[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H10977-H10978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICA LOSES UNDER DOLE ECONOMIC PLAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have expressed my concerns several times 
in the House over the Republican cuts in their budgets in Medicare, 
Medicaid, education programs, environmental programs over the last 2 
years.
  But I am particularly concerned, and I wanted to express my concern 
tonight, that the Dole economic plan will have an even more negative 
impact on Medicare and Medicaid and some of these other programs than 
the Republican proposals that we have seen for the last 2 years. This 
includes the tools to fight crime effectively. I am very concerned 
about the fact that Mr. Dole's suggestions in terms of his economic 
plan will essentially cut money that is needed by our various States 
and municipalities to fight crime.
  If you look at Mr. Dole's record, he talks about how he is tough on 
crime, but he has failed in his numerous speeches to admit that he 
voted against putting 100,000 policemen on the street and has 
repeatedly tried to cut funding for this program that was established 
by President Clinton. His economic plan would mean ending this program 
when clearly the evidence indicates that crime has come down in our 
cities and our towns.
  In my New Jersey district alone, over $6 million has been spent on 
hiring policemen, about 110 additional policemen. The overall crime 
rate has dropped in the district since President Clinton took office. 
But Mr. Dole has threatened to kill the Violence Against Women Act 
which strengthened domestic violence laws, hired more prosecutors, and 
created a national domestic violence hotline.
  In addition, Dole voted against the Safe and Drug-free Schools Act 
which enables communities to implement violence and drug prevention 
programs. The Dole-Gingrich Congress initially tried to cut nearly $6 
million from New Jersey alone for this vital program.
  Mr. Dole may talk tough on crime, but his actions speak louder than 
his words. His economic plan will mean even more drastic cuts in the 
crime-fighting tools that have already brought the crime rate down.
  Bob Dole has been in Congress now, until he resigned recently, for 
about 35 years. President Clinton has been the President for about 4 
years. President Clinton and the Democrats passed a crime bill with 
teeth in it to put criminals behind bars, to increase the use of the 
death penalty, and create more jails. The Fraternal Order of Police has 
endorsed President Clinton, not Bob Dole.
  Mr. Speaker, I have to say that after the Republicans gained control 
of the House and the Senate for the first time in 40 years, I expected 
that there would be radical changes. But looking back over the last 2 
years, I could never have imagined the extremism that poured from 
Speaker Gingrich and former Senator Dole. Most important, I could never 
imagine the cuts and radical changes in Medicare that they have 
proposed.
  I know that my colleagues on the other side have talked about that, 
and so has Ms. DeLauro tonight, but the majority of Republicans in 
Congress opposed Medicare's initial enactment. That included staunch 
opposition from then Congressman Dole, who later recalled 30 years 
later, and I quote, ``I was there, fighting the fight, voting against 
Medicare, because we knew it wouldn't work in 1965.''
  The fact is, last year Speaker Gingrich said he wanted to see 
Medicare ``wither on the vine.'' Initial Republican proposals included 
increased Medicare part B premiums, additional copayments, increased 
deductibles, severe hospital reimbursement cuts, less services, 
elimination of doctor choice, and vouchers. Basically the Grand Old 
Party, or the GOP, wanted to get old people to pay for primarily a tax 
cut that would have benefited mostly rich people.

  The Democrats in Congress fought these radical proposals which we 
think would have ended Medicare as we know it. President Clinton stood 
up to Republican demands to slash Medicare in last year's budget 
battles. Speaker Gingrich and former Senator Dole were so intent on 
cutting Medicare that they held the Government hostage to their 
demands.
  If you think about the Government shutdown that we witnessed in 1995, 
seniors and workers were unable to

[[Page H10978]]

apply for Social Security or disability benefits, America's veterans 
were unable to file compensation pension and educational benefit claims 
or adjustments, and the 1-800 help line for Social Security actually 
went unanswered.
  The Democrats prevailed and Medicare was saved for now, but former 
Senator Dole, out of desperation in his Presidential ambitions, has 
proposed even larger tax cuts than he and Speaker Gingrich proposed 
last year.
  I support tax cuts, but not at the expense of Medicare. I am really 
concerned that when Dole says we can trust him not to dismantle 
Medicare, that his record during his long career in Congress 
essentially says otherwise.

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