[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 172 (Thursday, November 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H11739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           AGREE TO DISAGREE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Hayworth] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, one of the great things about this Nation 
is the fact that we can come here and agree to disagree, the fact that 
we are free to have a variety of different opinions.
  The gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] who preceded me in the 
well has some very definite opinions that differ from mine, as is her 
right, and really, there is so much information that begs a response 
that I just think it is appropriate to point out a couple of things.
  No. I, with reference to first amendment rights of freedom of 
expression, this is what the Constitution says: ``Congress shall make 
no law abridging the freedom of speech.''
  Nowhere in the Constitution of the United States does it state that 
the Congress will subsidize with American tax dollars someone's right 
to politically organize. Mr. Speaker, it is not really free speech when 
you and I are required with our tax dollars to pay for it, point No. 1.
  Point No. 2, with reference to the comments of my friend from 
Indiana, I find it incredibly shocking that a public housing project 
would be involved in what amounts to a senior shakedown. The language 
needs to be repeated, because it needs to be amplified. All tenants are 
asked to become members of the National Council of Senior Citizens, 
NCSC. That in itself would not be so bad, a simple request. Of course, 
the American people need to know that over 95 percent of the funding 
for the NCSC comes from you and I and other taxpayers. But still, that 
money is not enough. There has to be more that comes from seniors.
  There are many reasons for joining NCSC. First of all, you have the 
privilege of living in these beautiful buildings protected with 
security and free from financial worries of high rent and big raises 
which people are forced to pay in privately owned apartments. The NCSC 
is a well-known and powerful national organization with political clout 
in Washington. To carry on, the organization needs money for these 
worthwhile projects, such as lobbying and letter writing which takes 
paper, stamps, envelopes, and hard work. Dues are payable the first of 
June.
  Now, certainly, Mr. Speaker, every organization has a right to ask 
for membership, but is it the role of the Federal Government of the 
United States to step in with taxpayer dollars and be a party to what 
in essence is a letter that I believe tries to intimidate seniors 
involved in the shakedown.
  It was interesting, too, to listen to some of the rhetoric that is 
brought forth to the well of this House. My good friend from Texas just 
talked about cuts. Again, my friends on the liberal side of this House 
fail to understand simple mathematics. When expenditures are increased, 
there are no cuts. Average spending for a Medicare recipient will rise 
from $4,800 this year to $6,700 in the year 2002. That is an increase 
of 45 percent per beneficiary. Yet, in the twisted mathematics of 
Washington, replete with Orwellian news speak, people come to the floor 
of this House time and time again to talk about cuts.
  The gentlewoman said we were holding the American people hostage with 
reference to making a decision to finally balance the budget.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit, if we do not face economic facts, we will 
continue to hold future generations of Americans hostage. If we fail to 
answer this clarion call to action, we will be acting without any 
responsibility or regard for the real work at hand. Make no mistake, 
this talk of cut is absolute fiction. This is absolutely false. We are 
restraining the rate of growth in government; we are not making cuts. 
That is patently true.
  The fact is that we are moving now to save the very programs that 
folks claim are being sacrificed, to save the very programs that will 
work for this generation of seniors and to provide the framework to 
continue those programs on. That is the absolute fact in front of the 
American people.
  In this debate, let people of goodwill with disagreements come to 
this floor and indeed, write their Congress people, but let them do it 
without tax dollars, without the largesse of the hardworking men and 
women of America, because face it, friends, one of the big truths is 
this: Money does not emanate from the government, it comes from you and 
me, from working and paying our tax dollars. That supplies the money, 
and we should be held accountable for the way in which that is spent.
  Now, absolutely good people can disagree, and I would champion the 
right of my friend from Texas to disagree with me, as she often does. 
But let us level with the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, we will continue this at a later time. The debate goes 
on.

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