Pete Stark

I close by suggesting that I am pleased that my colleagues will be supporting this motion to instruct on a bipartisan basis. Send a strong message to the Senate about our feelings. But I want to warn my colleagues about the future. Any…

Mr. Speaker, insofar as the Medicare provisions in this bill are concerned, it is a matter of record that we have had strong bipartisan cooperation and agreement in the House. My remarks today are designed to amplify the problems in the…

I want to say on behalf of myself and many of the committee's Democrats that we would like to commend the gentleman from California [Mr. Thomas], the full committee, and the Subcommittee on Health's staff director Chip Kahn for an open and…

I am voting against the spending provisions of the budget resolution today for several reasons. The Ways and Means Committee approved the Medicare title of the budget bill in a bipartisan manner. We were given a number--$115 billion--by…

Mr. Speaker, no one will stand on this floor today to defend China's arms trafficking to terrorist nations, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, America's enemies. But the apologists also say MFN is not a tool to stop illegal traffic and weapons of…

I just want to see if there is not one other myth. There has been a myth that we have a different policy for Cuba than we do for China. But I do not think that is true, because I think the President continues to deny medicine and food to…

The issues are, do you believe in human rights? And everybody does. But there are some who believe in making money more, and feeling that trade and money and campaign contributions from major corporations in this country are more important…

I suggest for those of us who live in such grandeur and have the most productive Nation in the world, why not risk? Why not risk ending slave labor? Why not? Because the other side will say that we cannot offend Boeing who wants to sell…

when Congress considered NAFTA, members of this committee received the unqualified assurance form Ambassador Kantor that U.S. environmental laws and standards would not be lowered if Congress approved the agreement. Well--here we…

Mr. Speaker, I could not begin to match the eloquence of the previous speakers on this side who would suggest to the American public that they are at grave risk of having their Constitution damaged by a capricious majority who would…

it would be difficult today to suggest that American families in general do not deserve tax relief, and those who pay taxes, mostly the middle and lower income working people, certainly feel that it is a burden and they are going to feel…

the bill before us states that assisted suicide, euthanasia, and mercy killing have been criminal offenses throughout the United States and under current law would be unlawful, and this, in other words, makes this bill totally unnecessary…

this appropriations bill includes two important first steps toward improving health care in America-- protection for mothers and newborn babies from being forced out of hospitals prematurely and better mental health insurance benefits. Yet…

It is a rather unique bill where all the Democratic conferees come out here, did not sign the bill, hold their nose, and they are going to support it. I know why that is. There are 24 provisions that really are troublesome in this bill and…

the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill is a modest improvement. The elephants mated and begat a mouse. It could have been a great bill, but, in effect, it snatched mediocrity from the jaws of greatness. It would have been a much greater bill if it had…

if the distinguished gentleman is referring to the MSA section of the bill, title III, subtitle (a), it is my understanding that Medicare beneficiaries are not permitted to open an MSA account. Is that the gentleman's intention?

If I voted against this resolution, would I not, in effect, be supporting the thousands of children that have died in China's orphanages, where girl orphans have been selected for dying rooms, where they are tied up and left to die from…

Each year the President must seek a waiver from Congress to allow China to have most-favored-nation [MFN] status. Each year, China gives me at least one new reason to oppose normalized trade with China. China consistently and flagrantly…

Mr. Speaker, the People's Republic of China routinely violates international trade laws, arms sales restrictions, human rights conventions. China continues to illegally export goods made by prison and child labor into the United States…

Mr. Speaker, China has enjoyed most-favored-nation trading status for many years. I have supported MFN for China for the past 3 years with the hope that the United States and China would both benefit from a cooperative relationship. In…

the gentleman from Alaska's point is well taken. The intent of the gentleman from California [Mr. Riggs] is unquestionably honorable in this. He is trying to help Mr. Hurwitz, there is no question about that, and that is his right as it is…

But then he found the gentleman from California [Mr. Riggs]. Aha. He did not have to bother with the Federal court and the $1.6 billion he stole from the savings and loans. He could just sneak a little amendment in here to get himself…

Mr. Speaker, the press reports indicate that Republicans have reached a deal among themselves and at long last, after 2 months, they want to appoint conferees, which I presume is for taking pictures and presenting us with a done deal. Not…

I cannot quite understand what it is here that he is asking us to do today. For instance, in his waivers he is asking to waive fair hearing rights. Can he explain to me what fair hearing rights he wants to waive? What fair hearing rights…

I am sorry, I trust the gentleman, but I would like to know. This is an area in which I have legislated for some time. What fair hearing rights is he waiving, for example? He is waiving, in item 17 in his bill, in the record, the gentleman…