[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SAY ``NO'' TO PAYOFFS FOR LAYOFFS

  (Mr. SANDERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, in a time when this Congress is proposing 
huge cuts in Medicare, and Medicaid, and education, environmental 
protection, veterans programs, it is absolutely insane that we continue 
to provide $125 billion a year in corporate welfare, tax breaks and 
subsidies which go to some of the largest, the most profitable 
corporations in America, and that is why I am delighted that last month 
legislation which I offered with the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. 
Smith] passed this body and would take a major bite out of one of the 
most outrageous examples of corporate welfare, and that is the billions 
of dollars in Pentagon subsidies which taxpayers are providing to huge 
defense contractors, subsidies which, if my colleagues can believe it, 
are providing incentives to merge their companies and in the process 
lay off tens of thousands of American workers.
  Yes, that is what we are doing: Taxpayer subsidies are going for 
payoffs for layoffs, to lay off tens of thousands of American workers.
  Mr. Speaker, while this important legislation passed the House 
unfortunately it did not pass the Senate, and it will be going to 
conference committee. My hope is that this body will urge our conferees 
to say no to payoffs, for layoffs.

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