[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 126 (Tuesday, August 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H8072]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GOVERNMENT REFORM FIELD HEARINGS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from California [Mr. Horn] is recognized during 
morning business for 2 minutes.
  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that you are in the chair 
during these comments. We, as you know, went out to Cleveland, Ohio, on 
July 14 to hold the first of the town-meeting-type field hearings by 
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, which you chair. The 
hearing was designed as an open forum where experts in the private 
sector, such as the executive vice president of TRW, and those in the 
public sector, such as the mayor of Philadelphia, and the average 
American taxpayers in an open forum could voice their views on creating 
a new 21st century Government.
  One of the witnesses that testified before the committee membership 
was the treasurer of the State of Ohio, J. Kenneth Blackwell, who 
indicated that, ``The Federal Government enjoys access to world capital 
markets that so far has been unlimited. We have been fortunate that 
foreign investors and central banks still have sufficient confidence in 
the strength of our Nation's economy to purchase much of our debt. It 
is unclear, however,'' he said, ``that this situation will continue. 
The Federal credit card may be reaching its limit.''
  As Members of Congress, we live with constant reminders of the 
staggering Federal deficit. The fact remains that our national deficit 
is four times the size it was just two decades ago. The time of 
inefficiencies and waste is over. The time for change is now. The 
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, under your leadership, is 
dedicated to restructuring our current wasteful and inefficient Federal 
Government agencies and creating a 21st century Government that will be 
a reliable source of service to all for many generations to come.

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