[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 22, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HAVE THEY GONE MAD?

  (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, this week Republicans will ask this House 
to tear away the fragile safety net protecting American children from 
hunger and homelessness and abuse. The more helpless the child the 
bigger the cuts. Cruelest of all are the cuts in benefits to hundreds 
of thousands of disabled children.
  Mr. Speaker, have they gone mad?
  When did the American people vote to harm handicapped children? To 
take food away from poor children? To deny medical treatment for 
children born out of wedlock?
  I support reform. I proposed a tough bill to reform the Supplemental 
Security Income Program for disabled children. It cuts the fraud out of 
the program, but keeps aid to truly disabled children. The Republicans 
would not even consider it. I offered it as an amendment to this bill. 
The Republicans again refuse to consider it. Why? Because they need the 
cash that is going to handicapped children to pay for tax breaks.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people never voted to do these things.
  Our children are our best hope for the future.
  Let us all clam down, and think about what these proposals will mean 
for our Nation. And then let us do the right thing and vote against the 
Republican welfare proposal.

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