[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1775]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   A $6.5 BILLION HOLE IN THE GROUND

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, do you know that the American taxpayers 
have spent to date $6.5 billion over the last 15 years?
  You may think this money was spent on new schools for our children, a 
better military or a down payment to save Social Security. Nope. Sorry.
  You may hope the money was spent to give tax cuts to hard working men 
and women of this country or it was spent on needy families to ensure 
people move from government reliance and to work with self respect. 
Sorry again.
  Mr. Speaker, this money was used for nothing more than to dig a hole 
in the ground, $6.5 billion dollars, and according to the GAO, the 
Department of Energy has spent more than $6.5 billion to dig a hole 
large enough to bury the nuclear industry's high level radioactive 
garbage. Even more perplexing is that they are over 12 years behind 
schedule trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
  Americans know that when you find yourself in a hole, the first rule 
is to put the shovel down and stop digging.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 45 and let this money be spent on 
programs that actually benefit this country.

                          ____________________