[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 103 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1997

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                               speech of

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 11, 1996

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3755) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and related agencies, for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1997, and for other purposes:

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my strong support for 
the amendment offered by the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning].
  As you know, a recent General Accounting Office [GAO] report brought 
to our attention the recent surge in taxpayer-financed spending for 
union activities at the Social Security Administration. Mr. Speaker, I 
strongly believe we need to protect the Social Security trust funds to 
ensure the security of the benefits that our seniors deserve.
  I do not challenge the right of Social Security Administration 
employees to have representation--but I do challenge the fact that 
money from the Social Security trust funds, which is collected from the 
payroll taxes of millions of hard-working Americans, is being used to 
finance greatly expanded union activity over the past few years.
  Let's insure the integrity of the Social Security trust funds and put 
an end to this abuse of taxpayer dollars. I urge my colleagues to 
support the Bunning amendment.

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