[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2722-H2723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             SPENDING CUTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 1995, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is recognized 
during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOSS. Madam Speaker, I read in last Friday's Congress Daily that 
the chairman of the Budget Committee in the other body is looking for 
between $150 and $200 billion in discretionary cuts as part of his 
effort to bring about a balanced budget. Some might see that as a 
difficult or even an impossible task. But a careful and honest 
assessment of all discretionary accounts yields heartening news. It can 
be done, I say. It can be done. There is at least this much nonpriority 
spending we can eliminate. In fact, I would argue that there is much 
more than $150 to $200 billion. As we move toward the budget and 
appropriations process, it is imperative that we address the wasteful 
spending that bloats our Federal budget, as everybody knows. As I have 
done for the last 3 years, I have again submitted to the budgetary 
leaders of both Houses of Congress my annual list of discretionary 
spending cuts for their consideration. These 75 cuts would save the 
American taxpayer $275 billion over 5 years.
  Madam Speaker, critics of the balanced budget amendment contend that 
it would mandate draconian cuts in entitlement programs because our 
discretionary budget simply just does not offer significant savings. 
The facts clearly show otherwise. In reality, we continue to fund 
outdated and duplicative programs that operate in the shadows serving 
our bureaucracy and special interests rather than the American people 
we work for. We desperately need to shed some light on these ancient 
programs. The Appalachian Regional Commission, a Great Society era 
created as a temporary response to poverty, continues to spend hundreds 
of millions of dollars annually with little discernible impact on the 
long-term economic health of the United States of America.
  These are probably very worthy projects, but I do not think they 
really are getting at the core of poverty and they probably would not 
compete as well with other Federal dollars for more urgent needs. Only 
in Washington could this be construed as a legitimate response to 
poverty. The Rural Electrification Administration, which provides 
electricity for my home in Sanibel, formed in 1935 when only 10 percent 
of projects have included funding for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and most 
recently $750,000 toward a new football stadium in South Carolina. 
Rural America had electricity, continues to spend billions of dollars 
subsidizing rural electric and telephone companies--this despite the 
fact that today 99 percent of rural America has electricity and 98 
percent has phones. I suggest those who do not have it do not want it. 
Taken alone, each of these programs may not amount to large costs--but 
when you start adding them up, going through a whole list of projects, 
you can see why we have a budget crisis.
  Unfortunately, programs like these are the rule rather than the 
exception. Of course, Government must lead by example. That is why I 
have proposed 
 [[Page H2723]] also reducing the legislative and executive branch 
appropraition by 20 percent, which would save $3 billion over the next 
5 years. The American people spoke clearly last November--they want to 
downsize the Government. We should understand that message. And that 
process needs to begin at the top with Congress and the President. To 
be credible, we must not only eliminate wasteful spending but we must 
also be willing to look at good programs and prioritize our limited 
financial resources so we get the most important served. I do not 
pretend to think that we can correct decades of neglect and abuse 
overnight. While these 75 proposals which I offered are not a cure-all, 
they will hopefully serve as the first shot in the coming budgetary 
battle between the defenders of the status quo and those of us who came 
here to make a difference.
  The debate is between the habitual big spenders in the District of 
Columbia and those newcomers who have dared to suggest maybe the 
Federal Government should stop the waste, fraud, and abuse of the 
precious tax dollars. There is no one in America who has come forward 
to claim or even to imply that every Federal dollar spent is a dollar 
well spent. On the contrary, there are tens, if not hundreds, of 
millions of Americans who know we are not handling their tax dollars as 
wisely as possible and they are asking us to do better. There is no 
excuse for us not to do better. We can start now, we can start today. I 
urge my colleagues to look at my list of spending cuts, and if they do 
not like my list, make your own. There are plenty of places to cut 
spending.


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