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Congressional Record—House H 5490 H 5490 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE May 24, 1995 Mr. Speaker, if you have no fear of average cost payout has gone from The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there the truth, do the right thing. $4,700 to $6,300. I hope that the Demo- objection to the request of the gen- f crats will join the Republicans in try- tleman from Virginia? ing to save Medicare rather than par- There was no objection. UNITED STATES-JAPAN AUTO tisan grandstanding. f DISPUTE f (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given AMERICAN OVERSEAS INTERESTS permission to address the House for 1 MEDICARE AND THE FEDERAL ACT OF 1995 minute and to revise and extend her re- BUDGET The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- marks.) (Mr. FORD asked and was given per- ant to House Resolution 155 and rule Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as the mission to address the House for 1 XXIII, the chair declares the House in New York Times recently reported, it minute.) the Committee of the Whole House on is a steep, nearly insurmountable up- Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in ref- the State of the Union for the further hill journey to Japan for United States erence to the budget that is before the consideration of the bill, H.R. 1561. House and the Senate, and to say as we autos and auto parts. It is also an ex- b 1043 pensive journey, as rigged prices in look toward the Medicare cuts that Japan serve as significant nontariff many of the new Republican majority IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE barriers to higher sales of our goods in in the House have indicated that they Accordingly, the House resolved it- that country. want these Medicare cuts for the pur- self into the Committee of the Whole In my hometown of Toledo, OH, the poses of giving huge tax cuts to the House on the State of the Union for the world-renowned Jeep Cherokee is man- well-to-do in America. I think when we further consideration of the bill (H.R. ufactured having a factory price of look around and we really study what 1561) to consolidate the foreign affairs $19,100. By the time that Jeep Cherokee these Medicare cuts are all about, $289 agencies of the United States; to au- clears customs, passes through Japan's billion, we are basically saying that we thorize appropriations for the Depart- Byzantine distribution system, is are going to increase those premiums ment of State and related agencies for checked for compliance with 238 regu- on the elderly population of this Na- fiscal year 1996 and 1997; to responsibly lations and is inspected in no less than tion, those recipients of Medicare. reduce the authorizations of appropria- 3 places, the sticker price of the same Yes, we ought to reform Medicare. tions for United States foreign assist- Jeep Cherokee in Nagoya is $31,372, a Sure, we ought to look at some type of ance programs for fiscal years 1996 and 52-percent markup. national health care plan for this coun- 1997, and for other purposes, with Mr. Japan claims to be one of the world's try. Sure, those things should happen. GOODLATTE in the chair. greatest competitors. This label seems But to say like the new Republican ma- The Clerk read the title of the bill. to be true in every market except their jority that we want to cut the Medi- The CHAIRMAN. When the Commit- own. The Clinton administration is care Program for the well-to-do in tee of the Whole rose on Tuesday, May right to keep its foot on the accelera- America, to give them a tax cut, that 23, 1995, amendment No. 10, offered by tor of the unfair trade practices of is wrong, it is mean to the elderly. the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. BUR- We should not let that happen. We Japan. TON], had been disposed of and the bill Open up your market, Japan. It is ought to take the budget that we have was open for amendment at any point. long overdue. before this House and the Senate and Eight hours and ten minutes remain move over the next 7, 8 to 10 years to for consideration of amendments under f try to bring about a balanced budget, the 5-minute rule. MEDICARE REFORM but let us not do it with the elderly Are there further amendments to the population and the Medicare Program. bill: (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 f AMENDMENT OFFERED BY MR. SMITH OF NEW minute and to revise and extend his re- JERSEY PERMISSION FOR CERTAIN COM- Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair- marks.) MITTEES AND SUBCOMMITTEES Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, even man, I offer an amendment. TO SIT DURING 5-MINUTE RULE The Clerk read as follows: though the third largest expenditure of Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask Amendment offered by Mr. Smith of New the national budget is the interest on unanimous consent that the following Jersey: In title XXI (relating to authoriza- the national debt, there are still Mem- committees and their subcommittees tion of appropriations for Department of bers of Congress and the Senate and be permitted to sit today while the State and certain international affairs func- the administration who are debating House is meeting in the Committee of tions and activities) insert at the end the fol- the need to balance our budget. I think lowing new chapter. the Whole House under the 5-minute this is clearly irresponsible, particu- rule: CHAPTER 2ÐGENERAL LIMITATIONS larly in view of what we want to do for Committee on Agriculture; Commit- SEC. 2121. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING FOR ABOR- the future of America, for the future of tee on Banking and Financial Services; TION. (a) IN GENERAL.Ð children, students, senior citizens and Committee on Commerce; Committee so forth. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of on Economic and Educational Opportu- law or of this Act, none of the funds author- These same people are debating the nities; Committee on Government Re- ized to be appropriated by this Act for popu- need to change Medicare, even though form and Oversight; Committee on the lation assistance activities are authorized to the administration has told us that Judiciary; Committee on National Se- be available for any private, nongovern- Medicare is going to be out of money curity; Committee on Resources; and mental, or multilateral organization that, and broke within 6 years. The Repub- Permanent Select Committee on Intel- directly or through a subcontractor or subgrantee, performs abortions in any for- lican Party is trying to transform Med- ligence. icare. If you want to help senior citi- eign country, except where the life of the Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding mother would be endangered if the fetus zens, you need to save Medicare. that the minority has been consulted We are working on insurance reform, were carried to term or in cases of forcible and that there is no objection to these rape or incest. trying to make insurance more afford- requests. (2) Paragraph (1) may not be construed to able and more accessible. We are work- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there apply to the treatment of injuries or ill- ing on some Medicare options so that objection to the request of the gen- nesses caused by legal or illegal abortions or senior citizens can keep their choice of tleman from Virginia? to assistance provided directly to the gov- doctors, so senior citizens can join a Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, reserving ernment of a country. health maintenance organization if the right to object, and I do not intend (b) LIMITATION ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.Ð (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of they choose to, if they can get better to object, the majority has consulted law or of this Act, none of the funds author- care. with our ranking members on these re- ized to be appropriated by this Act for popu- We are trying to cut down on the quests and we have no objection. lation assistance activities are authorized to fraud and abuse in the Medicare system Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reserva- be available for any private, nongovern- which has driven up the price of it. The tion of objection. mental, or multilateral organization that May 24, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE H 5491 violates the laws of any foreign country con- Mr. Chairman, is a crime against hu- voluntary program.'' She also said that cerning the circumstances under which abor- manity. This House has gone on record China hasÐand she gushed with thisÐ tion is permitted, regulated, or prohibited, on two occasions to condemn it as a ``has every reason to feel proud of and or that engages in any activity or effort to crime against humanity, and we recog- pleased with its remarkable achieve- alter the laws or governmental policies of any foreign country concerning the cir- nized in those resolutions that just as ments made in its family planning pol- cumstances under which abortion is per- in the Nuremberg war crimes tribunals icy, and control of its population.'' mitted, regulated, or prohibited. forced abortion against Polish women ``Now the country,'' she goes on to (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to activi- was construed to be a crime against say, ``could offer its experiences and ties in opposition to coercive abortion or in- humanity, forced abortions in China special experts to help other coun- voluntary sterilizations. likewise is such a crime, and sadly it is tries.'' God forbid that that happen, SEC.
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