[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 9, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: March 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
EARTHQUAKE PORK BILL
(Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, today I am joining over 30 of my colleagues
in introducing legislation to repeal $33 million in wasteful spending
that was included in an emergency spending bill to help victims of the
recent California earthquake.
What happened here is proof positive of why the American people hold
Congress in such low esteem. We were told by the House leadership that
this funding bill would go to help the needy victims of the devastating
earthquake in California. It appears, however, that some of the
aftershocks were felt in West Virginia, New York City, South Carolina,
and Hawaii.
I am talking about the unauthorized $20 million for an FBI
fingerprint facility in West Virginia. I am talking about $1\1/2\
million to secure a commercial ship for a museum in South Carolina. I
am talking about $10 million to redesign a post office in New York
City. I am talking about $1.3 million for sugarcane mill communities in
Hawaii. What does any of this have to do with earthquake relief?
The legislation we are introducing today seeks to repeal this
unauthorized, pork-barrel spending that had no business being included
in the earthquake relief bill. Sooner or later, Members of Congress
will feel the aftershocks of the voters if they keep spending our way
into a fiscal disaster.
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