[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18893-18894]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                            WHO IS RECKLESS?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, from time to time the comments from this 
administration and the President of the United States lead me to the 
floor to comment. I think my colleagues and the American people saw the 
President of the United States calling the Republicans reckless. And I 
guess I am included in that, I am a Republican. We were called reckless 
for proposing a significant tax cut for the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I almost had to chuckle to hear the President of the 
United States call me reckless and the Republicans for offering a tax 
cut. It is almost hysterical when we think about it when the other side 
of the aisle for some 40 years had control of this body and under the 
Constitution of the United States we all know bills, financial bills 
start in the House of Representatives on the basis of a judgment made 
by our founding fathers. For 40 years, the recklessness of the other 
side nearly bankrupt this Nation.
  When I came into the House of Representatives in 1992, we were facing 
financial disaster. This was carried through with the reckless policy 
of this President who instituted one of the largest tax increases in 
American history a few months after his election. And again when he had 
complete majorities in the House, the Senate, and controlled the White 
House.
  What was reckless is 40 years of taking money out of Social Security. 
It is like robbing our senior citizens' pension accounts, their funds, 
and using it for outlandish spending. Spending really to buy votes and 
win elections in a giveaway program that backfired and nearly ran us 
into financial oblivion. That is reckless.
  Reckless when they robbed every trust fund, including the Federal 
employee's trust funds, when they robbed the highway trust funds, which 
this responsible new majority has restored. Is it reckless in fact when 
we guarantee 63 percent and we create a lock-box to secure revenues for 
the future stability and security of Social Security? That is 
responsible.
  Mr. Speaker, some people I guess just do not know the meaning of 
recklessness.
  Then to provide health insurance, there are 43 million Americans in 
this Nation that do not have health insurance. What is interesting is 
two-thirds

[[Page 18894]]

to three-quarters of them are employed. Our plan for financial 
assistance and tax cuts and tax credits will allow millions and 
millions of Americans who work at minimum or low wage or small 
employers who are the largest employers, and most of those people who 
do not have health insurance are not covered but they do work, we are 
providing in this tax relief package a responsible package. It is 
reckless in my opinion not to provide those working men and women with 
at least a minimal chance of getting some health coverage.
  So somehow we have a difficulty between determining what is reckless 
and what is responsible. I think what the Republicans, the majority and 
myself, have done is a responsible action. I think we have a history of 
a President and a party who has dealt in recklessness. I think the 
examples are clear and the financial statements speak for themselves.

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