[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMUNITIES PULLING TOGETHER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nevada [Mr. Ensign] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to four banks 
in southern Nevada. Sunstate Bank, Pioneer Citizens Bank, American Bank 
of Commerce and Bank West. These four banks, Mr. Speaker, have decided 
to give interest-free loans to Federal workers who are either 
furloughed or working and not receiving their full paychecks. This is a 
private-sector solution happening for community banks helping local 
people. This is a solution that shows that not all answers have to come 
from the Federal level.
  Mr. Speaker, the presidents of these banks, when I approached them 
about making these loans, these interest-free loans to Federal 
employees, jumped at the chance. That is the way local communities pull 
together. These are people living in the local community; they 
understand the needs of the local people, and they were willing to pull 
together to help these Federal employees through this difficulty that 
each one of them is going through at this point.
  A few things that have been addressed tonight, Mr. Speaker, that I 
would also like to address because in this context of Federal employees 
being furloughed, we are talking about balancing the Federal budget: 
There are many, many good people on the other side of the aisle who 
have talked about balancing the budget and actually have brought a 
balanced budget to the table. It is something President Clinton himself 
promised to bring to the table in November, which he has failed to do 
up to this point. I commend the Democrats in the Congress who have been 
willing to follow their words with actions and actually bring a 
balanced budget to the table.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, we all know that actions speak louder than words, 
and in our negotiating, we need to have people to keep their word. But 
let us keep the bigger picture in mind, Mr. Speaker. Let us keep the 
big picture of what this country is about.
  For the last 26 years, Republicans and Democrats have voted for 
deficits now that have totaled a national debt of over $5 trillion. It 
is immoral to live and to pass on debt to your children and your 
grandchildren while you enjoy the benefits of that spending.
  I just had a little girl born on December 2. Every child born in the 
United States last year has a $187,000 bill hanging over their heads 
just to pay interest on the national debt in their lifetime. They get 
nothing for that, just interest, because career politicians here in 
Washington have been unwilling to say no to special interest groups.
  Mr. Speaker, I think that the freshman class came here to do 
something different. We were elected to say no to the big spending 
career politicians in Washington, and we are doing that, Mr. Speaker. 
Today we are faced with the opportunity, the greatest opportunity any 
of us could have imagined, to actually balance the Federal budget over 
the next 7 years. Frankly, many of us think that it is too long, 7 
years is too long. Some people think that 10 years is maybe the amount 
of time that we should spend. Seven years I think to most Americans, 
they think that it is too long as well.
  For the last 7 years, we spent a little over $9 trillion, total 
Federal spending. In the next 7 years under these Republican cuts that 
you hear about, we are going to spend over $12 trillion, almost $3 
trillion more in Federal spending under the Republican plan, and we 
hear in Washington that is a cut. That is why many of us think that 7 
years is actually too long.
  Medicare alone, the last 7 years, we spent a little over $900 
billion. The next 7 years under Medicare, Mr. Speaker, we are going to 
spend under the Republican plan of cuts that you hear about, over $1.6 
trillion. That is over $700 billion more in the next 7 years versus the 
last 7 years.
  Mr. Speaker, this year in the United States we spend in Medicare 
$4,800 per person in Medicare this year. Under the Republican plan in 
the year 2002, we will spend a little over $7,100 under the Republican 
cuts that you hear about, $4,800 to $7,100.
  Under the President's plan, we would be looking at $7,200. A 
difference of actually $137 a month out of over $7,000 per person 
spending. It is a minute amount, and yet we hear how the Republicans 
are going to be throwing old people out in the streets, they will not 
be able to get quality medical care. I think that if you ask any 
American if they actually thought about a cut in Medicare, they would 
think that if you are spending $4,800 a year now, that you would 
actually be spending less of that in the year 2002 per person.
  Mr. Speaker, let us just let the facts speak for themselves. Let us 
do what is right for the future of America, for my children, for your 
children and the future of America's children.

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