[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H9999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SELFISH TO VOTE TO SLOW THE SIZE AND GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT

  (Mr. FOLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, the President says it is selfish to vote to 
slow the size and wasteful growth of government.
  Consider this: Have you looked at your phone bill lately with all the 
government fees? Have you looked at your cable bill and all of its 
government taxes and fees, your gas taxes when you fill up your car, 
your sales taxes on purchases, your property taxes on real estate, your 
State income taxes, your payroll taxes on earning, your excise taxes on 
beverages, your IRS taxes on income?
  Only in Washington can one say the Lord giveth and the Government 
taketh away. When Washington takes it from you, it is called 
compassionate. When you want your money back from Washington because it 
is wasting it, you are called selfish.
  Mr. Speaker, it is the American taxpayers' money, not ours, not 
Congress', not the White House's, the taxpayers'. It is not selfish to 
ask for fiscal discipline. It is not selfish to save for the future. It 
is not selfish to give more money to your children so that they can 
invest for their education. It is not selfish to ask government to 
restrain its wasteful spending patterns. It is time government 
recognizes that it is for the people, by the people, of the people, not 
for the President.

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