[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 29, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        REPUBLICANS NOT PARTISAN

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, in a recent memo to his committee, the 
gentleman from Michigan, Chairman John Dingell made reference to what 
he considered to be the partisan resistance of the Republicans to a 
bipartisan bill.
  Let us take a look at the history of partisanship on health care. On 
June 4, 1992, the House Republican leader introduced a health care bill 
on behalf of President Bush. On July 24, according to the Washington 
Post, the Democrats met under the direction of their leader the 
gentleman from Missouri, Richard Gephardt, as a part of an ongoing 
effort to reach agreement on a health care bill as a counter to 
President Bush's proposal.
  The gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Rostenkowski], according to the 
Post, worried that health legislation might somehow backfire and hurt 
Democrat candidates, according to the Post. The gentleman from Illinois 
[Mr. Rostenknowsi said, ``I would hate like heck at this point in time 
to do something that would derail the upward swing that we feel with 
Gore and Clinton doing such an outstanding job.''
  Energy Chairman, the gentleman from Michigan, John Dingell said, to 
50 or so Members, according to the Post, ``What we are trying to do 
here is a political exercise to first of all work out our own program 
and, second, screw the Republicans.''
  Now, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell] calls us partisan. Let 
me suggest to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell] that he listen 
to the lyrics of that great tune by Jerry Jeff Walker, ``the pot can't 
call the kettle black.''

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