[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 18 (Monday, January 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 1995, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Ehlers] is recognized 
during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, last year the Vice President of the United 
States, on a national news program, discussed health care reform and 
why the Democrats were not bothering to speak to the Republicans, and 
made the statement that ``the Republicans didn't vote for Social 
Security, they didn't vote for Medicare, they're not going to vote for 
health care, so why should we bother talking to them?''
  That refrain was picked up by the then-majority-party of the House, 
the Democrats, and we heard it on the floor time after time. The 
gentleman from California [Mr. Horn] dug up the actual facts, and he 
and I gave several speeches on that last year clarifying the situation, 
that in fact 83 percent of the House Republicans in 1935 voted for the 
Social Security Act, contrary to the statement made by the Vice 
President that none of them had.
  Furthermore, 47 percent of Republicans voted for Medicare in 1965. 
And shame of all shames, more Republicans than Democrats voted for the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964. In fact, 81 percent of the Republicans in the 
House at that time voted for it, whereas only 62 percent of the 
Democrats did.
  Mr. Speaker, why do I bring this issue up again? We disposed of it 
last year immediately after Congressman Horn and I made our comments. 
The refrain from the other side of the aisle disappeared. But last week 
once again it emerged as we were discussing Social Security mandates as 
they relate to the balanced budget amendment and the fear of some 
people that if we balance the budget, we will cut Social Security.
  Once again the Republicans were cast in the role of having opposed 
Social Security when it originally passed. Comments made by the ranking 
member of the Committee on the Judiciary indicate that.
  I would like to read just a few statements that were made in the 
Congressional Record last week in which the gentleman form Michigan, 
the ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary, stated, ``May I 
remind the gentleman,'' and he is referring to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Hyde], ``that Social Security was a Democratic Social 
Security insurance policy.'' Furthermore, he goes on to say that it was 
opposed by the Republicans.
  Once again, we have the same strawperson being resurrected to say 
that the Republicans opposed Social Security, when in fact the record 
clearly shows that 83 percent of the Republicans in 1935 voted for the 
Social Security Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that we do not have the old false information of 
last year resurrected again this year. Let us be sure that we deal with 
the facts. Let us give credit where credit is due.
  I have a chart here which I would be happy to give to any Member of 
the other party who wants to review the facts, pointing out that in 
fact on such things as the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, 93 
percent of the Republicans voted for it. On the Clean Air Act 
Amendments of 1970, 99 percent of the Republicans voted for it. I have 
already given some of the other figures, particularly the Civil Rights 
Act, where more Republicans than Democrats voted for it.
  I think it is clear that the Republicans are not Neanderthals as they 
are often characterized by Members of the other party. Let us give 
credit where credit is due. Let us stick with the facts. Let us stick 
with the actual record and recognize that we must work together to 
accomplish what is right and what is good for this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the chart referred to in my 
remarks as follows:

 VOTES CAST BY DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ON MAJOR PIECES OF LEGISLATION 
                              THIS CENTURY                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          House       House             
                                        Democrats  Republicans    House 
                                       supporting   supporting    vote  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Security Act (1935)...........       \1\96       \1\83   372-33  
Federal Highway Act (1956)...........          93          97   388-19  
Civil Rights Act (1964)..............          62          81   290-130 
Medicare (1965)......................          86          47   313-115 
Clean Air Act Amendments (1970)......         100          99   375-1   
Water Pollution Control Act (1972)...          99          93   380-14  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\In percent.                                                          
                                                                        
 \2\Source: Congressional Research Service.                             



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