[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 12, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REPUBLICANS BALANCE THE BUDGET FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE

  (Mr. RIGGS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. RIGGS. Mr. Speaker, to listen to the rhetoric from some of my 
good Democratic friends and colleagues this morning, one would think 
that they were prepared to vote for less spending and lower deficits, 
when nothing could be further from the truth. We are going to get a 
budget agreement, and let me tell my colleagues why. The budget 
agreement that we have reached between House and Senate Republicans 
achieves a $5 billion Federal budget surplus in the year 2002. It calls 
for reforming Medicaid and welfare, saving Medicare from bankruptcy and 
providing middle-class families much needed tax relief. It reforms 
Medicaid and welfare by giving more power and more revenue to the 
States in line with the recommendations, the bipartisan 
recommendations, of the Nation's Governors. It preserves and protects 
Medicare for our Nation's elderly, a goal which is even more important 
because of the report last week from the Medicare trustees which says 
Medicare is going broke earlier than expected; in fact, their worst-
case scenario is that Medicare could be broke in 1999, just 3 years 
from now. And it calls for permanent tax relief for American families 
through a $500-per-child tax credit that is $1,000 for a family of 
four.
   Mr. Speaker, it is a good budget, and it balances the budget for the 
sake of our children's future.

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