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, MAY 20, 1997 No. 67 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was leery of the Republican leadership's throughout the long process to ensure called to order by the Speaker pro tem- true priorities. A recent memorandum my support and the support of my pore [Ms. PRYCE of Ohio]. dated May 16 from Speaker GINGRICH's Democratic colleagues. f office emphasizes that ``there is not a In addition to the Democratic edu- limit on the size of the capital gains cation initiatives, it is equally impor- DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER and estate tax relief'' in the budget res- tant that the money set-aside for chil- PRO TEMPORE olution. The Republican leadership has dren's health care coverage be used for The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- consistently made tax cuts for the just that, the expansion of children's fore the House the following commu- wealthy a cornerstone on any budget health care coverage for approximately nication from the Speaker: agreement, and I believe that once we 10 million uninsured children. pass this resolution Republicans will Now Democrats again have worked WASHINGTON, DC, hard to get children's health care mon- May 20, 1997. attempt to do this again. eys into the budget since last summer. I hereby designate the Honorable DEBORAH Democrats have consistently indi- In January of this year I authored a PRYCE to act as Speaker pro tempore on this cated support for a balanced budget day. agreement, but one that benefits the letter with 32 of my Democratic col- NEWT GINGRICH, average American family, and we will leagues to President Clinton urging Speaker of the House of Representatives. be vigilant in protecting the family that funding for children's health care should be a cornerstone of any budget f first priorities that are paramount in reconciliation. Today's budget agree- any budget agreement. MORNING HOUR DEBATES ment appears to include approximately Now after Congress passes the budget $16 billion to expand children's cov- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- resolution this week, the real process erage, and Democrats remain commit- ant to the order of the House of Janu- of determining fiscal priorities will ted to ensuring that these moneys ary 21, 1997, the Chair will now recog- begin. Democrats stand ready to roll nize Members from lists submitted by truly benefit families with uninsured up our sleeves and ensure that our pri- children. the majority and minority leaders for orities; that is, education, health care, morning hour debates. The Chair will We as Democrats have a task force and the environment, are worked into on kids' health care, and we have alternate recognition between the par- the final details. I mention this be- worked out a proposal that we think ties, with each party limited to not to cause last year the Republicans are on can be used to implement this $16 bil- exceed 30 minutes, and each Member record for voting to cut education lion budget package. Our plan is to except the majority and minority lead- spending, gut Medicaid, and cripple en- build on three prongs, strengthening er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. vironmental protection and enforce- the Medicaid Program for lower in- The Chair recognizes the gentleman ment, and this year it is really un- come children, providing matching from New Jersey [Mr. PALLONE] for 5 known what the Republican leadership grants to the States targeted to chil- minutes. will produce by way of details on many dren and working families who are un- f of these budget questions. insured and require private, and the Madam Speaker, Democrats will third point, I should say, is to require BUDGET NEEDS TO REFLECT fight to make sure that the Repub- DEMOCRATIC PRIORITIES private insurance reforms to benefit licans stay true to their word in pro- children and families of all incomes. Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, viding $35 billion in tax cuts for edu- We believe that with this pot of today Congress will likely vote in favor cation initiatives. These initiatives are money in the budget, if we implement of a historic balanced budget proposal but a small investment to ensure this 3-pronged approach, we can actu- and at the same time we as Democrats America's competitive edge into the ally cover most, if not all, of the 10 must not forget that this is merely an future. At the same time, the addi- million children that are now currently outline, a road map, that gives general tional moneys for increased Pell grants uninsured, and it is a very reasonable spending guidelines. Many of the de- and HOPE scholarships will benefit approach within the confines of the tails still need to be worked out, and those Americans who want to better budget. that is basically where my concern lies themselves and remain productive citi- Again, as with the education invest- this morning. zens in our society. ment, Democrats will find it difficult While President Clinton and Repub- The Democratic education proposal to support any budget that does not lican leaders have articulated a general is an important part of this budget provide families with assistance to pro- agreement on the budget, I am very agreement, and it must remain intact vide health care for their children and 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. H2927 H2928 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE May 20, 1997 to insure as many of those 10 million light at the end of the tunnel. In 1995, IT IS TIME TO ENFORCE HELMS- children as possible. with Congress pushing for a balanced BURTON AGAINST THE CASTRO Finally, I also want it to be known to budget and making cutbacks, Amtrak REGIME the Republican leadership that we need realized that they could no longer de- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under to make sure that environmental pro- pend on the Federal Government for the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- tection is a priority in this budget. It nearly a billion dollars every year. To uary 21, 1997, the gentleman from Flor- is very important to give the EPA the their credit they did what a number of ida [Mr. MCCOLLUM] is recognized dur- tools to ensure safe drinking water, large corporations have done in the ing morning hour debates for 5 min- clean air, and clean oceans, and I per- 1990's. They undertook a major cor- utes. sonally will fight to keep the commit- porate restructuring and began to look Mr. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I ment to American families for a at themselves as a business. They re- would like to take this opportunity to healthy environment. duced services on 16 routes across the discuss an important issue: How do we Again, Madam Speaker, although I country and saved about $54 million. rid Castro, or Cuba I guess, of the des- think the problem that I see right now, They cut staffing and tried to improve pot Castro, is what I should say? Today there are already rumblings by the Re- service and make rail travel more at- is May 20. This is known as Cuban Inde- publican right to increase the amount pendence Day, when Cuba was granted tractive to the average consumer. of the tax cuts with further cuts in independence from Spain as a result of many of these important family first Amtrak has shown that if the tough the Spanish-American War. However, agenda programs, and if the Republican decisions are made money can be the Cuba of today is looking for a new extremists succeed, then American saved. Much of the problem, however, independence, one that grants them families will be the ones who suffer in is not Amtrak's fault; we are to blame. freedom from the hideous dictatorship the end. See, Federal law is prohibiting Amtrak of Fidel Castro. Hopefully, this budget agreement, from making the most out of their Cuba has been under a dictatorship which I expect to be adopted today, staffing reductions or forcing Amtrak for about 38 years now. It is no secret will be the beginning of a process that to provide ridiculously generous sever- that Fidel Castro is still exercising his makes sure that the tax cuts in the ance packages and preventing them power in a manner contradictory to the budget are mainly targeted to the aver- from making the truly tough business most basic human rights held by all age working American, and the same is decisions, and as long as the Federal people. This is an absolute disgrace true with the spending priorities, that dollar keeps flowing to Amtrak, we that such a regime exists only 90 miles they help the average American family will always attach a fistful of strings. from my home State of Florida. We, as and not just the wealthy. a Nation, must work to correct this. f Today I am reintroducing the Am- We should have a long time ago. trak Privatization Act. Some people Sometimes the only way to under- INTRODUCTION OF THE AMTRAK will call this the Amtrak killer. I call mine a dictatorship short of some di- PRIVATIZATION ACT these reforms Amtrak's only chance rect military force is through the pock- The SPEAKER pro tempore.