[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E790-E791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     THE REPUBLICAN CONTRACT: THE CALL AND POST NEWSPAPER RESPONDS

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                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 1995
  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, we are moving closer to the conclusion of 
the first 100 days of the Republican Contract With America. Over the 
past weeks, we have debated on the House floor various provisions of 
the contract. During this same period, newspapers across America are 
providing their readers with detailed analyses of this plan put forth 
by the Republican Party. One such newspaper is the Call and Post, a 
black weekly newspaper which serves residents of my congressional 
district.
  In recent editorials, the Call and Post takes a close look at the 
Republican Contract With America, and its impact on the African-
American community, in particular. The newspaper criticizes the 
Republican Party for its drastic cuts in programs including housing 
assistance, nutrition and child care services, low-income energy 
assistance and the student loan program, along with many others. The 
Call and Post editorial writers are also critical of Republican efforts 
to dismantle affirmative action programs and the Voting Rights Act. 
Their editorial states in part, ``Our early vote on the Republican 
first `50 days' is that, on balance, it has been disastrous for those 
in America who do not have stocks and bonds, or six-figure incomes.''
  Mr. Speaker, I want to share these editorials from the Call and Post 
newspaper with my colleagues and the Nation. I agree with the editorial 
writers that the Contract With America is mean-spirited, ill-advised 
and particularly harmful to the African-American community, other 
disadvantaged populations, and the poor. I hope that Members on both 
sides of the aisle will take a moment to read the Call and Post 
analysis of the Contract With America.
                 [From the Call and Post, Mar. 2, 1995]

                             After 50 Days

       When Newt Gingrich was leading the charge against the 
     Democrats in the last election, he promised in his ``Contract 
     with America'' that the House of Representatives would, 
     within the first 100 days of operation, vote on measures 
     which would carry out a massive restructuring of government.
       The ``100 days'' symbolism was significant. It hearkened 
     back to the ``New Deal'' pronouncement of Franklin Delano 
     Roosevelt, who, within his first 100 days of office, had put 
     into place legislation designed to bring the nation out of 
     the depths of the great depression--legislation and more 
     importantly, a focus of government which was radically 
     different than what had gone before.
       Now, after 50 days of ``Newtonian'' politics, we have seen 
     dramatic results. The first, and easiest, step the Congress 
     took to fulfill the ``Contract with America'' was requiring 
     Congress to abide by all the laws it imposes on others, such 
     as civil rights statutes, wage and hour requirements, and 
     occupational safety laws. There was little controversial 
     about this measure: Ohio Sen. John Glenn had been fighting 
     for the measure for years. It ended Congress' stature as 
     America's ``last plantation.''
       But the remainder of the contract has not been so easy, or 
     so uncontroversial. It appears that the Republicans 
     themselves--who have gained power on the push for term 
     limits--now are debating whether, and how much, they want to 
     impose this on themselves. The U.S. Term Limits organization, 
     which has been the national arm for this movement, has 
     attacked the Republicans--including specifically several Ohio 
     Republican legislators--for hypocrisy on this issue; a 
     measure particularly of concern to the group is sponsored by 
     Florida Congressman Bill McCollum, which would replace all 
     state-enacted term limits statutes with a federal one.
       In the area of criminal justice, the Republican majority in 
     the house has passed a measure which panders to the national 
     hysteria about punishment for crime. It violates all the 
     Republicans historic concern about the intrusion of the 
     federal government into the rights of states by allowing 
     federal money for prisons building to only those states in 
     which incarcerated serious felons serve at least 85 percent 
     of their sentences. And it also has severe constitutional 
     questions in its willingness to allow a ``good faith'' 
     exemption for warrantless searches. No less a constitutional 
     authority than outgoing sixth circuit appellate court judge 
     Nathaniel Jones has expressed serious concerns about this 
     measure, saying that it would ``gut the fourth amendment from 
     the Constitution.''
       It is in the area of spending for human and social services 
     that the Republicans have done the most mischief already. The 
     House has already passed a bill cutting spending already 
     appropriated by the House in
      1994 by more than $17 billion--with $7.2 billion of that 
     coming in one area, housing. Other human services programs 
     have already been affected.
       And the Republicans are planning even deeper cuts in the 
     future, as the plan calls for block grants for human services 
     spending.
       If you're a young struggling mother trying to feed your 
     children, you're probably in trouble: the rescission bill cut 
     already-appropriated funding for Head Start and the Women's, 
     Infants and Children's (WIC) program.
       If you're a poor family struggling to survive through a 
     cold winter, you're already in trouble: they have cut the low 
     income housing energy assistance program.
       If you're a poor child in school and needing the resources 
     of the federal government just to get a decent meal, you're 
     probably in trouble: massive cuts are contemplated for school 
     feeding programs.
       If you're a poor student seeking a better life through 
     college, you're probably in trouble: the House is looking to 
     cut grants and loans for college students.
       In short, if you're one of America's poor trying to achieve 
     a better life--or even merely survive in the one you have--
     you're probably going to be further impoverished by this 
     round of budget cuts being proposed by the House Republicans 
     in their ``Contract with America.''
       It is clear that, after 50 days, the Republican legislative 
     leadership, especially in the House, is planning a frontal 
     assault on the New Deal's ``contract'' with the poorest of 
     America's citizens. By the time their plans are completed, 
     the goal is to take from them the resources to house them 
     more adequately; feed them moderately; and educate them 
     appropriately. None of the rhetoric they have used recently--
     about the need for budget tightening; about shared sacrifice 
     from everyone; about how the private sector will step up and 
     help--can erase that stark fact.
       In fact, part of the Contract with America is designed 
     specifically to shield some Americans from the sacrifices 
     others must make: the Republicans are pushing a reduction in 
     the capital gains tax which will provide windfall tax savings 
     to some of the nation's wealthiest citizens.
       President Clinton, who is threatening to veto parts of the 
     contract, has said of the Republicans, ``what they want to do 
     is make war on the kids of this country to pay for a capital 
     gains tax cut.''
       We believe, sadly, that this harsh language is correct. Our 
     early vote on the Republicans first ``50 days'' is that, on 
     balance, it has been disastrous for those in America who do 
     not have stocks and bonds, or six-figure incomes.
       We can only hope that President Clinton will demonstrate 
     the courage of his convictions to veto some of the most 
     destructive expressions of the GOP leadership's demonstrated 
     desire to turn back the clock on help for America's poorest 
     citizens.


