[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H3126-H3127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      REFORMING THE WELFARE SYSTEM AND FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lucas). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Gutknecht] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, one of my favorite Presidents was Ronald 
Reagan, and two of my favorite expressions that he used, and some 
Members will remember in some of the debates, he would use the phrase, 
``Well, there you go again.''
  He used that expression when people would attempt to distort the 
facts. We have heard it again tonight. ``Well, there you go again.''
  One of my other favorite expressions from President Reagan was one 
that I use often around my office, and, that is, ``Facts are stubborn 
things.'' I almost wish we could bring those charts 
[[Page H3127]] back here so people could continue to look at them 
because I think facts are stubborn things, and I think the more the 
American people get a chance to see the real facts about what we are 
talking about relative to welfare reform and reform of our nutrition 
programs, the more that they will see that the facts are on our side 
and that this is not a plan designed to cut the nutrition program. As a 
matter of fact, some of my more conservative constituents back in the 
district are saying, ``Why are you allowing these programs to grow the 
way you are? We'd like to see you freeze these programs.''
  We are being accused by some of our Democratic colleagues of being 
mean-spirited and we are hurting children. But I was reminded of a 
quote the other day from Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, ``There is 
always a certain meanness in the argument of conservatism, joined with 
a certain superiority in its facts.''
  As we show the facts and as the American people get to know the 
facts, I think they will recognize that when we are talking about 
meanness and particularly as it relates to our children, I think the 
meanest thing we can do to our kids is leave them a debt which they 
will not be able to pay off. That is exactly what we are doing, ladies 
and gentleman.
  Last year the President's own budget officers backed up by the 
General Accounting Office said that unless we make some changes, by the 
time today's kids reach our age, they may be confronted with an 82-
percent tax rate. In fact, we are stealing from their future. I think 
the American people are way out in front of us. I think they expect 
some real cuts. As a matter of fact, all of my town meetings have 
centered around cut spending first. Frankly, I think some of my 
constituents are upset because we have taken so many things off the 
table. As I said earlier, I think they want real cuts in welfare, they 
want real cuts in some of these programs, and in fact as you look at 
the charts, whether you are looking at welfare, the Nutrition Program, 
the WIC Program, all of the other programs, we are actually seeing 
significant increases.
  We have only been here about 9 weeks but it is interesting to me to 
learn the vocabulary of Washington. Here an increase can be called a 
cut. But we look at the numbers, and the numbers speak for themselves.
  If we look at the Family Nutrition Block Grant Program. According to 
the current programs, we would be spending in fiscal year 1996 $3.585 
billion this year. Fiscal year 1996. Under the Republican plan, we are 
going to spend for the Family Nutrition Block Grant Programs $3.684 
billion. That is not a cut. The American people know that is not a cut, 
and I think the American people want cuts.
  I want to close, Mr. Speaker, if I could with a quote, and I will not 
tell who said this because I think it is such an important message, but 
I would like to share this with the body:

       The government has extremely limited resources to address 
     the many and urgent needs of our people. We are very keen 
     that this real situation should be communicated to the people 
     as a whole. All of us, especially the leadership of political 
     organizations in civil society, must rid ourselves of the 
     wrong notion that government has a big bag full of money. The 
     government does not have such riches.

  The speaker went on to say:

       It is important that we rid ourselves of the culture of 
     entitlement which leads to the expectation that the 
     government must promptly deliver whatever it is that we 
     demand and results in some people refusing to meet their 
     obligations.

  That was not Newt Gingrich who said that, it was not even Thomas 
Jefferson who said that. That was said less than a month ago by Nelson 
Mandela, addressing some people in the Democratic Parliament in Cape 
Town, South Africa.
  Let me just repeat that last sentence because I
   think it is so important and I think that is what this debate is all 
about. Are we willing to finally ride ourselves of this entitlement 
attitude that we have?

  He said:

       It is important that we ride ourselves of the culture of 
     entitlement which leads to the expectation that the 
     government must promptly deliver whatever it is we demand and 
     result in some people refusing to meet their obligations.

  Mr. Speaker, this exercise that we are going through, whether we are 
talking about the nutrition programs or welfare reform, is really about 
changing the attitude not only of Washington but of the American 
people. We cannot go on under this principle that people are not 
responsible for themselves. Our welfare reform is really about 
reinforcing some of those principles, some of those values, if you 
will, that we know work. We need to reemphasize work, we need to 
reemphasize personal responsibility. That is what this exercise is 
about. The facts, the numbers are on our side. Frankly I think, Mr. 
Speaker, the American people are on our side.

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