[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRESIDENT HAS AGREED TO A 7-YEAR BALANCED BUDGET
(Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton has agreed to a 7-year
balanced budget using CBO numbers. The problem is that the Republicans
do not want to protect the priorities that the President thinks are
important, such as the environment, Medicare, Medicaid, and also
education. I would like to pay particular attention to the environment.
The Republicans are saying they want this huge tax cut or tax break,
yet they want to cut back on environment enforcement. They do not want
to properly fund the Superfund Program to clean up toxic waste sites.
In my home State of New Jersey, we have 114 Superfund sites, and a lot
of those sites are not being cleaned up now and will not be cleaned up
if the Republicans do not agree to fully fund the Superfund Program,
which they have not agreed to do so so far.
The President has stood strong. He agreed on a balanced budget and he
agreed on the Republican terms, but he wants to protect the environment
and he wants to make sure the Superfund Program moves forward so that
in States like New Jersey those toxic waste sites that pose a direct
threat to the health of many Americans who live nearby, he wants to
make sure that those sites are cleaned up, and I commend him for it.
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