[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H1278-H1279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE STEAMROLLER OF SOCIALISM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I stand here today because 
Americans face a fork in the road. One path leads to socialism, and the 
other path leads to freedom. This non-stimulus bill is the road to 
socialism. It will give us a journey that includes bureaucratic 
controls, high taxes, government intervention, Cuba-style medicine, and 
economic collapse of America.
  This steamroller of socialism is being shoved down our throats, and 
it will strangle our economy. This porkulous bill has a few decent 
provisions in it, but it's mostly filled with mystery meat. Rancid 
meat. Like the millions for plug-in government cars and millions for 
mouse restoration that will ruin the entire meal. The captivating 
rhetoric about openness and transparency is providing cover for the 
rancid meat.
  Another tainted bite includes a move towards socialized medicine. As 
a physician, I'm deeply concerned about the breach of privacy and the 
abuse of care that is hidden in this stimulus bill, especially for 
senior citizens. The vague language could potentially deny life-giving 
care to the elderly.
  You see, $2 billion is allocated in this non-stimulus bill for the 
new National Coordinator of Health Information--or you can call him 
``Dr. Doom.'' Dr. Doom, the government's own human health care 
calculator, will make his or her own calculations to determine if your 
needed care is cost efficient.
  The vague nature of this language could lead to health care rationing 
for elderly people and handcuffing the development of life-saving drugs 
to fight infections all because Dr. Doom doesn't deem them to be cost 
efficient. When momma falls and breaks her hip, she will just lie in 
her bed in pain until she dies with pneumonia because her needed 
surgery is not cost efficient.
  I'm a medical doctor, and I'm certain that the Federal Government can 
no more determine what type of case is the most cost-effective and 
appropriate for my patients than they can determine how best to educate 
our children or spend our hard-earned tax dollars.
  This is what happens when Congress considers a bill that costs $1 
trillion. Convenient little billions just slip on in. You'd think $1 
trillion would at least buy time and public scrutiny. Not by this bill.
  It's true that our economy needs a significant jolt that requires 
immediate attention, but there is another direction we can go.
  Congress could come together promptly to create jobs, restore faith 
in markets, and again unleash America's entrepreneurial spirit. The 
American people have a choice. There's a better alternative that I've 
cosponsored to provide fast-acting tax relief for hardworking families 
and small businesses that will create twice the jobs at half the cost 
of this bill.
  We must give small businesses the capital they need to employ workers 
and to buy inventory. Congress should suspend or eliminate the capital 
gains tax to provide an inflow of tax into our economy. Next, we must 
eliminate the death tax so that family businesses can continue to 
thrive and produce high-paying jobs. And ultimately, let's support tax 
relief for our hardworking families and save future generations from 
this 784-pound gorilla that's in this room.
  Americans must choose in which direction we will go. It will be 
disastrous to let politicians make that decision for us. Are we going 
to have government run our families and our neighborhoods? Are we going 
to take care of ourselves and help our neighbors? Are we going to make 
decisions about our own lives, where our children go the school, make 
our own health care decisions, and how to spend our own hard-earned 
money; or is government going to do that for us?
  Liberals need to stop pretending that the American people can't tell 
the difference between SPAM and filet mignon. Instead of the wasteful 
mystery pork that this bill gives us, let's give the American taxpayers 
and entrepreneurs the red meat that they need to stimulate the American 
economy: permanent tax relief and job creation incentives.
  Madam Speaker, let me be clear. The people in Georgia are hurting. 
They want action, and they want it now. But nine out of ten of them 
oppose this bill. They want an alternative. We have alternatives that 
won't even be considered by leadership.

[[Page H1279]]

  Normally, I implore my colleagues to vote a certain way, but today I 
urge the American people to call, write, and e-mail and tell your U.S. 
senator and congressman to vote ``no'' on this rancid meat and demand 
alternatives be considered.
  Let's demand the road to freedom.

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