Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 107 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 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 148 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2002 No. 7 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was case they persisted. They went on to away; let’s make those permanent with called to order by the Speaker pro tem- also say, ‘‘We’re going to create a the strange exception of one that pore (Mr. BALLENGER). lockbox for all of the Social Security would particularly benefit the middle f surplus, $2.5 trillion. We’re going to class, which has to do with a com- create a lockbox for all of the Medicare plicated computation of an alternative DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO trust fund surplus.’’ And they were tax for individuals, that one does not TEMPORE concerned that we would retire the $6 get made permanent. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- trillion national debt too quickly. But the exemption of estates over $5 fore the House the following commu- They were worried about that. million does, and the huge reduction in nication from the Speaker: Well, here we are a year later and rates for people who earn over $383,000. WASHINGTON, DC, rather than paying down the debt too At what cost? At tremendous cost. The February 5, 2002. quickly, as was projected last year, the cost is a whole host of reductions in I hereby appoint the Honorable CASS Bush budget will create an additional worthy domestic programs which the BALLENGER to act as Speaker pro tempore on $2 trillion of deficit by 2012, if you do President has proposed in this year’s this day. not take the Social Security and Medi- budget hidden sort of in the appendices J. DENNIS HASTERT, care trust funds and spend them, and the asterisks and some obfuscation Speaker of the House of Representatives. which, of course, he proposes to do. The here and there; but there are cuts in f President’s budget would divert all of education, there are cuts in needed so- MORNING HOUR DEBATES the Medicare surplus and 60 percent, or cial programs. There is inadequate $1.5 trillion, that is $1,500 billion for funding for a prescription drug benefit The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- those who cannot go to the Ts, of the for people on Medicare, with no cost ant to the order of the House of Janu- Social Security surplus to pay for controls on the pharmaceutical indus- ary 23, 2002, the Chair will now recog- other government programs. try. Basically, the program would tend nize Members from lists submitted by What are the causes of this? We to very, very few seniors’ needs. But all the majority and minority leaders for would be led to believe there is only this is being done so that the tax cuts morning hour debates. The Chair will one cause, the attacks on America. Let can be made permanent. alternate recognition between the par- us look at the real underlying causes. Usually, when a country is under at- ties, with each party limited to not to Actually, the disappearance of the sur- tack, Presidents call for sacrifice; and exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, plus is due to, and these are figures many Americans and many in Congress except the majority leader, the minor- from the Congressional Budget Office agree with that, homeland security, ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- which is headed by a Republican, 41 necessary expenditures to arm our ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. percent are due to the tax cut, 23 per- young men and women serving so val- The Chair recognizes the gentleman cent are due to the recession, 10 per- iantly in the military. There is tremen- from Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO) for 5 min- cent increased military spending, 8 per- dous agreement on those. But let us utes. cent increased spending for homeland also make our economic future secure. f security, and 16 percent technical ad- Unfortunately, the only security in the justments. President’s budget goes to, again, those THE BUSH BUDGET What is the reaction down at the at the very top, those who earn over Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, we have White House? The reaction at the $383,000 a year, and those who have es- gotten the President’s glossified 2003 White House is, ‘‘Let’s make those tax tates worth more than $5 million. budget, complete with color photos, for cuts,’’ which are contributing 41 per- If you just froze the benefits for the first time. What a difference a year cent of the increase in deficit, ‘‘let’s those people, the elite of the elite, the makes, not only in the format but in make them permanent. Let’s in fact richest of the rich, those who do not the content. A year ago, the President expand them.’’ That is what the Presi- care about Social Security, do not care and the Office of Management and dent’s budget proposes. So that those about a prescription drug benefit, do Budget said, there are surpluses as far who earn over $383,000 a year and those not care about education funding be- as the eye can see, at least for the next with estates over $5 million will be as- cause their kids go to private schools, 10 years, huge and growing surpluses. sured that the laughable assumption in if you just froze those people in place A few of us were dubious about pre- last year’s budget that their tax cuts so they contributed a little bit more in dicting the economy 10 years out and will be sunseted after 10 years and ev- this time of sacrifice and attack on the about this rosy scenario, but in any erything, all the tax cuts, will be going United States of America, then you 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. H111 . VerDate 11-MAY-2000 03:32 Feb 06, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A05FE7.000 pfrm04 PsN: H05PT1 H112 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 5, 2002 could reduce substantially the draw on rhetoric clouds the issue and does dam- United States, and destroy some of our the Social Security trust funds and the age to the efforts made on behalf of symbols of the freedom and liberty increase in the deficit. mother and child. No matter what that we have in this country. It is a But the President and his advisers one’s conviction is concerning abor- $2.13 trillion budget, a budget that has say, no, absolutely not, those people, tion, we can all agree that the mother continued to grow faster than inflation those $5 million-plus estates, those deserves as much information as is for the last 40 years. people who earn over $383,000, they available in making this solemn deci- Mr. Speaker, my particular concern need every penny of that tax cut be- sion. Information is the best weapon in is the fact that government is growing cause they will spend the money in defusing the volatile discussion and re- so rapidly. And I would hope that we ways that might put some people to turning us to our first concern, which could comply with the President’s sug- work at a minimum wage which could is the health of the mother and the gestion that we hold down the discre- then pay taxes which would help defray child. The ultrasound is a valuable tool tionary domestic spending so that the the deficit and the economy will be in expanding the debate beyond tradi- deficit is minimized, or hopefully there growing into the future. tional platitudes on both sides of the will be no deficit this year in terms of I would hope that the Congress re- argument. all funds coming into the Federal Gov- jects these assumptions, these prior- Modern medicine has provided us ernment versus the funds going out of ities, and substantially rewrites this with a window into the womb. These the Federal Government. budget. advances in technology empower It was only a short time ago that f women with as much information as both Republicans and Democrats in INTRODUCTION OF ULTRASOUND possible regarding her pregnancy. The this Chamber pledged not to spend the LEGISLATION goal of this legislation is to provide Social Security surplus money. Maybe, women who find themselves with an maybe the kind of war that we are in The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- unplanned pregnancy with the full justifies spending that money. But if I ant to the order of the House of Janu- scope of information such that they had had my druthers, I would have pre- ary 23, 2002, the gentleman from Flor- may make a fully informed decision. ferred that the President gave us a ida (Mr. STEARNS) is recognized during This bill is about the dissemination budget that was balanced, at least in morning hour debates for 5 minutes. Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I come of information. This bill is about ex- the unified sense of total revenues to the floor this morning to alert Mem- tending more free services to women coming in versus total expenditures bers to a piece of legislation that I will and about making available this vital going out.