[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         COST OF GOVERNMENT DAY

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Cost of 
Government Day as July 10, 1994. This is the first day of the year that 
the average American worker has earned enough gross income to pay off 
his or her share of the cost of Government including taxes, borrowing, 
regulations, and mandates. Although we celebrated our national 
independence on July 4, Americans could not celebrate their 
independence from Government until July 10.
  A constituent of mine, Mr. Bobby Resh of Hagerstown, MD, is the owner 
of Richardson's Restaurant and has told me over and over again how 
burdensome regulations have stifled the growth of his small business. 
Specifically, the Family and Medical Leave Act, although it is well 
intentioned legislation, has impeded him from expanding his company and 
caused him to keep his number of employees under 50.
  In addition, the threat of employer mandates being included in health 
care reform had also caused him great concern. He fears that he will 
not be able to afford this added cost to his business. In fact, the 
group Americans for Tax Reform Foundation estimates that passage of a 
Government-run health care system will push Cost of Government Day to 
August 10.
  The Federal Government is too big and it spends, taxes, and regulates 
too much. The American people are sick and tired of spending over half 
of the year working for the Government and I think the November 
election will underscore this fact.

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