[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PASS THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT
(Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, as a father of four children I certainly
share the concern that so many people have expressed about our
children. That is why I am hoping that many Members on that side will
join us in the passage of a balanced budget amendment.
As we know, yesterday, because of the New Jersey Senator, the
balanced budget appears to be dead in the U.S. Senate. But, as my
colleagues know, if we are going to balance the budget we have to have
that constraint. It is the same constraint my colleagues and I have in
our households; it is the constraints that parents have when they are
saying no to their children who want more of this and more of that.
Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Scarborough] mentioned
earlier that if we continue on the path we are on, our children will
have a tax rate of 89 percent just to maintain the present level of
goods and services in America.
While I know there are Members of the House who want a brand new
entitlement program, I think it is very important that we look at what
are we going to do for tomorrow's children. If we want to help the
children of tomorrow, we should not enslave them with an 80- or 90-
percent tax burden. Reach out to them and let them share in the
American dream so that they can go out and help another generation.
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