[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10993-H10994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE SURPLUS CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EWING. Mr. Speaker, it is the nature of politics that we never 
get everything we want. But when American people support the general 
direction in which we are going, small victories do become possible.

[[Page H10994]]

  I think today's agreement between Congress and the White House on the 
remaining spending bills represents a victory for those seeking to take 
this country in a direction of smaller government, holding the line on 
spending, local control of education, tax relief, a stronger military, 
and more weapons for the war on drugs.
  After many months of difficult negotiations, an agreement has been 
reached that reflects the priorities of this Republican-controlled 
Congress. This Congress, I think, can properly be called ``The Surplus 
Congress.'' I think there is great pride in that nomenclature that this 
is ``The Surplus Congress.''
  Just a short time ago, Congress was faced with $200 billion a year 
deficits for as far as the eye can see. Now we have the responsibility, 
yes, and the duty to manage the surplus which we see in the future. 
What a great difference in how much more fun and interesting it is to 
talk about managing the surplus and what we are going to do with that 
surplus.
  Number one, of course we are going to preserve and strengthen Social 
Security and Medicare. The process that we are going through right here 
in October of 1998 shows the need for the dedication of this Congress 
to do that, because we are at what we hope is the final hour of the 
negotiations of the spending for the next year.
  Had the Republicans not be in control of Congress, there would have 
been a lot less surplus to be allocated to preserving Social Security 
and Medicare. In fact, had we given in to all the requests for 
spending, we would not have had to have a debate on surplus, because it 
would have all been spent.
  But in this agreement that we hope will come before this body and the 
other body in the next day or two, we have some really great victories.
  I want to talk a minute about education. Education is important in 
every district in America. In the last 2 years, I have taken the 
opportunity to go around and talk with my teachers. I did not just talk 
to the superintendent. I talked with the teachers from the classroom.
  I asked them about some of the issues we were debating out here. I 
want to tell my colleagues that I was surprised at some of their 
answers.
  I thought, for instance, that the teachers would be for more testing. 
No way. They explained to me very simply how many different tests they 
had to do for the school district and for the State. Then they said, if 
we have more testing at the national level, it really interferes with 
what they are trying to accomplish in the classroom. It made very good 
sense to me. Certainly, it brought me back here with a renewed vigor to 
oppose more national testing.
  How many times do we count the eggs? We do not have to do it 15 
different ways to come up with the same answer. We need some testing. 
We do not need national mandated testing. I am really glad to see that 
that is not going to be part of next year's spending priorities.
  Dollars to the Classroom, absolutely what we need. Let us get the 
money out there where the work is being done. The program that we 
passed in this House and what I think the budget will carry forth is 
going to put money in the classrooms of the schools around this 
country.
  There was a desire to say we are going to put 1,000 new teachers; but 
when I talked to teachers, they said, well, you know, some classes can 
have 22. Some need to be at 18 or less. Give the local schools the 
decision making which they can do best. That is in this program.
  We will be visiting with more of those things. I am pleased to be 
here to talk about our educational priorities.

{time}  1830

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