Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, SECOND 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, SECOND SESSION Vol. 144 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1998 No. 46 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE keep the environment safe from the called to order by the Speaker pro tem- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the dangers of transporting high-level nu- pore (Mr. EWING). gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. BEREU- clear waste through their commu- nities. f TER) come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. What better way to celebrate every DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER Mr. BEREUTER led the Pledge of Al- day as Earth Day than to stop the PRO TEMPORE legiance as follows: needless transportation through our I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the communities of the deadliest material The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- United States of America, and to the Repub- on earth. fore the House the following commu- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, I urge my colleagues to use science, nication from the Speaker: indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. not the politics of emotion, in support- WASHINGTON, DC, f ing Earth Day. April 23, 1998. ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER I hereby designate the Honorable THOMAS f W. EWING to act as Speaker pro tempore on PRO TEMPORE this day. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The NEWT GINGRICH, COMMANDOS FINALLY RECEIVING Chair will entertain ten 1-minute Speaker of the House of Representatives. JUSTICE speeches on each side. f f (Ms. SANCHEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 PRAYER IN NEVADA EVERY DAY IS EARTH minute and to revise and extend her re- DAY The Chaplain, Reverend James David marks.) Ford, D.D., offered the following (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, for the prayer: permission to address the House for 1 past year, I have been working to en- Of all Your wonderful gifts to us, and minute and to revise and extend his re- sure that the United States Govern- of all Your blessings so freely given, we marks.) ment honor a 30-year-old debt to offer our thanks and praise to You, O Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, today I former South Vietnamese Army com- God, for the gifts of wisdom and dis- rise to remind my colleagues and our mandos, who worked for the U.S. Gov- cernment. We recognize that knowing guests that yesterday was Earth Day. ernment during the Vietnam War. And only the details and facts of our cir- Interestingly enough, as I look back, these individuals were recruited by the cumstances is not enough, not enough last week Chicago residents protested United States to cross enemy lines and to make good judgments, or to under- and stopped a shipment of napalm from fight the Communists on behalf of the stand decisions. Teach us again, Gra- coming through their area. I am so Americans. cious God, those values and ideals that pleased to know that the Federal Gov- Last year, Congress unanimously ap- have strengthened our Nation in days ernment is so committed to preserving proved legislation to finally pay the 30- past, and which values and ideals will and maintaining the environment that year-old debt, and I am very happy to illumine our minds and help us to see they have dedicated a whole 24 hours in announce that the long wait for rec- more clearly the meaning and purpose its honor. ognition and compensation may be fi- of life. For wisdom in our decisions and Well, Mr. Speaker, in Nevada every nally over for the commandos. for discernment in our judgments, we day is Earth Day, and the hard-work- To date, the Commando Compensa- pray this day. Amen. ing men and women of Nevada are so tion Board has processed 266 claims. dedicated to maintaining the environ- One hundred forty-two commando f ment that they fight each and every cases have been approved, and these in- day to stop 70,000 tons of high-level nu- dividuals are finally receiving their THE JOURNAL clear waste from being shoved down compensation. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The their throats. I am pleased that the U.S. Govern- Chair has examined the Journal of the I was encouraged by the overwhelm- ment is finally honoring their con- last day's proceedings and announces ing demonstration of support for Earth tracts for their years of service and for to the House his approval thereof. Day from my colleagues on both sides their bravery in service to the United Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- of the aisle. Consequently, I greatly an- States. The least we must do is keep nal stands approved. ticipate their support in our effort to our word. 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. H2239 H2240 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE April 23, 1998 I look forward to the day that all of by Speaker GINGRICH and the Repub- of President Clinton's private attor- these cases are closed and every single lican leadership. neys have hired or authorized any pri- commando receives his justice. f vate investigator to look into the f background of prosecutors or reporters. TIME TO REIGN IN THE IRS Now, let us listen to that quote JAPAN'S ROLE IN THE ASIAN again, and let us think about whether FINANCIAL CRISIS (Mr. PITTS asked and was given per- mission to address the House for 1 we should keep on doing our business (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was minute and to revise and extend his re- and ignore the White House deception given permission to address the House marks.) and deceit, because, hey, the stock for 1 minute and to revise and extend Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, although market is doing just great. The President's press secretary de- his remarks.) the Liberals just hate to bash the IRS, nied any of President Clinton's private Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, the ordinary Americans who pay taxes attorneys have hired or authorized any world is closely watching Japan to de- have no other choice. private investigators to look into the termine if that country's leaders can Consider this: In Fortune Magazine backgrounds of prosecutors or report- steer the world's second largest econ- recently it says that there were 119 ers. But it turns out that the private omy clear of recession. The implica- million returns filed in the tax year investigator himself, Terry Lenzner, tions of their action or inaction is 1996. Those returns triggered 28 million admitted that he had, indeed, been enormous for Japan itself, for the re- error notices. It turns out that one in hired by the White House to look into gional and global economy, and for the 11 of those error notices was itself in United States. Today at 1:30, in 2172 the private lives of journalists, Federal error. So the IRS is routinely wrong investigators and anyone else the Rayburn, the Subcommittee on Asia about your being wrong. and the Pacific, and the Subcommittee White House wants to smear. Now, I did not learn arithmetic using Finally, someone in the employ of on International Economic Policy and ``whole math'' like our lucky kids Trade hear testimony on this subject, the White House has the integrity to today, but I come up with about 2.5 tell the truth. I guess the 900 FBI files and on the legislation offered by this million IRS errors, 2.5 million times Member, the gentleman from Califor- illegally obtained were not enough dirt when the IRS is accusing you of being for them to dig up. nia, Representative BERMAN and oth- a tax cheat, when, in fact, you are just ers, from four experts on Japan's role Mr. Speaker, we have a President hir- one more falsely accused taxpayer by ing private investigators and then hav- in the Asian financial crisis. the IRS. This Member urges interested Mem- ing his spokesman misrepresent the The IRS is a place that does not oper- truth about it. I think when the Amer- bers to send their staff and to read the ate under the same rules as society ican people understand this, both Re- summary in the CONGRESSIONAL does. The IRS can accuse, make de- publicans and Democrats alike will be RECORD on this important and timely mands, confiscate, shut down, and outraged. hearing so that we can all learn more make you prove that the IRS is wrong. f about Japan's enormous role in our And when the IRS is wrong, well, tough own future, and to review the sugges- luck. ENSURE CAMPAIGN FINANCE tions of what Japan must do to ensure Mr. Speaker, it is time to rein in the REFORM OCCURS that the future is bright for all of us. IRS. (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given f f permission to address the House for 1 REAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE minute and to revise and extend his re- REFORM COMMON SENSE LACKING IN marks.) POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I be- (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was lieve that the millions of Americans permission to address the House for 1 who want some real change in the way minute and to revise and extend his re- given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend our campaign finance system works marks.) and want to reduce the corrupting in- Mr.