JOHN LINDER: “I rise in opposition to the Waxman amendment because it creates a hurdle in this legislation that need not be. He argues…”

“I rise in opposition to the Waxman amendment because it creates a hurdle in this legislation that need not be. He argues that when benefits arise from an action of Congress it does not have the same debate as the cost, and that is simply just not a fair or honest argument, simply because nobody brings a bill to the floor for benefits without making that the base of the entire bill. The basis of the entire bill for bringing benefits to our constituents or the consumer is the basis of the argument and the debate. All we are saying in this bill is if that benefit one wants to give to the consumers or to the constituents in their district imposes costs on the private sector, that we are unwilling to tax our constituents to pay, that ought to be subject to a point of order for debate. That is all, subjected to a point of order for debate. We are interested, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) said, in putting hurdles in the way of imposing costs on the private sector; hurdles, not roadblocks, not stoppages but hurdles.”