[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H15209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DEMOCRATS AND PRESIDENT DUCK RESPONSIBILITY

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, there are two arguments the Democrats and 
the President use to justify their not signing a 7-year balanced budget 
agreement.
  One is the Medicare scare. Right now the difference between what the 
President and we are proposing is .7 percent a year or $11 billion. So 
how can Americans believe the President when he said, ``I simply cannot 
sign a budget that devastates Medicare to the elderly.'' Come on, Mr. 
President, we are in agreement on Medicare so stop the scare.
  The other sound bite for Democrats and the President is tax cuts. The 
American people have suffered through at least 19 different major tax 
increases since 1981 without one single tax cut. There is no reason why 
they should have to wait another 7 to 10 years for tax relief.
  Our tax cuts were paid for on April 5, 1995, before the debate began 
on saving Medicare. And they have nothing to do with saving Medicare. 
In fact we have a lock box in the Medicare legislation to keep all 
savings there.
  The President and the Democrats have fabricated the Medicare-scare 
and tax cut connection because it is useful politically. ``It allows 
them to attack and to duck responsibility, both at the same time.'' 
Those are not my words. That is from the Washington Post editorial on 
September 25, 1995.
  Come on, Mr. President, sign the agreement and let us stop ducking 
responsibility.

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