[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1865-E1866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 2378, TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND 
               GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MAX SANDLIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 1997

  Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a founding member of the 
Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. I rise as a father of four. I 
rise as a little league coach and a former county court at law judge. I 
rise today to say that I support every effort to protect our Nation's 
children and I support the motion to instruct by the Member from 
Maryland. As much as any Member on this floor, I support full funding 
for programs to safeguard, protect, and rescue our missing and 
exploited children. I cannot vote for the previous question because we 
should not vote on this motion to instruct conferees in its current 
form.
  I will vote against the previous question because these instructions 
are incomplete. This motion to instruct should include instructions to 
adopt the Senate position on the Member of Congress cost of living 
increase. The Republican leadership has precluded an up or down vote on 
the Member pay raise, and forced me to vote against the previous 
question to voice my opposition to the pay increase. I support the 
motion. I will vote against the previous question not for what is 
included in the motion, but for what is not included in the motion.
  The Member pay raise should be put to a straight vote with an honest, 
open debate. This Treasury/Postal appropriations bill was rushed 
through the floor with a rule that denied a vote on the pay raise. 
Members were denied the opportunity to cast a vote on the pay raise and 
denied a true forum to voice their opposition to the pay raise. The 
leadership of this House owe the people of America, the people we are 
here to serve, an honest debate and an honest vote on the pay raise.
  I did not come to Congress to cut spending only when I am not 
affected by the cut. The American people deserve as much as we can give 
them. The American people deserve a balanced budget. The American 
people deserve tax relief. The American people deserve the assurance 
that Social Security and Medicare will be there to serve them when they 
retire. The American people deserve the best education this country can 
offer them.
  If we are going to ask all American to sacrifice to balance the 
budget, we should expect

[[Page E1866]]

the same of ourselves. I wish I did not have to vote against the 
previous question simply to voice my opposition to the pay raise, but I 
do. The protection of our children is an issue that is near to my 
heart, but so is my commitment to the people of east Texas to balance 
the Federal budget. I oppose this motion to instruct in its current 
form only because it is incomplete.

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