[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 BLOATED CONGRESSIONAL MILITARY BUDGET

  (Ms. McKINNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. McKINNEY. Madam Speaker, you would think that my Republican 
colleagues have learned their lesson. Over the past year, the American 
people have expressed their outrage over the 1996 congressional 
military budget which gave the Pentagon $7 billion more than they asked 
for. Well, Madam Speaker, here we go again. This year the Republican 
led Congress has decided to give the Pentagon $13 billion more than 
what it asked for. Maybe my Republican colleagues did not get the 
message. Why don't they use the extra $13 billion on environmental 
programs which their 1997 budget cut by 19 percent. Or maybe they could 
use the money to provide student loans to the 2.5 million young people 
who will have their student loans reduced under the Republican budget.
  Madam Speaker, we know that our military budget is much larger than 
the military budgets of all of our enemies combined.
  So, since there is no country--or, even group of countries that poses 
a credible threat to our national security, on behalf of the American 
people I must ask if the real threat the Republicans fear is a foreign 
power, or the wrath of the defense industry.

                          ____________________