[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H15580-H15581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ewing). The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, in this Christmas spirit, is it appropriate to 
refer to Members as ``lying'' on the House floor?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. There should be no reference of that sort in 
debate to specific Members.

[[Page H15581]]


                        SLOWING GROWTH IS A CUT

  (Ms. RIVERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. RIVERS. Mr. Speaker, throughout the course of this week we have 
seen a $1 million check come to the floor several times, along with a 
challenge that if anyone can prove that the Republicans are actually 
proposing to cut Medicare, they can win this check. Well, I learned in 
law school that if you want to define something, you go back to the 
precedent.
  The precedent in 1994 set by that side of the aisle when exactly the 
same kind of adjustment was proposed for $120 billion less was that 
slowing growth is a cut. All of the minority Members, all of the 
Republican members on the Committee on Ways and Means called it a cut, 
massive cut. Subcommittee chair Clay Shaw called it ``destructive 
Medicare cuts.''
  Now, look, folks, you set the standard. You decided that slowing 
growth was a cut. So one of two things is true: Either the Republicans 
did not fairly characterize the 1994 debate about slowing growth, or 
the RNC has to pay up its $1 million. But do not give it to me. Put it 
on the deficit, OK?

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