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, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 1997 No. 107 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, cal of him, but it is nevertheless ex- The Reverend Bruce Mackenzie, First indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. traordinarily brutal. I have at this Congregational Church, Boulder, CO, f point six pages in my hands of names offered the following prayer: ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER of opposition leaders and independent Oh God of a thousand names and press people who have been arrested in faces, give light to our minds and The SPEAKER. The Chair will enter- the last 4 months alone, renowned lead- hearts, fill our inmost depths with tain five 1-minute speeches from each ers such as Vladimiro Roca, Marta Your healing presence, wash what is side. Beatriz Roque, Felix Bonne Carcasses, soiled, heal what is painful, bend what f and Rene Gomez Manzano have been is rigid, and lead us to fullness of life. WELCOMING THE REVEREND arrested; youth leaders such as Nestor Today we offer special gratitude for BRUCE MACKENZIE, GUEST Rodriguez Lobaina, Heriberto Leyva our Nation: for its freedoms that allow CHAPLAIN Rodriguez, and Rafael Fonseca Ochsa. each of us to express our faith in vari- As I say, I have six pages and they eties of ways and yet encourages re- (Mr. SKAGGS asked and was given are growing the list by the day. spect for those who express their faith permission to address the House for 1 I just want to send a word to the in different ways, and for its continu- minute and to revise and extend his re- jailers of these prisoners. To each of ing concern for our whole Earth and marks.) them who go so far as to lay a hand on the sharing with equity the resources Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, it is my any political prisoner in Cuba, take of the world. personal privilege and honor to wel- note: It does not matter how long it Oh God with the vision of Your fu- come this morning to the House of takes, it does not matter how many ture, break us open to new ways of lov- Representatives my pastor from Boul- times they say that they are following ing and caring for all Your children, so der, CO, the Reverend Bruce Mackenzie orders, it does not matter where they that Your kingdom may come on who just delivered the opening prayer. go, the Cuban people will make certain Earth. Amen. He is the senior minister at the First that they will be found, and they will f Congregational Church in Boulder. He be taken to justice. is my pastor and my friend; he married f ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER me and my wife Laura some years ago. The SPEAKER. The Chair will note He has led our congregation in Boulder, MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE that today is the Chaplain's birthday CO now for 27 years and will be retiring A message from the Senate by Mr. and everyone in the House should offer from that post next month, leaving a Lundregan, one of its clerks, an- him a happy birthday. grateful, if grieving, congregation. nounced that the Senate had passed f He certainly exemplifies the kind of without amendment a bill of the House inspirational leadership that we wish of the following title: THE JOURNAL for in our religious as well as our civic H.R. 1585. An act to allow postal patrons to The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- life. His entire congregation shares in contribute to funding for breast cancer re- ined the Journal of the last day's pro- this honor this morning and wishes search through the voluntary purchase of ceedings and announces to the House him well in his retirement. We have all certain specially issued United States post- his approval thereof. been the beneficiaries of his caring and age stamps, and for other purposes. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- joyful leadership. f nal stands approved. f TAX RELIEF FOR THE WEALTHY f A WARNING TO JAILERS OF CONTRIBUTORS WHO HELPED PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CUBAN PRISONERS: THEY CAN THE REPUBLICANS WIN CON- The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman RUN BUT THEY CANNOT HIDE TROL OF CONGRESS from Florida [Mr. DIAZ-BALART] come (Mr. DIAZ-BALART asked and was (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given forward and lead the House in the given permission to address the House permission to address the House for 1 Pledge of Allegiance. for 1 minute and to revise and extend minute.) Mr. DIAZ-BALART led the Pledge of his remarks.) Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, Re- Allegiance as follows: Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, publicans have manipulated their tax I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the the Cuban tyrant is engaged in a Sta- bill to deliver as many tax breaks to United States of America, and to the Repub- linist crackdown which is pretty typi- the wealthy as possible, a new analysis 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. H5781 H5782 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE July 25, 1997 shows. The Treasury Department this Albanians are being systematically like a knife through butter. Why is week released an analysis demonstrat- persecuted. Albanians are subject to that? Why do we not move for cam- ing that Republican tax breaks for the the next possible killing fields of the paign reform for the people but we can wealthy explode in cost in the out- world. Madam Speaker, Albania needs move very quickly for tax breaks for years, posing a serious threat to the help. Albania could become the next the rich? I think there is a causal con- balanced budget which Republicans Bosnia. nection. pretend to care so much about. The The State Department should do its Madam Speaker, just wait and see Treasury analysis found that the GOP job, and I urge Congress to pass House this next election period why we have tax package doubles in cost in the sec- Concurrent Resolution 36 sponsored by not passed campaign reform under the ond 10 years to a staggering $790 bil- the gentleman from New York [Mr. Republican leadership and why there lion, with nearly three-quarters of the GILMAN]. are big tax breaks for the rich under tax cuts going to the wealthy. f the Republican leadership. It is time, Madam Speaker, for Re- f STOP TWISTING THE TRUTH publicans in Congress to come clean ABOUT TAX RELIEF THOSE WHO PAY 80 PERCENT OF with the American people about their THE TAX BURDEN SHOULD GET priorities and admit that their plan de- (Mr. GUTKNECHT asked and was SOME TAX RELIEF livers tax relief not to the hard-work- given permission to address the House ing middle-income families who de- for 1 minute and to revise and extend (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given serve it, but to the wealthy contribu- his remarks.) permission to address the House for 1 tors who helped them win control of Mr. GUTKNECHT. Madam Speaker, minute.) this Congress. David Gergen writing in this week's Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, when f U.S. News & World Report says, and I was the last time that we heard a lib- quote, and David Gergen is a former eral talk about who pays what share of LONGSTANDING CAMPAIGN DEBTS Clinton administration adviser, he says the tax burden? REASON FOR MISTRUST OF it is time for the left to stop twisting Now let us think about that for just MEMBERS OF CONGRESS the truth about tax relief. a minute. I am very curious to know if (Mr. COBLE asked and was given per- Why is that important and why do we anyone can think of a single instance mission to address the House for 1 agree? And let me explain, because sen- in the past 84 years where a liberal minute and to revise and extend his re- iors in my district are starting to be- Democrat has talked about who pays marks.) come confused because our liberal what share of the tax burden. Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, it has friends are talking about this imputed According to the IRS, and C-SPAN recently been reported that a former income scheme where we can take peo- viewers can check these figures for Presidential candidate still has a cam- ple with one income level and impute themselves, the top 1 percent of income paign debt that was incurred in the their income up to a different level. earners in this country pay 29 percent 1980's, years ago. Let me give my colleagues an exam- of the income taxes. Again, the top 1 At the conclusion of my first cam- ple of a couple in my district. Their percent pay 29 percent of the income paign for a seat in the Congress, I was real income is $8,700 a year, but their tax burden. saddled with a campaign debt. I home is paid for; of course they could How about this one? The top 25 per- promptly borrowed money and paid rent that home out. They also have ac- cent of income earners pay 80 percent those to whom my campaign was in- crued value and some pension plans of the income taxes.