[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21421]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      NO RETURN TO ANNUAL DEFICITS

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, just before Congress recessed for 
the August break, the majority Republicans passed the so-called 
Financial Freedom Act. I think a more appropriate name for the GOP tax 
plan should be ``A Return to the Massive Annual Debt,'' or maybe ``The 
Medicare Elimination Act.''
  I think the size of the GOP bill highlights the willingness to 
neglect the financial security of our Nation. Both Democrats and 
Republicans want tax cuts. The difference between the two parties is 
the Democrats want to make sure we save social security and modernize 
Medicare, including a prescription benefit for our senior citizens, at 
the same time trying to buy down our national debt, and, to follow my 
colleague, the gentleman from California, to make sure we modernize our 
military without adding to the national debt.
  The Republican plan is a financial irresponsible scheme which would 
lead to higher taxes in the future, slow down our economy, and force 
huge deficits and massive tax increases on our children and 
grandchildren.
  The American people know that the failure to address these issues 
today will only make the problems greater for the future. Whether we 
are talking about Medicare, social security, defense, let us not add to 
our national debt.

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