[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H12200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0945
                       STOP THIS FISCAL INSANITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Pryce). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] is recognized for 4 
minutes.
  Mr. McINNIS. Madam Speaker, I think that it is very important that we 
put today's events and the events over the last several years in its 
proper perspective.
  A lot of people in our Chambers think that the crisis started at 
midnight last night. That crisis did not start at midnight last night. 
This crisis has been going on for years and years and years. The old 
bad habits in Washington, DC, have forced this country into a position 
of fiscal insanity.
  We heard some of the previous speakers talk about extremes. You want 
to hear about extremes? Compare this: Right now your Government in this 
country is spending $30 million an hour more than it brings in, $30 
million an hour.
  I ask the American people, how many of you out there in America can 
overspend your budget in the same proportion that the Federal 
Government has been allowed for year after year after year after year 
to overspend its budget? When are we finally going to stand up to this 
fiscal insanity, when are we going to finally get the courage to stand 
up and say you cannot continue to run a government like you are running 
this Government in Washington, DC?

  If you think the people out there in America are confident about 
Washington, ask them if they think for their taxpayer dollar they are 
getting a bang for their dollar, a bang for their buck? I think you are 
going to find the answer is no.
  Ask the American people what it is like to spend the first 2 hours 
and 45 minutes of every workday of their working career just to pay 
taxes? In other words, when they go into work at 8 o'clock in the 
morning, it is not until a quarter to 11 or so before they finally get 
to put some money in their own pocket.
  Ask the American person what it is like to owe more money to the 
Federal Government as a result of this Federal deficit than most 
families owe on their home mortgage. Ask the American family what it is 
like to pay more in taxes than they pay for transportation, for 
housing, for clothing, and for recreation combined.
  Madam Speaker, we have got to do something about this fiscal 
insanity. Now, sure, everybody said my gosh, the sun is not going to 
come up today after the Government shuts down. I venture to say in 
comparison to the fiscal crisis we have got, it is going to be 
classified as an inconvenience.
  I hear some of my colleagues up here telling you about Medicare. It 
is the Democrats' position to drop the premiums. Folks, this is a fund 
that is in fiscal trouble. It is going bankrupt. Even Clinton's 
advisors, even the President's advisors, said this fund will be 
bankrupt if we do not do some fiscal management on it. You cannot lower 
the premiums right now.
  By the way, if you lower the premiums, it does not lower the cost. 
The cost stays the same. Who makes up the difference? All the rest of 
the taxpayers in this country.
  Folks, we have to stand up to the line and accept the responsibility, 
just like every constituent we have got out there accepts their 
personal responsibility with their personal checkbook, with their 
personal family, every month. That is what this is about. It is not 
about the Medicare issue. That is a diversion. It is not about whether 
or not to use the trust funds out of Social Security. That is a 
diversion.
  The question is, will this country get to a balanced budget? Will 
this country operate fiscally like every family in America is expected 
to operate?
  Most of the people on this side of the aisle say no, business as 
usual. Let us continue to run this deficit. But those of us, some of us 
who have been labeled as extremists, say wait a minute, it is not 
asking the impossible. It is not unusual to expect the representatives 
of this Government in Washington, DC, not to accept business as usual, 
but to demand from the American Government that we operate our budget 
like the American people operate theirs.

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