[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 96 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   REDEMPTION: IT'S GOOD FOR THE POLL

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, most of us believe in redemption.
  And with the President's poll numbers in the tank, he might consider 
what he needs to do to redeem himself with the American people.
  The CNN-USA Today-Gallup Poll reveals that most Americans disapprove 
of the President's job performance, disapprove of his handling of the 
economy, disapprove of his health care plan, and do not feel he is 
honest and trustworthy. It does not get much worse than that.
  To earn the Nation's respect and gratitude, what the President needs 
to do is simple, but not easy: Keep his word. Listen to the people. 
Tell the truth.
  Keeping his word means giving the American people a tax cut, not a 
tax hike on income, Social Security, gas, and small businesses. It 
means real welfare reform, not a $9 billion even more expensive 
program.
  Listening to the people means not wrecking the best health care 
system in the world, but just fixing it for the people who need it.
  Telling the truth means answering character and ethics questions 
directly, and apologizing if necessary.
  The President has got the toughest job in the world. But if he is 
going to gain our trust, the changes he seeks will have to be within 
himself first.

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