[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H9708-H9709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          GOOD HEALTH CARE IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO A SECURE NATION

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful that I am 
able to tell one of my constituents who called in yesterday to talk of 
a sick wife who lost her job that the Democrats have prevailed and we 
do have a good health care bill that will allow portability and not 
take into consideration preexisting condition.
  But I am saddened about my Republican colleagues, so dominated by the 
National Rifle Association, that after the TWA tragedy and the Atlanta 
tragedy we will not give law enforcement officers the right tools, such 
as tagants, to determine who planted the bomb? Why? Why? Because the 
NRA dominates this Republican Congress, because they believe in 
following their

[[Page H9709]]

leaders at the National Rifle Association.
  I am grateful that we may get good health care, but I am saddened 
that we will not have a secure Nation for all of our citizens. Why have 
we not had hearings on terrorism, domestic and international? Why? 
Because the Republicans have not set it on the agenda.
  I hope America will rise up and determine that we must have, yes, 
good health care for all of our citizens, but we must also have a safe, 
secure Nation. We must give law enforcement the tools to fight 
terrorism and hold hearings on terrorism in America.

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