Sam Gibbons: “Halloween is right around the corner, conjuring up all kinds of scary stories. Soon I will gather my children around me…”

“Halloween is right around the corner, conjuring up all kinds of scary stories. Soon I will gather my children around me and tell them just what they might expect from Congress. Now, I am not talking about candy, trinkets or toys. What I am talking about is bringing home a commitment to a balanced Federal budget, real education reform, meaningful tax cuts, a strong military force and a real commitment to saving Social Security. There is one problem. My liberal colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rather have me tell them the story of the headless horseman or a bloated bureaucracy, a hollow military force and more tax increases. Mr. Speaker, no one wants to go home with the liberals' view of Congress. Rather, we all want to go home with some great news for America's schoolchildren, for America's hardworking families, for the men and women who serve in our nation's armed forces, news that we are working for them, not some fat-cat bureaucrat here in Washington. To my liberal colleagues, I say this: Let us put an end to wasteful bureaucratic spending. Help us send Federal education dollars directly to the schools and to the classrooms for the benefit of educating children. Help us give back hard-earned tax dollars to America's hardworking families. Help us make the strength of our nation and our national defense a priority again. Trick or treat, Mr. Speaker.”