[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 26, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: January 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               THE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

  Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Madam President, I have spent 45 years of my life in 
the private sector, meeting a payroll every Friday as a businessman and 
farmer. I have watched the Congress, each time it came into session and 
adjourned, make it more difficult for me and every other businessman in 
this country to run a business. New rules, excessive rules, 
regulations, and new Government spending programs have led this country 
on a path to economic catastrophe.
  Last night, the President spoke about his desire to radically change 
the health care system in this country, all in the newly coined phrase 
of ``health security.'' We already have the finest health care system 
the world has ever known. The security most people want is economic 
security. President Clinton has already hit the working people of this 
country with the largest tax increase in history, including a 
retroactive tax increase. Now he wants another tax increase to pay for 
a new health-care-bloated Government bureaucracy. I am adamantly 
opposed to it.
  This is not economic security. We need to make health care more 
affordable for working people who are most concerned about the security 
of their pocketbooks.
  President Clinton also mentioned reforming the welfare system in his 
speech last night. I wish he were sincere in his desire, but I am 
afraid it is more of the same hollow rhetoric that has become the 
trademark of Mr. Clinton. Of all of the spending programs implemented 
by the Federal Government, I do not know of a group that has been a 
bigger failure than those collectively known as welfare. Some almost $4 
trillion of American taxpayers' money has gone into so-called poverty 
programs in the last 30 years. It has been well intended, but they have 
destroyed the initiative of whole generations of citizens to 
participate in the American process of working for a living.
  Observers from across the political spectrum have recognized that a 
simple, commonsense principle has gotten our Nation and the poor into 
the present fix we are in. You get more of what you pay for, and for 
the last 30 years we have paid people not to work. So we have more 
welfare and more people not working. We have people who are paid but do 
not work. Consequently, we have seen an explosion of entitlement 
spending and entitlement mentality that has permeated the mindset of a 
large segment of the American people. Millions of Americans live day 
after day, month after month, year after year, and generation after 
generation, on paychecks from the Government and never give anything in 
return, except the assurance that they will stay poor and continue to 
fuel the Government's poverty machine.
  I propose that we place a cap on the growth of welfare entitlement 
spending. We must restrict the long-term aggregate growth in welfare 
spending to 4 percent. Some individual programs might, under some 
conditions, have to grow more, but others would have to grow less. But 
the total aggregate would have to be no more than 4 percent.
  Madam President, it only makes common sense to expect that people who 
are being given a helping hand by the working people of America should 
expect at least to do a day's work for themselves. Those working 
taxpayers who struggle every day with no guarantee should not be 
expected to guarantee a way of life for those who choose not to work.
  The search for true welfare reform will come from spending the 
taxpayers' money more wisely. The current process is blind, it is 
reckless, it writes checks to the numerous failed Federal and State 
programs. To get the welfare house in order, we have to have firm caps 
and stop spending. I look forward to working toward true welfare reform 
with men and women of good will of both parties.
  Finally, last night, Mr. Clinton said that some people do not want to 
get off of welfare because then they would have to pay taxes for 
support and health insurance for those still on welfare. Unbelievably, 
he said this was incredible that they should have to work and pay 
taxes. Well, it might be incredible to him because he has never been 
involved in the private sector. But it is time that he realizes there 
are a lot of us out there who have worked and paid taxes all of their 
lives, never taking anything from the Federal Government but giving 
always.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. CRAIG addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, In light of the time of the special order 
and the time of the leader in his opening comments, I ask unanimous 
consent for an additional 5 minutes.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, the majority will yield 5 minutes to the 
Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAIG. I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized.

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