[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 111 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      DELAY IS PREFERABLE TO ERROR

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, in a letter to George Washington in 1772, 
Thomas Jefferson said, ``Delay is preferable to error.''
  The American people know that rushing to pass the Clinton-Mitchell or 
Clinton-Gephardt bill would be an error of incomprehensible proportion. 
In fact, by a measure of 2 to 1, the American people want us to wait 
until next year to reform health care. I merely ask for a few days to 
talk to my constituents about these so-called new plans.
  What would Jefferson say today if he could witness the attempt by the 
Democrat leadership to ram a bad health care bill by the American 
people without the benefit of a thorough review.
  Jefferson, who advocated a ``wise and frugal government'' and the 
``suppression of unnecessary offices, of useless establishments and 
expenses,'' certainly would urge delay of a measure that would place 14 
percent of the American economy under Federal control, and add at least 
17 new taxes and 50 new bureaucracies.
  The Democrat motto these days seems to be Anything is better than 
nothing. Let us reject their premise and abide by the Jeffersonian 
principle, Delay is preferable to error.

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