[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 136]]

     TAKE UP UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF 1999 AND PREPARE FAMILIES AND 
                      COMMUNITIES FOR 21ST CENTURY

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, over the past 7 years, we have made 
significant progress in creating jobs, creating a budget surplus, and 
expanding opportunity. We now have the historic and unique opportunity 
to prepare for the future and to bolster American families.
  Let us strengthen Social Security and Medicare for future 
generations, including a prescription drug benefit for all Medicare 
beneficiaries.
  Let us provide tax cuts that eliminate the marriage penalty, help 
working and middle class families afford health care, child care, and a 
college education, enact HMO reform that puts medical decisions in the 
hands of the doctors and patients, and allows people to hold their HMOs 
accountable.
  Let us improve our schools, modernize our classrooms, reduce class 
size, and increase discipline and standards in our school. Let us pass 
gun safety reforms and keep guns out of the hands of kids and 
criminals.
  These are sensible proposals. They have bipartisan support. Let us 
take up the unfinished business of 1999, make good decisions for the 
long term, and prepare our families and our communities for the 21st 
Century.

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