[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  2002 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FURTHER RECOVERY FROM AND 
           RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES

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                               speech of

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4775) making 
     supplemental appropriations for further recovery from and 
     response to terrorist attacks on the United States for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other 
     purposes!

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Chairman, all members of Congress were ready to debate 
and pass a supplemental budget in support of the war effort, and for 
other emergencies. We have been shocked by the addition of a section 
which raises the national debt ceiling by 750 billion dollars. This 
giant expenditure without debate is designed to protect the massive 
Republican tax cut for the rich. This legislation represents a gross 
abuse of power.
  Mr. Chairman, this gross abuse of power must be challenged. The 
Republican juggernaut is out of control and they must be exposed in the 
eyes of the American people. Through an undemocratic, autocratic 
process under the camouflage of parliamentary tricks, the Republicans 
are staging an economic coup using a tax cut to permanently place the 
rewards of our economy in the hands of the corporate elite. The 
supplemental budget process is being abused to protect and enshrine the 
tax cut for the rich. It is a clear statement that the Republicans 
claim the nation's resources for the benefit of the rich alone.
  Republicans are declaring, that the constitutional infrastructure 
established by the founding fathers and nurtured by succeeding 
generations belongs only to the rich elite. The Republicans are seizing 
for themselves alone all of the wealth that flows from American 
scientific and technological achievement; from military research and 
testing; from grants for domestic research. All the wounds and 
battlefield deaths of American heroes in all the wars are now deemed to 
be for the sake of only the rich. A massive tax cut for the rich 
accomplishes the clear purpose of leaving the treasury emptied of all 
funds that might be used for the benefit of the poorer ninety percent 
of the population. The Republican action makes more than 200 years of 
struggle for a more perfect union only for the comfort of the rich. By 
their actions related to the supplemental budget the Republicans 
confiscate America the Beautiful as America for the rich and powerful. 
Will these same rich and powerful recipients of the tax cut volunteer 
for the front lines if the war against terrorism is prolonged and a 
draft becomes necessary? Will those who have the most to lose step 
forward or will the draft again be a vehicle which forces the sons of 
working families to die to preserve the comforts of the rich? The 
public must be fully made to understand the cynical, selfish, cold 
blooded posture of Republican policy. Republicans never voted for 
social security, medicare or medicaid. Republicans refuse to raise the 
minimum wage. Currently, as well as in the past, Republicans do not 
hide their plot to strip the Federal government of programs that 
benefit working families and the unfortunate poor. More than a decade 
ago David Stockman wrote a book outlining the plot that Ronald Reagan 
could not quite complete. With this stealth effort to raise the debt 
ceiling without debate, the scheme to kidnap the Treasury is given new 
life. Despite the extra expenditures for the war against terrorism, 
there would be no necessity to increase the debt ceiling by 750 billion 
dollars if the Republican tax cut for the rich had not been rammed 
through in the first year of this session of Congress. Every Democrat 
has a duty to sound the trumpet and spread the word that an economic 
takeover, a fiscal coup is underway that will rob our Nation and make 
it impossible to provide a prescription drug, benefit; increased funds 
for education and school construction; and adequate day care and 
children's programs. Every voter must understand that this defiant 
Democratic initiated debate on the eve of Memorial Day is a landmark 
battle for the people against the selfish few.

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