[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          NATIONAL DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT'S DIRECTION IS HEALTHY

  (Mr. WHITFIELD asked and was given permission to addres the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to follow such an 
accomplished speaker as the gentleman from Massachusetts, but I rise 
this evening to say that I am not really appalled at any of the 
discussion that has taken place on the floor of this House throughout 
this year. There has been a lot of acrimony on both parties' parts. But 
the purpose that we are here, and it is not surprising, that when one 
party has controlled the Government for 40 years and we are trying to 
move in a new direction, it is not surprising that there is going to be 
heated debate and there is going to be intense disagreement on where we 
are going.
  That is the purpose of this House, and that is the purpose of a 
democracy, to have a national debate about the changes that we need to 
make.
  I am delighted to be a part of this discussion. I think that it is 
healthy that we have this intense disagreement, because we can either 
continue down the path we have been moving of a large Government with 
higher taxes and more Government programs, or we can move in a 
direction of a more limited Government with less taxes and a more 
reasonable approach to Government.

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