[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WASHINGTON'S SPENDING HAS UNDERMINED OUR FUTURE
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Taylor of North Carolina). Under a
previous order of the House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox]
is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the answer for too many people
lies in Washington as a solution for all problems. For decades
Washington has told America that everything is OK, while it spent our
children's and grandchildren's inheritance and undermined their future.
For too long Washington has spent more than it takes in, spent your
hard earned tax dollars unwisely just to pay for a growing bureaucracy,
a bureaucracy that includes 160 different job training programs, 240
educational programs, 300 economic development programs, and 500 urban
aid programs.
How has Washington afforded these programs? By raising your taxes
through the roof. Just ask Bill Clinton. He was not in office 100 days
before attempting to take even more of your hard earned dollars. By
comparison, Republicans spent our first 100 days trying to cut taxes.
The fact is virtually every year you send more of your hard earned
dollars to Washington and that leaves less for you and your family. Do
you ever wonder why the President and the Democrats are asking you to
sacrifice a little more so Washington could spend a little more? Should
not we demand Washington spend less so that you can keep more? After
all, it is your money.
It should not surprise anyone that more and more American families
find it difficult to make ends meet; that more and more Americans are
forced to live from paycheck to paycheck; that too many Americans want
to put something away for the future but cannot; that almost everybody
feels the squeeze from rising prices and higher taxes.
The Republican majority is making a difference by making sure we have
a line item veto, which passed; a balanced budget. We have regulatory
reform and unfunded mandate reform. All of these have led to a stronger
economy and less of your tax dollars going out the window.
Against unanimous Republican opposition, the President imposed the
largest tax hike in American history in 1993. The cost of the
President's policies for a typical family in higher taxes and lower
earnings is $2,600, and all of us have felt the crunch. The tax trap
costs a lot of money, and higher taxes means less savings and a more
uncertain future. The Republican policies that we have put forward and
have been adopted by this House, will put our course and our financial
security back on track and are making a difference every day.
What we are trying to do here is part of the revolution of change
that is positive and good for all Americans. Stay tuned further.
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