and extend have heard from the American people more killing, no more maiming, no his remarks.) loud and clear. It is time to move for- more maiming of innocents. No more Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam Speaker, ward and pass meaningful campaign fi- fear of leaving one's home to find food. the Republican majority on the Com- nance reform. Now we are hearing that No more social and economic disloca- mittee on House Oversight seems to be the majority leader might do some- tion to the world's neediest countries. I.