[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            RESIST IMPULSE TO BE PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH

                                 ______


                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, April 6, 1995
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the growing 
concern expressed by many of my colleagues over the dangerous and 
devastating effects of many of the actions taken by this body in recent 
weeks, and actions that will be taken in the coming weeks.
  I am gravely concerned that the frontal attack on low- and middle-
income Americans that some are waging will have far-reaching effects 
that we cannot begin to fathom today.
  Some Members of this body seem to be engaged in a race to cut, with 
little regard to what we are cutting, and what the effects of these 
cuts will be to Americans who are truly in need of assistance. While 
there is most certainly wasteful spending occurring which must be 
addressed by this body, we seem to be engaged in an exercise which is 
driven by a complete disregard to the content of what we do, with 
regard only to how much we do.
  At the same time, we are transferring spending authority to our 
States, many of which are engaged in the same exercise.
  We must remember that the cuts we make here are being echoed in our 
cities and our States. Even the most cost-effective programs are being 
cut at the city and State level--including a small and highly effective 
program in New York State called NORC, designed to assist moderate-
income elderly remain in their homes, rather than cost taxpayers 
millions by financing nursing home care. This program receives only $1 
million of State funding, and cutting it would likely end up costing 
much more.
  We must resist the impulse to be penny wise and pound foolish. We 
must also be aware that, in our current climate, the cuts we make in 
Washington will be duplicated at the city and State level. We must 
equally resist the impulse shared by some in this House to punish those 
most in need of assistance--the poor, the elderly, the disabled, 
children, workers, legal immigrants--and to place the blame for our 
Nation's deficit on those who truly need assistance.


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