[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 53 (Thursday, May 5, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           A TO Z SPENDING CUTS WOULD PRESAGE WELCOME CHANGE

  (Mr. ZELIFF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ZELIFF. Mr. Speaker, we were tremendously encouraged by the long 
lines yesterday, to sign the A to Z spending cuts discharge petition.
  We are convinced that, as we move closer to the election cycle, 
Members will hear loud and clear from their constituents back home, and 
pay less attention to the leadership enticements that would prevent 
them from doing the right thing.
  We must remember that business as usual, has resulted in a $4.5 
trillion debt. Our annual interest payments are now over $200 billion, 
and slated to hit $278 billion by the year 2002. The amount of money 
that we pay for nonproductive interest payments, exceeds our annual 
expenditure for vital areas, such as research into cancer, AIDS, and 
other diseases; interest payments exceed our Federal aid to education; 
these interest payments also exceed our budgets for other vitally 
needed areas such as environmental protection, veterans health care, 
and our widely heralded anticrime efforts.
  It is time for change! We can no longer afford business as usual. 
Sign the A to Z discharge petition today. It is time to start cutting 
that $4.5 trillion debt.

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