[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 166 (Wednesday, October 25, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H10829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE REPUBLICANS ARE MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS WHILE BALANCING THE BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Miller]. What? Are you putting your head in the sand 
and forgetting the deficit: This country is facing a deficit at a rate 
of $37 million an hour. I ask the gentleman from California go out and 
show me one of your constituent families out there that can overspend 
their budget at the same percentage rate or proportionate to their own 
budget as this Federal Government overspends its budget. When are you 
going to come to your senses, my colleagues? We got to get this budget 
in balance. If we do not, there is no greater threat to the future of 
this country. There is nothing greater that is going to break the 
backbones of the working people of this country than allowing this 
country to continue to spend, and spend, and spend, and spend.
  You can divert all the attention you want to away from what I am 
saying, but the fact is, if you do not do something about this deficit, 
the people in this country are going to face a fiasco, a financial 
fiasco the likes of which we have not seen.
  Now the gentleman talks about Medicare, how horrible that we do 
something about a Medicare. My colleagues, we better do something about 
Medicare. It is going to be bankrupt. It was this body that created 
Medicare. It is a good program, it was intended for good purposes, but, 
as many other Federal programs, it has gotten out of hand, the spending 
has gong crazy. The trustees, bipartisan by the way, Democrat and 
Republicans, some of the trustees appointed by President Clinton, have 
come to a mutual agreement, and that is if we do not do something with 
Medicare, if we do not reform Medicare, that system will be bankrupt, 
bankrupt by the year 2002.
  Now sure it is easy to stand up here, and use lots of fancy charts, 
and quote this newspaper and that newspaper, but who is doing the hard 
work back here to stand up to government spending and say, ``Enough is 
enough; you can't spend more than you bring in''?
  I stopped one time a rancher. He told me in Colorado; Meeker, CO; 
said to me, ``Scott, before you put any more water in the bucket you 
better plug the holes,'' and I venture to say to the gentleman from 
California that is exactly what this Republican bill does.
  The Democrats have had an opportunity to bring this budget in balance 
for 25 years. They have refused to do it. We are not going to refuse to 
do it. Sure we are going to take heat from you, sure we are going to 
take cheap shots about this and that, and sure we have to make tough 
decisions, not necessarily between good and bad programs, but between 
good and good programs, but we are willing to make those decisions 
because, if we do not, you will not, and if you will not, this country 
faces a fiscal disaster.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of this country deserve a government that can 
control its spending. The people of this country deserve a government 
that knows how to balance its checkbook. The senior citizens of this 
country deserve a Medicare Program that is not going to go bankrupt in 
7 years.

                              {time}  1945

  The people of this country can expect their Congress to act in a 
responsible, a fiscally responsible manner. I would urge all Members to 
set aside the partisan politics and take a look at the best interests 
of this country. The best interest of this country is that this country 
quit spending more than it brings in.

                          ____________________