[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 182 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17181-S17182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 OWENSBORO LEGENDS OF RACING HOMECOMING

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, anytime someone from our hometown gains 
national recognition for their talents, we all feel a sense of pride 
and ownership--that somehow we've contributed to that success.
  I know all those from the city of Owensboro and from Daviess County 
will be doing their share of boasting during the Owensboro Legends of 
Racing Homecoming.
  It provides us with a chance to show off some of our homegrown 
talent, and to thank these racers and crew members for representing our 
community so well in competitions across the country.
  I know all Kentuckians are just as proud as I am of Darrell and 
Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, and the Green boys--David, Jeff, and 
Mark. Any weekend we turn on the television and watch the NASCAR races, 
we enjoy it that much more knowing that they're successes reflect so 
well on Owensboro, and our entire State.
  Working closely with the NASCAR drivers are nine pit crew members 
from Owensboro and Daviess County who have achieved the highest level 
of success in their field. I want to congratulate Jeff Chandler, 
Kenneth Davis, Kerry Everly, Terry Mayfield, Stephen McCain, Donnie 
Richeson, Barry Swift, Bobby Waltrip, and Todd Wilkerson for their hard 
work and excellent performances.
  They're part of one of the fastest growing sports today. It's 
estimated that attendance records will double, with 6 million fans 
expected to go to the races this year.
  These are all men of excellent character, who've demonstrated what 
can be accomplished with hard work and dedication. I join all 
Kentuckians in congratulating not only them, but their families, who 
have stood by and supported these racers and pit crew members over the 
years. I couldn't be more proud of their achievements, and I wish them 
continued success in the future.


                          THE BAD DEBT BOXSCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, as of the close of business yesterday, 
November 15, the Federal debt stood at $4,988,340,050,374.57. We are 
still about $12 billion away from the $5 trillion mark. Unfortunately, 
we anticipate hitting this mark sometime later this year or early next 
year.
  On a per capita basis, every man, woman and child in America owes 
$18,935.82 as his or her share of that debt.

[[Page S 17182]]


                CONGRESS WILL PROTECT AMERICA'S VETERANS

  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, we paused last week, as we do each November 
11th, to honor American veterans who have given so much to their 
country for the cause of freedom. As a nation, we stop on Veterans Day 
to express our gratitude for their service and their sacrifice. And it 
is worth questioning whether the freedom which we embrace in America 
would have spread across the world had those sacrifices not been made.
  Because of their profound love for their country, veterans understand 
better than many people how important it is that we face the problems 
plaguing this Nation. ``Congress is doing exactly what I want it to do, 
in spite of some who oppose the progress we are making,'' wrote a 
disabled veteran from Shoreview, MN, who urged me to continue pressing 
for a balanced budget.
  So in much the same way Americans once united during wartime, we are 
now united in peace, working together as a nation to create a 
Government strong enough to meet the needs of its veterans today, while 
it safeguards the freedom our veterans ensured for us.
  That is why I find it so appalling that veterans would be singled out 
by the President and his administration to be the latest political 
pawns in their budget maneuverings.
  Mr. President, I have received a copy of a press release issued by 
the Department of Veterans Affairs just 2 days ago, and I am utterly 
disgusted by the scare tactics it employs and the blatant 
misrepresentations it contains.
  ``Nearly 3.6 million veterans, widows, and children may have to wait 
on their monthly benefits checks due to the Government shutdown,'' it 
begins. ``Unfortunately, some veterans and their families may become 
budget casualties,'' said VA Secretary Jesse Brown.
  Suggesting that veterans--many of whom sustained grave injuries and 
lost close friends and family members in battle--could become 
casualties themselves, this time of a budget war, is tasteless and 
extreme. It is shocking to me that the U.S. Government would dishonor 
our veterans this way, playing on their fears and resorting to these 
kinds of tactics in an attempt to score political points for the 
President.
  In his press release, Secretary Brown claims that all President 
Clinton has asked for from Congress is a stopgap spending bill free of 
controversial riders. That is precisely what Congress will deliver to 
the President this week--a stopgap bill that gives him the funds he 
needs to run the Government, and asks him to pledge he will work 
together with Congress to balance the budget within 7 years. Yet even 
before he sees our bill, President Clinton is vowing to veto it.
  Mr. President, the men and women who have so proudly served in this 
Nation's Armed Forces will not be left in the cold, and to suggest that 
the Government would ever allow that to happen is the height of 
irresponsibility. By signing the temporary spending legislation this 
Congress is preparing to send to the White House, veterans benefits 
would be designated as an essential Government service. I urge the 
President to do so, so that this Nation's veterans will continue to 
receive their monthly benefit checks on schedule and without delay.
  The press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs, however, 
underscores the lengths this administration is willing to go as they 
attempt to derail our efforts to balance the budget. But do not be 
taken in by the political rhetoric--it is inflammatory and it is harsh, 
but it is nothing but rhetoric. A similar situation occurred earlier 
this year, when the President tried to gain some political mileage 
scaring senior citizens with his Medicare misinformation. And so it was 
only a matter of time before he would go after the Nation's veterans, 
too.
  It is indeed unfortunate that this President is so out of touch with 
the military and the sacrifices demanded by those who serve in uniform 
that he would attempt to frighten American veterans in such a manner.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to join me in denouncing these 
desperate tactics. They disgrace our veterans and serve no useful 
purpose in the very serious debate over the financial future of this 
great Nation.

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