[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REPEAL OF THE GAS TAX

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, earlier, we were required and asked to 
object to a bill being brought up without being notified, and that was 
Megan's law. We did not know anything about it until it was offered, at 
least I did not. We did not have an opportunity. What we do around here 
is hotline to see if any Senators have any objection or if they have 
any amendments. And so we knew that there were amendments and we would 
like to improve the bill. And so therefore we were required to object.
  I do not think there was any motive there to stop the law. It will 
pass. We just had some Senators I think who wanted an opportunity to 
amend. And so I think that is where we are on the debate here. We talk 
about the tax, 4.3 cents. You would think it was going to save the 
world. But the minute we take it off and we do not assure that the 
consumer will receive it, the oil companies increase it a nickel.
  I bought gasoline last night, 2 cents higher today. We did not take 
the tax off and have not changed anything. We put the tax on 3 years 
ago, gasoline went down. They were telling us put on more tax; maybe it 
will be cheaper. Mr. President, 3.8 million barrels of gasoline is what 
is being used today, about 8.4 is the maximum amount of gasoline that 
can be produced in this country today. That is running it at full 
speed. And we have not had a new refinery in over 20 years.
  So what you are going to find, taking the speed limit off, taking the 
speed limit off has helped. Four of every 10 vehicles purchased get 
only 14 miles to the gallon. And so regardless of what we do here, we 
lose.
  Now, if we do not want to reduce the deficit, you have to offset it 
from something else. How are you going to offset it? They threw out 
slurringly on Sunday they were going to take it out of education--you 
know, I hate Government anyhow. That was the statement. Well, they had 
to retract that the next day. And how are you going to offset it?
  So what we would like to do, or what I would like to do is to find 
out how you could assure that the consumer gets 4.3 cents because you 
are going to cut it someplace else. Once you reduce the 4.3 cents and 
not assure the consumer receive the 4.3, you are going to reduce the 
budget some place else because you have to have an offset.
  So the consumer probably, with the approach here, is going to lose 
twice. One, they will not see the 4.3 cents, and you are going to cut 
the budget someplace else. So they get hit twice.
  So I think we ought to be sure that when we reduce the gasoline tax--
and I think we are going to be able to vote for that--but let us be 
sure that the consumer receives it and that the big oil companies do 
not have a windfall, because the 4.3 cents now is reducing the deficit. 
It has had 4 consecutive years in reduction of the deficit. We have 
about 8.5 million new jobs in a little over 3 years. Oh, I can hear the 
crocodile tears that, ``We could do better if you would listen to us.'' 
I remember the 1990 tax.
  If we are not reducing the deficit, how in the world are you going to 
get to a balanced budget? If the deficit went down, it was back when 
President Clinton took office--$300 billion. If it was still there, and 
suppose President Clinton had not won and it was still there, under 
past procedures, under past administrations, it would go up $300 
billion a year. That was not under ours. You say, ``Well, that is a 
Democratic Congress, and for 6 years you had it right here--control.'' 
I tell you, the President had the same kind of wet pen that this 
President has, the same kind of wet pen on the same desk in the same 
room. All they have to do is speak to him to get 34. That is all he 
needs. But how many vetoes did we get?--caved in. He said it was not 
going to increase taxes, and did. All he had to do is put the pen to 
it. You fussed at the President for vetoing. Look at the mess we were 
in when you would not veto. So you can brag and plead and fuss.
  I would like, if we could, to try to find some way to get this Senate 
back in order, to get it back on track, to try to do something that 
will help people and get a balanced budget up. We argue over these 
things that are sound bites. It is $389 a page to have your speech put 
in the Record, and we will have 10 some mornings, and they will all say 
the same thing and cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars; 
$389 a page. That is when it is electronically. Otherwise, it is over 
$400. Every time you make a speech here--and I do not make very many--
every time you talk, the page in that Record is $389. So I just want 
you to know that every time we hear 10 speeches, it costs tens of 
thousands of dollars. It has been hundreds and hundreds of thousands of 
dollars in speeches anti the President, and his popularity is better 
today than it has been any time. So keep knocking. I think you ought to 
keep knocking--sour grapes, you know.
  I think one thing that we ought to do to get it on the right track is 
that they ought to run the race for the Presidency out in the field and 
not every little item that comes up here saying to the Democrats, you 
cannot vote, you cannot offer an amendment, you cannot vote on one of 
your amendments.
  So we are going to have to start getting this place in a position 
where it is respected.
  Are we limited to 5? I did not know that. I apologize to the Chair. I 
did not know we were limited to 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, there is an agreement on 
5 minutes.
  Mr. FORD. If I reached the 5 minutes, I did not want to charge the 
taxpayers any more than $389. I hope I did not use up a page of the 
Record.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. BENNETT addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I will abide by the admonition of the 
senior Senator from Kentucky and make sure that I fall below the $389 
limit.
  Mr. FORD. I just wanted you to know how much it costs per page.

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