[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 55 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H2821-H2822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRESS IS SELLING ITS FISCAL SOUL

  (Mr. MINGE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, we have embarked on an era of political 
cronyism, plantation politics. This body recently passed a 
transportation bill that is $35 billion over budget. The bill did not 
pass on its merits but on the basis of 1,400 especially identified 
projects to garner the support of the Members of this body.

[[Page H2822]]

  What does this mean? We are selling our fiscal soul; we are returning 
to the era of deficit spending. Or are we going to use the projected 
budget surplus for new programs as opposed to deficit reduction or for 
tax cuts as opposed to deficit reduction? Are we going to handicap our 
ability to address the problems of the Social Security System; or are 
we going to gut programs for veterans, agriculture, education, health 
care, seniors and our Nation's defense?
  Mr. Speaker, we must not let the biggest pork barrel spending bill in 
the history of our Nation pass conference committee.

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