[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H4134-H4135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1430
          JOIN THE TRIBUTE TO HONOR OUR FIRE AND EMS PERSONNEL

  (Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today we honor America's 
domestic defenders, the 1.5 million men and women across the country 
who serve every one of our communities in responding to every type of 
disaster known to mankind. This evening, 2,000 of their leaders are 
assembled here for the eighth annual national dinner to honor the fire 
and EMS personnel.
  When I started this effort 8 years ago, Mr. Speaker, it was to give 
proper recognition to these unsung heroes, and tonight we continue that 
tradition.
  We will be joined by the Honorable Senator Bob Dole, who will give a 
keynote address, along with the Vice President of the United States, Al 
Gore, both of whom have strongly supported, in a bipartisan way, the 
efforts of these brave men and women.
  We will also honor the brave firefighters of the Long Island fire 
departments who provided such valuable service last year in responding 
to an unbelievably large incident in Long Island.
  Mr. Speaker, today is the day when our colleagues can join together 
and pay appropriate tribute to these brave men and women by showing up 
at the dinner this evening and by meeting with them in their offices as 
the 2,000 leaders of the fire service address Capitol Hill and plead 
their case for more support and more recognition.

[[Page H4135]]



            POLITICS, HYPOCRISY, AND THE RISE OF GAS PRICES

  (Mr. BENTSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, like all Americans I am concerned about the 
recent rise in gas prices and the effect that it has on consumers and 
on our industries in this country. I do not know exactly what the 
answer is, I am not sure that anybody does, but I think it does merit 
study by this Congress and by the administration.
  But I am also concerned, Mr. Speaker, by the hypocrisy that I see 
Members of this House, of the other body, of the de facto Presidential 
nominee of the other party, the Republican Party, that after 16 months 
of being in control they have decided now they want to repeal the gas 
tax.
  Where were they last January? Where were they with their tax bill? 
Now they have had this midnight conversion, much like the Earth Day 
conversion on the environment, and all of a sudden they want to repeal 
the gas tax.
  I have been talking about this for awhile. Why did we not take it up 
before? It is politics, it is politics plain and simple, and 
unfortunately as the House continues to engage in this activity, the 
American people suffer.

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