                       contract on black america

       The ``Republican Revolution'' and its makeshift 
     constitution otherwise known as the ``Contract With America'' 
     has been criticized by President Clinton and other prominent 
     Democrats as a threat to the children of the poor, and 
     rightfully so. However, the general tenor of the actions of 
     Congress have the appearance of a contract ON Black America.
       We have already cited the cuts in low income housing, 
     heating bill subsidies and Head Start, that were appropriated 
     by the last Congress and now cut retroactively to pay for a 
     capital gains tax cut that will benefit wealthy individuals 
     and corporations. These cuts will affect all low-income 
     Americans, but like everything else, they will be disastrous 
     in the Black Community.
       [[Page E791]] Now, the ``contract's'' legislative agenda 
     will turn to ``direct hits'' on Black America. For starters, 
     Eleanor Holmes-Norton, the District of Columbia Delegate, has 
     been striped of her right to vote on the floor of Congress. 
     This act leaves the entire, predominately Black, taxpaying 
     ($1.6 Billion at last count) population of the District 
     without Congressional representation.
       On affirmative action, they have already voted to end tax 
     breaks for companies that sell broadcast licenses to 
     minorities, a program that was created to foster minority 
     ownership to those previously denied access to electronic 
     media ownership. This will benefit primarily well-off self-
     employed persons, who will now be able to deduct a portion of 
     the cost of their medical insurance.
       Next, they have vowed to completely dismantle affirmative 
     action, the Voting Rights Act and the welfare system, and 
     unless we mobilize, it looks like no-one can stop them.
       We urge our readers to write to The President, our Senators 
     and Congressmen, and to let them know that we are about to 
     start our own revolution. Our political organizations should 
     be planning voter registration and education programs 
     throughout the state, so that the Black community will once 
     again become something to be feared, and not trampled over.
     

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