[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 75 (Thursday, June 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PLAY NOW, PAY LATER

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of the Members in this body 
remember that old saying, ``Play now and you can pay later.'' It seem 
that the antics of the Clinton Commerce Department have made it clear 
that their motto is, ``Let's play now and we will all pay later.''
  One would think that even the most naive administrative appointee 
would understand the law of cause and effect and unintended 
consequences. Take, for example, Japan when it sold $40 million worth 
of high-tech machine tools to Russia to help them develop quieter 
submarines. That innocent sale cost the U.S. Navy billions of dollars 
to compensate for losing their advantage in anti-submarine warfare.
  Now the Clinton administration has sold the Communist Chinese 
advanced tool machinery for a measly $5 million. Lo and behold, those 
tools immediately turned up in a Chinese factory where anti-ship cruise 
missiles are built.
  Who knows what that little snafu will cost us in years to come? We 
can bet that it will not be cheap. What is next? Stealth technology?
  American technology has given our military the very best. Let us stop 
this ``play now, pay later'' attitude.

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