[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H12115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FAT SHOULD BE CUT FROM THE BLOATED WASHINGTON BUREAUCRACY

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a minute to set the record 
straight. While the Democrat leadership was out of town yesterday 
raising money, we were fighting for American families by strengthening 
education, our defense system, and protecting Social Security surplus.
  We have heard a lot of wild accusations being thrown around, and I 
guess the liberals think that if they throw enough mud, maybe some of 
it will stick. But we are protecting the Social Security surplus, and 
we voted to ensure that by taking a 1 percent across-the-board savings.
  Now, the liberals claim that our effort to trim waste and fraud and 
abuse in the Washington bureaucracy, and not threaten important 
programs, will somehow be overwhelming. But this plan will protect 
Social Security and restore fiscal responsibility in Washington. This 
is just a common-sense proposal that gives the Department and agency 
heads leeway to trim the waste, fraud, and abuse they find in their 
budgets. We are not mandating specific cuts, so if important programs 
get slashed and the administration suggests that it is the right thing 
to do, then because they have decided to do it, let it be.
  Mr. Speaker, we all know that fat should be cut from the bloated 
Washington bureaucracy, and we can protect Social Security and Medicare 
by making sure the savings do happen.

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