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, THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1997 No. 111 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE He is retiring at the end of this month, The Reverend Don Bowen, Downtown A message from the Senate by Ms. and it is our privilege and honor that Baptist Church, Alexandria, VA, of- McDevitt, one of its clerks, announced he has an opportunity to address this fered the following prayer: that the Senate had passed without body. Our Father who art in heaven, we amendment a concurrent resolution of He has done a tremendous service to seek to hallow Your name as we pause the House of the following title: the entire Washington metropolitan at the beginning of this day's proceed- area, in mission outreach, in serving ings to ask Your forgiveness for past H. Con. Res. 98. Concurrent resolution au- thorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for our youth, in so many areas. He has wrongs and to seek Your guidance for the SAFE KIDS Buckle Up Car Seat Safety been the president of the ministers the days before us. We need You, Lord, Check. conference and the president of the for we are prone at times to depend too The message also announced that the Mount Vernon Baptist Association. He much upon our own wisdom and too lit- Senate had passed with amendments in has been the chairman of the Commit- tle upon Yours. We pause this day to pray for those which the concurrence of the House is tee to Study Baptist Priorities of the who have suffered loss of life and home requested, bills of the House of the fol- 1980's and beyond. He has achieved any in these recent days. We pray also for lowing titles: number of credentials, but most impor- those who have left family and home to H.R. 1866. An act to continue favorable tant he is a man of God who has served defend the freedoms which all of us treatment for need-based educational aid his community in an exemplary fash- under the antitrust laws. ion. He has also preached revivals enjoy. H.R. 2169. An act making appropriations We pray, God, for all who carry upon around the country, in Virginia, North for the Department of Transportation and Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, West Vir- their shoulders the burden of leader- related agencies for the fiscal year ending ship, for theirs is a great responsibil- September 30, 1998, and for other purposes. ginia, and particularly, in Mississippi. ity. Help all of us to remember that The message also announced that the Mr. Speaker, that will be my segue to You require one thing above all else Senate insists upon its amendment to yield to the gentleman from Mis- from each of us, that we do justly, have the bill (H.R. 2169) ``An Act making ap- sissippi [Mr. WICKER], who attends the mercy, and walk humbly with You. propriations for the Department of Downtown Baptist Church and would May we do so as we walk in the foot- Transportation and related agencies like to say a few words as well. steps of the One who so clearly personi- for the fiscal year ending September 30, Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank fied this for us, even Jesus Your Son. 1998, and for other purposes,'' requests the gentleman for yielding to me. Amen. a conference with the House on the dis- Although I have not heard Reverend f agreeing votes of the two Houses there- Bowen preach a revival in Mississippi, I on, and appoints Mr. SHELBY, Mr. DO- THE JOURNAL have had the opportunity to visit MENICI, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. BOND, Mr. The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- Downtown Baptist Church and to hear GORTON, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. FAIRCLOTH, ined the Journal of the last day's pro- the sermons of Rev. Don Bowen on nu- Mr. STEVENS, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. ceedings and announces to the House merous occasions when I found myself BYRD, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. REID, Mr. his approval thereof. in Alexandria. I would observe that it KOHL, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. INOUYE, to Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- takes good oratory and skills of per- be the conferees on the part of the Sen- nal stands approved. suasion to be a successful preacher. ate. f But there is something even more spe- f cial about the people skills and spir- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WELCOME TO REV. DON BOWEN itual gifts necessary to lead a con- The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman (Mr. MORAN of Virginia asked and gregation and to become a great pas- from Alabama [Mr. EVERETT] come for- tor. ward and lead the House in the Pledge was given permission to address the of Allegiance. House for 1 minute and to revise and Mr. Speaker, it occurs to me that Mr. EVERETT led the Pledge of Alle- extend his remarks.) Rev. Don Bowen during his 30 years at giance as follows: Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speak- Downtown Baptist Church in Alexan- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the er, today's invocation was given by the dria has exhibited all of these quali- United States of America, and to the Repub- Reverend Don Bowen who has been the ties. I could congratulate Don Bowen lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Pastor at the Downtown Baptist on 30 years of service, and I wish him indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Church in Alexandria VA, for 30 years. Godspeed upon his retirement. 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. H6619 H6620 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE July 31, 1997 ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER people are finally going to get a tax ed States citizens residing in Puerto PRO TEMPORE cut. To my friends on this side of the Rico and the other territories. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. aisle who voted no in 1993, when Presi- f LAHOOD). The Chair announces that dent Clinton and the then-liberal STEP 21 FOUNDATION BASED ON there will be ten 1-minutes on each Democratic majority engineered the GREED, NOT FAIRNESS side. largest peacetime tax increase in American history, I commend you for f (Mr. WALSH asked and was given your hard work and your perseverance. permission to address the House for 1 TAX RELIEF To my colleagues who came here with minute and to revise and extend his re- (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given me in 1995, pledging to cut taxes, I marks.) permission to address the House for 1 share in your excitement. We have de- Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, in the de- minute and to revise and extend his re- livered on our promise. bate over the future of transportation marks.) Finally, to the liberals in this House, in this country, STEP 21's continuing Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, it has I offer my condolences. I know how dif- refrain that ISTEA is unfair because been 16 years since Americans have had ficult this must be for you. After years some States receive less Federal trans- tax relief. Since that time they have and years of taxing and spending, the portation money than they collect in talked about and dreamed about keep- tide has finally turned. The American Federal gasoline taxes is an invalid, ing a little more of their hard-earned people are going to get to keep more of misleading comparison. money. In those past 16 years, not once the money that they earn, and Wash- If the STEP 21 States believe that but twice has this Government raised ington bureaucrats are going to have fairness in these matters is best de- their taxes, taking more of what they to learn to do with a little less. That is fined by the amount of money a State worked so hard to keep. the way it ought to be. sends to Washington, then such logic With the Federal taxes and the State Mr. Speaker, the liberal minority has should be used on all moneys that pass taxes and the hidden taxes like the 28 ranted and raved for the last several between the Federal Government and cents and a dollar loaf of bread that weeks about tax cuts for the rich, to- the States. goes back to our governments, we tally bogus. Next year when tax time According to a study prepared by a worked nearly half of a year just to comes, millions of working class Amer- major university, ISTEA works States pay the governments' taxes. So it is ap- icans are going to realize that what send over $1,000 per person to Washing- propriate that today this body will they heard from the liberals was not ton more than the STEP 21 States. The vote to give tax relief to Americans true. Let us cut taxes. average amount of taxes STEP 21 like those working Americans in Wich- f States send to Washington is $4,400 per capita, while the average ISTEA State ita, KS, who work so hard and will now b 1015 be able to keep more of their own sends $5,400 per capita. Where is the money. U.S. HEALTH POLICY DENIES fairness in that? f EQUAL FUNDING FOR U.S.