[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H9381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SHOULD FOCUS ON REAL ISSUES, NOT NEGATIVE 
                              CAMPAIGN ADS

  (Mr. SANDERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, at a time when this country has the lowest 
voter turnout of any major country and millions of Americans are giving 
up on the political process, it is imperative that the presidential 
candidates in this election focus their attention on the real issues 
facing the middle class and the working families and not devote their 
energy to negative 30-second television ads.

                              {time}  1030

  This country has some terribly serious problems, and the American 
people want to hear those problems discussed. For example, why does 
this Nation have the most unfair distribution of wealth and income of 
all industrialized nations on Earth? Why is the gap between the rich 
and the poor growing wider while the middle class continues to shrink?
  What do we do to reverse the trend by which real wages for working 
people continue to decline and today are 16 percent less than they were 
20 years ago with workers now working longer and longer hours just to 
provide for their families?
  What do we do about the reality that most of the new jobs that are 
being created are poverty level jobs? Let us talk about the real 
issues.

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