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, SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 No. 133 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. and was I worked hard to obtain Justice De- trict. One of the things that I was called to order by the Speaker pro tem- partment funding to keep this program pleased to report back home was the pore [Mr. THUNE]. going in Orange County, and I am glad fact that Congress, acting in a biparti- f that I was successful. The Orange san fashion, was able to deliver the County drug court is one of 160 drug first balanced budget in almost 30 DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER courts throughout the Nation that are years, and the first broad-based tax cut PRO TEMPORE making a difference in helping to keep in almost 16 years. That is good news. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- our courts from getting engulfed in a It was good news to deliver, and judg- fore the House the following commu- sea of cases. ing from the response of my constitu- nication from the Speaker: Very simply put, this program allows ents back home in California, it was WASHINGTON, DC, some of those individuals who are good news to receive. September 30, 1997. charged with drug offenses the option But the fight is far from over, be- I hereby designate the Honorable JOHN R. of completing the drug court program cause if we are going to be able to de- THUNE to act as Speaker pro tempore on this which consists of individual specific liver meaningful tax reform to the peo- day. community service and rehabilitation. ple of this country, tax reform that NEWT GINGRICH, I recently went to the graduation of does not last just for one Congress but Speaker of the House of Representatives. some of these people in the drug court will last through the years, we are f program, and we affect not only indi- going to have to look at restructuring, MORNING HOUR DEBATES vidual's lives but entire families. Of and perhaps abolishing, the tax collec- the 14 who graduated that day, there tion agency known as the Internal Rev- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- were probably about 50 family members enue Service. ant to the order of the House of May 12, who had tears in their eyes that day to There is an exciting debate that is 1995, the Chair will now recognize see the change that had overcome about to occur in Congress, and I hope Members from lists submitted by the those people that they loved. Those that it will be on the radar screen of majority and minority leaders for who choose the option are placed in a every taxpayer and every citizen. We in morning hour debates. The Chair will highly structured program, and they Congress are going to debate whether alternate recognition between the par- are subject to intense supervision. we should move to a flat tax as pro- ties, with each party limited to 25 min- Their successes are praised, and their posed by our Republican Majority utes, and each Member except the ma- failures are dealt with quickly and ap- Leader DICK ARMEY, or move to a con- jority and minority leaders and the mi- propriately. sumption tax, essentially a national nority whip limited to 5 minutes, but This program works. It makes our sales tax, as proposed by the Ways and in no event shall debate extend beyond justice system more efficient, but, Means chairman, the gentleman from 9:50 a.m. more important, it rebuilds peoples' Texas, Mr. BILL ARCHER, and the gen- The Chair recognizes the gentle- lives. If any of my colleagues want to tleman from Louisiana, Mr. BILLY TAU- woman from California [Ms. SANCHEZ] learn about this unique, effective drug ZIN, and others. That that will be an for 2 minutes. court program, I would be happy to important debate, because it will sig- f work with them to promote drug nificantly change the process of tax courts in their own areas. collecting in America. Either one of THE DRUG COURT PROGRAM f those alternatives will be preferential GIVES THOSE CHARGED WITH to the status quo. SUBSTANCE ABUSE CRIMES A PRESIDENT OPPOSES CITIZEN Unfortunately, the IRS over the FIGHTING CHANCE OVERSIGHT OF IRS years has become an agency that has Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under gone beyond its limited role of being a today to tell my colleagues about a the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- collection agency to fund constitu- justice program that is working. The uary 21, 1997, the gentleman from Cali- tional government, and instead has drug court is a program in use across fornia [Mr. ROGAN] is recognized during been used time and time again as an our country to help give those charged morning hour debates for 5 minutes. agency to reward political friends and with substance abuse crimes a fighting Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, as a new oppose political enemies. chance to make the difficult transition Member of Congress, I had the chance During the last week here in Con- from a life of drug abuse to that of pro- to go home during the break and talk gress, we have held hearings on the ductive members of our society. to constituents throughout my dis- IRS, and have heard horror stories 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. H8163 H8164 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE September 30, 1997 about how taxpayers have been treat- of illness and disability continue to af- in conference committee. Fortunately, ed. These facts came not just from citi- flict many of those who participated in this House has not yet acceded to his zens who were injured by the IRS, but our Nation's defense in that gulf war. demands. I would say that while he from IRS agents themselves who testi- Indeed, those classified as having so- may be able to block an Ambassador to fied as to the practices of the IRS. The called gulf war syndrome, who were ex- Mexico, he ought not to be able to evidence shocked and stunned Ameri- posed to toxins, exposed to poison sub- block the claims of these 3,000 people cans. As a result of those hearings, one stances, and who continue to experi- who served with valor our country. of the things we Republicans in Con- ence a wide variety of very serious My motion would instruct our con- gress have proposed is a ``citizens' symptoms as a result of their service ferees, here in the House, to the State oversight board'' to protect Americans for our country in the gulf war. Department bill to not accede to the from agency abuses. In all, some 3,000 Desert Storm veter- demands of those who would place the It ought to come as a shock to all ans have filed claims concerning their tobacco companies and the other com- taxpayers that we even have to con- illnesses against frozen assets of the mercial claims ahead of our veterans, sider appointing a board such as that Iraqi Government. It was following the who deserve to be heard first and fore- to protect citizens from the abuses of invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990, that most for what they have done for this an agency that was created to serve the United States froze $1.3 billion of country. them, and not the other way around. Iraqi assets in this country. Those vet- I would draw the attention of the Unbelievably, this morning I picked up erans should get the priority with ref- House to communications from the Na- the Washington Times and saw on the erence to any claims that they might tional Gulf War Resource Center which front page a headline that says, ``White have against those assets. concludes in a letter to this House by House Champions IRS, President Op- I have up for the consideration of saying, ``Senator HELMS' legislation, if poses Citizen Oversight.'' The lead col- this House later today a motion re- passed, would amount to a grotesque umn said, ``The White House yesterday garding these matters. Before review- injustice against gulf war veterans came to the defense of an embattled ing the text of that motion, let me poisoned by chemical warfare agents IRS vowing to `vigorously oppose' con- cover very briefly the history of this and other toxins during the gulf war. gressional efforts to create a citizen matter. We ask you to consider the interests of oversight board to protect Americans In 1991, the U.N. Security Council de- gulf war veterans when voting on this from agency abuses.'' clared in a resolution that legislation.'' Mr. Speaker, we Republicans have ``Iraq * * * is liable under inter- That is what I will be asking my col- tried to work with the White House national law for any direct loss, dam- leagues to do later today as we take up and with Democrat colleagues to forge age, or injury to foreign governments, and consider this motion: Put the gulf a bipartisan solution to a lot of the nationals, and corporations as a result war veterans first because they put our problems that are facing our country.