[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 100 (Monday, June 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1288-E1289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               ELIMINATE THE JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE NOW

                                 ______


                            HON. DAVID MINGE

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 19, 1995
  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, this year we are embarking on a long and 
arduous journey to a balanced budget. Our lingering deficit and 
staggering national debt make balancing the budget a critical 
necessity. We must take serious action now. We can no longer spend 
rampantly and pass the buck on to our children.
  During this difficult process, we will have to make many painful 
decisions to cut beneficial programs and scale back the size of 
Government. We will have to cut waste and set priorities for dispersing 
the limited pool of Federal dollars. In this spirit of eliminating 
waste and reducing the deficit, I will be offering an amendment to the 
fiscal year 1996 legislative appropriations bill to eliminate funding 
for the Joint Economic Committee. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the 
Joint Economic Committee has been identified as waste and is slated for 
elimination in fiscal year 1997, but why should we wait another year? 
By eliminating the Joint Economic Committee this year, we could save 
the taxpayers $3 million.
  We can no longer afford the luxury of funding redundant, duplicative, 
Government entities such as the Joint Economic Committee. We already 
have budget committees and tax committees in the House and Senate. 
Earlier this year, the committees of the House were reorganized and the 
total number reduced to eliminate overlap and duplication. Now, during [[Page E 
1289]] the budget process, we must continue this effort and eliminate 
wasteful joint House-Senate committees.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend you for your efforts to pare down the size of 
the legislative branch and improve efficiency. Let us take another 
relatively easy step toward balancing the budget by eliminating the 
Joint Economic Committee 1 year early. I urge my colleagues to support 
my amendment and save the taxpayers $3 million.


                          ____________________