[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 52 (Wednesday, May 4, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   SUPPORT A TO Z SPENDING CUTS PLAN

  (Mr. THOMAS of Wyoming asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMAS of Wyoming. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the A 
to Z spending cuts plan sponsored by my colleagues Rob Andrews and Bill 
Zeliff. The taxpayers of America have asked us to cut wasteful Federal 
spending, and the A to Z plan offers us a unique opportunity to get the 
job done.
  The idea is simple. Give Members a chance to offer up spending cuts 
and be guaranteed an up-or-down roll call vote. No part of the budget 
is off-limits. Every program is fair game. Pork projects can not be 
hidden deep is essential spending bills but will be measured on their 
merit before the entire country. It is kind of a congressional line 
item veto.
  It is easy to understand why there have been a few vocal opponents of 
the A to Z plan. The issue here is power: Who gets to decide how the 
how the people's money is spent and how much is spent. The defenders of 
the status quo want to keep that power centralized. The A to Z plan 
will return spending decisions to the people and their duly elected 
Representatives.
  To me this is not a hard choice. I side with the people of our 
country who are paying the bills and who are tired of wasteful 
spending. I urge my colleagues to sign the discharge petition to the A 
to Z spending cuts plan.

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