[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 46 (Friday, March 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E494-E495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3136, CONTRACT WITH AMERICAN 
                        ADVANCEMENT ACT OF 1996

                                 ______


                               speech of

                           HON. JENNIFER DUNN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 28, 1996

  Ms. DUNN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
3136, the Contract With American Advancement Act. Over the past 15 
months, Republicans have made truly historic efforts to change business 
as usual here in Washington, DC. Central to those efforts has been our 
drive to finally put our Nation on a credible path to a balanced 
budget.
  Despite the fact that Republicans crafted the first balanced budget 
since 1969, we have learned that a supposedly revolutionary idea like 
balancing the budget takes two elections. Despite this setback, we have 
not given up the fight.
  Republicans continue to believe that Washington spends too much, 
taxes too much, and that government is too big. That is why we are 
doing all we can to reduce spending, reduce taxes, and shrink the size 
of government.
  While we may not be able to accomplish as much this year as we had 
hoped, we are dedicated to doing as much as we can--right now. That 
brings me to the measure before us today. While we continue to work to 
keep our promises to the American people for a balanced budget, we must 
not put the Nation at undue risk. This vote--to authorize the 
Government to borrow more money by increasing the Nation's debt limit--
is not easy.
  Congress has twice sent the President a bill that extends the 
Government's borrowing authority. President Clinton has vetoed both 
bills. Now Republicans again act to avoid default.
  Our current debt limit stands at $4.9 trillion. And it is growing 
everyday. Someone, someday has to pay off this debt. I do not want to 
leave it to the next generation. We have a responsibility to our 
children, and to our children's children, to end this pattern of 
destructive out-of-control spending.
  Mr. Chairman, $4.9 trillion is a lot of money. To put that figure 
into perspective I want to share just a few facts. If we were to pay 
all of the debt off today, a family of four would need to contribute 
over $72,000 as their share of the debt. A single person's bill would 
come to just $18,000.
  Every week we continue to have this debt, that family's personal 
share of the debt rises by $89. Every month--$383. For most families, 
this is a monthly car payment which ends in 4 or 5 years. But this is 
not a car payment, it is our national debt. You keep giving, but you 
get nothing in return and you continue to pass the tab onto our 
children.
  Included in this measure is what I believe to be one of the most 
important tools necessary to fix our irresponsible spending habits--the 
line-item veto. To demonstrate how important this tool is, I am willing 
to give the authority to a President of a different party. To those who 
say the President will use it for political purposes, I say nonsense. 
The President currently has veto authority. With line item authority he 
simply could remove the misguided pork barrel spending without killing 
the entire bill.

[[Page E495]]

  It is time we give the President what 43 Governors have: the fiscal 
responsibility to strike out the pork. The American people clearly are 
in favor of this provision, as well they should be. With a new debt 
ceiling of $5.5 trillion, it is time we stop Congress' out of control 
spending.
  The bottom line is that we are in far too deeply. Over the past 15 
months Republicans have made the difficult choices necessary to reduce 
the size of the Federal Government, to provide families and employers 
with badly needed tax relief, and to provide for a balanced budget in 7 
years. We are building a path to the future that restores both hope and 
opportunity for all Americans--from my parents to my children and to 
their children yet to be born.
  Our Nation is at a crossroads. There are two competing visions of 
America's future. We can either adhere to the status quo as the 
President suggests--which means higher taxes on families, more 
spending, more debt, fewer jobs, and less opportunity for our 
children--or we can follow a new responsible course by balancing our 
Nation's budget, cutting taxes and restoring hope, confidence, 
opportunity, and prosperity.
  To be sure, it has not been easy making the tough choices needed to 
reach a balanced budget. But those are decisions that we have been 
willing to confront. In no way should today's extension of the debt 
limit relieve us of this responsibility. To the contrary, we must be 
more vigilant than ever in bringing our Nation back to a responsible 
fiscal path. To the next generation--to my own two sons--I say that 
Republicans are committed to redoubling our efforts to convince the 
President that enactment of a balanced budget is our single most 
important responsibility.

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