[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 183 (Friday, November 17, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13289-H13290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TAKING A HARD LOOK AT THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF GOVERNMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Bryant] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRYANT of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, the rhetoric has runneth over 
ever since the Federal Government shut down 3 days ago, but the truth 
is in the numbers. Today's Washington Times newspaper ran the headlines 
on its front page: ``Dow Surges Towards 5000 as Wall Street Ignores 
Impasse.''
  The truth is, Mr. Speaker, that since 800,000 so-called nonessential 
Federal workers were placed out of the 2 million Federal work force 
last Tuesday, the stock market has surged. The stock market has set its 
consecutive record highest yesterday, Wednesday and today. One can only 
wonder what the market would do if we would quite stonewalling the cut 
in the capital gains tax rate. How high would it go if we simply 
eliminated the capital gains tax, just like most other industrialized 
nations? How much stronger would the market grow if we could cut out 
inheritance taxes or the marriage penalty, or reform our tax code? What 
if we took a hard look at the size and scope of government?
  Maybe this country could survive with only 1.2 million Federal 
employees. Quite possibly we could get along with fewer. The American 
people might soon discover that they actually like not having such a 
huge, intrusive government. It certainly would cost less.
  My office has received hundreds of telephone calls this week, as have 
other congressional offices. I think we have heard about a lot of those 
tonight. I think the overwhelming message we are all receiving is that 
the people we represent want us to stand firm on balancing the budget, 
getting this continuing resolution adopted within the 7-year period of 
time, and with real good numbers through the Congressional Budget 
Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I truly understand the turmoil that this standoff 
between Congress and the President is causing in the lives of Federal 
employees. We empathize with them with respect to the uncertainty they 
face personally. I believe that it is completely unfair to the 
furloughed Federal workers for the President to hold them hostage, when 
in the past, and I stress this, when in the past, he has agreed that 
the budget can be balanced in 7 years. It is also unfair of the 
President to hold them hostage so that his newest political consultant, 
Dick Morris, can boast that he is running the country.

  According to the Washington Post, Mr. Morris was at his doctor's 
office not too long ago to get a flu shot. He was on his cellular 
telephone. He was overheard to have said, ``I am running the country,'' 
into the phone. Who is running the country? Did we vote for Dick Morris 
to run the country or did we vote for President Clinton to be the 
President? One has to wonder when Mr. Morris is making these types of 
comments as a political consultant for President.
  We as Members of Congress were elected to do hard things here. 
Especially we, as Republican Members of the freshman class, feel a very 
strong mandate from last November to come to Washington and to restore 
responsible government. Probably the cornerstone of restoring 
responsible government is to achieve a balanced budget within this 7-
year period of time, which is a reasonable period of time to do this.

                              {time}  2300

  And to do so with good, real numbers that, as the President admits, 
the Congressional Budget Office affords.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing I would urge the President to join with us, 
the elected representatives of the American people, and get away from 
his political gurus like Mr. Morris, and take this as most serious 
business.
  Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that he chose to reject, to go out and 
say publicly that he would veto this continuing resolution, even before 
we had an opportunity to send it down Pennsylvania Avenue. I think we 
must all rise to this occasion. It is not a time for blaming. It is not 
a time to talk about blinking or who is going to cave in. These are not 
important matters at this point.
  Mr. Speaker, I think what is most urgent, what those people on 
furlough would like to most see, what our people back home would like 
to most see, is not who blinks first, not who caves in, not who looks 
at the politics of this thing, but who works in a responsible fashion 
to join with us, as he has promised he could do in the past, to balance 
the budget.
  Mr. Speaker, he said, no question about it, that he can do it in 7 
years. He said he wants to use CBO numbers, 

[[Page H 13290]]
because they are the most accurate. We have that continuing resolution 
out there now. The Senate has passed it, but he has chosen to veto it.
  I would call upon the President tonight to extend that arm, as we 
extend our continuing resolution, and join us halfway and meet us to 
sign this continuing resolution for the good of the country. Let us not 
get caught up in the politicizing of this budgetary process any longer.
  At this point, Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to join with 
us on both sides of the aisle and help get this Government back up and 
running and at the appropriate time that we can begin to negotiate 
where we have legitimate disagreements.

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