[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H988-H989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE MEANING OF OUR CURRENT DEBATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, we just had an election in Oregon, and we 
saw what happened. The Democrat won a seat that had been held by a 
Republican for a very long period of time. And so today all the pundits 
and prognosticators have been asking what does that election mean. Why 
did it happen?
  Well, anyone who listened to the debate in the last 10 minutes, in 
the last half hour, on this floor knows exactly why it happened. It 
happened because a group of extremists have taken over this House.
  I would admit and say that in 1994, Republicans appeared to be the 
more centrist party. Democrats appeared to be too far over to the left, 
and Republicans won. And in a short span of a year, folks, you have 
ceded the center ground to us by doing all sorts of things that most 
people regard as lunatic, and probably at the top of the list is the 
idea of letting us default.
  But I would say one other thing about Oregon. Oregon is going to be 
the predecessor of what is going to happen in the 1996 elections. 
Oregon foretells the 1996 elections.
  Yes, the Republicans had, the Republicans had much more money. Many 
would argue he was more attractive, better looking, smoother and 
suaver, but you know what, the voters of Oregon said no more of this 
extremism, no more of sending people who are so far to the right that 
they are not where the American people are, to this body.
  And if anything shows how crazy things have become here, it is their 
idea that we should default. I have heard the other side talk on and on 
about balancing the budget. Well, guess what, President Clinton has 
submitted a balanced budget. He has done it in 7 years. He has done it 
with CBO numbers.
  First, the Republicans said we want him to submit a balanced budget. 
He did. Then they said no, that is not good enough, 7 years. He did. 
Then they said that is not good enough, CBO numbers.
  You know what the dirty little secret is here, there is a group of 80 
or 100 extremists on that side of the aisle who really do not want a 
balanced budget. They just want as deep a tax cut as possible. And so 
they say President Clinton is not telling the truth, but everyone knows 
that is that he submitted a balanced budget. It just does not have as 
much tax cuts as you guys want, and you gals want.
  Well, ask the American people. They want it. But that is not the 
point here today. They want fewer tax cuts and fewer cuts in Medicare 
and Medicaid. But nobody wants America to default.
  It is interesting, I see all of my colleagues here, they do not talk 
about what default is. The gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Boehner] got up, 
and he said we will never default. And then the next guy gets up and 
says, oh no, we will never default if the President submits to our 
balanced budget. That is blackmail. That is blackmail. You know that, 
the gentleman from Arizona, you want him to say, ``I will go for a 
balanced budget that you attach what you want.'' You do not want to 
negotiate with him. 

[[Page H989]]


                              {time}  1245

  You want to say balanced budget plus ABC, Mr. President; take it or 
leave it, or we will cause disaster to the American people.
  Well, gentlemen, learn your lesson. Your great theory was let the 
Government shut down, and that would bring the White House to its knees 
and you would get what you want by bullying tactics. It failed. You 
looked miserable. You had to retreat with your tail between your legs. 
And what do you do now? You come up with even a more ludicrous theory, 
and that is that we should let the Government default.
  You know, I believe each of you does not think the Government will 
default, because maybe he will back off. Maybe you will back off. Well, 
when I was a teenager there was this game that certain people played 
called chicken. They each get in cars at one end of the highway, and 
they would rev up the engines to x miles per hour, and whoever swerved 
first was the chicken. And you know what? If no one swerved, there was 
a big crash. And that crash will mean nothing compared to the crash 
that will occur if no one swerves here.
  So you are playing with fire, and you should have learned your 
lesson. What I would do, since my words are rather strong and maybe we 
can get a debate going again, I would yield to the gentleman from 
Arizona, but only please for 30 seconds, so I might have the chance to 
answer.
  Mr. HAYWORTH. I am so grateful to my friend from New York for 
yielding. There goes the time right there, so your noble experiment has 
failed.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Let the Record show I did not know my time was about to 
expire.

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