[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 136 (Monday, September 26, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                ENTITLEMENT COMMISSION: SERIOUS BUSINESS

  (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, when President Clinton was doing desperate 
deals to win passage of his 1993 budget, he accidentally stumbled onto 
something good. In seeking the vote of one reluctant Member of the 
other body, the President promised a commission to study our Nation's 
ballooning entitlement programs. White House spin-doctor advisors no 
doubt viewed that promise as a gimmick unlikely to lead to anything but 
a short-term political win. They were wrong. The entitlement commission 
is fully engaged in a serious, substantive review of all entitlement 
programs that will lead to concrete proposals for reform by the end of 
this year. It is well staffed and well constructed of hard-working 
members. We have to acknowledge that government cannot forever be all 
things to all people--yes, we should honor our commitments but we have 
got to stop making promises we cannot afford to keep. The entitlement 
commission is serious business--I urge my colleagues to read findings 
and get involved, and to join in this crucial debate.

  Sooner or later, we are going to have to face up to the fact that we 
are spending much more than we have.

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