[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 182 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H13038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WHY CAN WE NOT FIND COMMON GROUND?

  (Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, driving my 11-year-old to school this 
morning she said, ``Mommy, I need to write a term paper, but the D.C. 
public library is closed. You worked until midnight last night. Why 
can't you get the Government started again so that my library will 
open?''
  Mr. Speaker, why can't we? Why can't we stop shouting and issuing 
press releases and instead find common ground? Why can't we pass a 
continuing resolution this week and then back off and go home and talk 
to our constituents, not about whether to pass a 7-year balanced 
budget, but about what should be in it.
  There are genuine disagreements among us. If we come back on November 
28 and spend 5 or 6 days having an enlightened debate about the 
Medicare cuts, about tax cuts, about Federal entitlements and block 
grants. I think our constituents can help us find this common ground 
that just might get us to passing a 7-year balanced budget. I think we 
can make our children proud, not just about what we do here, but about 
how we treat each other.

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