[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 10, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WASHINGTON PHILANTHROPY
(Ms. PRYCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. PRYCE. Mr. Speaker, in the early 1990's, a study was completed by
political scientist James L. Payne. Mr. Payne tabulated the witnesses
who appeared before congressional hearings. The findings are
astonishing. He found that 95.7 percent of those who appeared came to
urge more spending. Only 0.7 percent came to urge against more
spending.
Washington has created a culture of spending. People come to
Washington, perhaps with good intentions, and are sucked into this
philanthropic swirl, where problems somehow go away if more tax dollars
are spent.
Well, the game is up. Last November, the American people said
``enough'' and put Republicans in charge of Congress to put an end to
the 40-year-long philanthropic tendencies of our friends on the other
side.
If spending tax money truly solves problems, America would be the
most trouble free society in the world. But we're not. Today, America
is facing a $4 trillion national debt in the face of some of the worst
societal conditions we have ever witnessed. It's time to break
Washington's spending culture. Philanthropy is a wonderful thing, but
not with tax dollars.
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