We are in a period of sacrifice. We will have to cut back on Federal spending. We are asking people to accept that reality. But think about some of the people affected by this debate. Some of the people literally dependent on Medicare and…

during the course of the next 24 to 48 hours there will be an extensive debate on the floor of this House of Representatives about a tax cut bill. Talk about a politician's dream, to stand up in front of the American people and say…

Let me tell the gentlewoman she has hit the nail on the head. The reason why there is a rush is the folks making over a hundred grand a year are going to need $2,465 in tax breaks under the Gingrich Republican bill, and the folks over 200…

Let me reclaim my time. The gentleman has said repeatedly this is an earmark, this is pork. In fact it is not. It is the result of a competitive solicitation by the Department of Energy. It is not in my district but it is in my State and…

I think the gentleman's information is incorrect. It is a $21 million project. We have put in $12 million. It will take roughly $9 million to finish. Twenty percent is being provided by the State of Illinois and by private sources. I am…

We are talking about education dollars, money that should be going for safe and drug-free schools. Instead, they would cut the program to give tax breaks to wealthy people. What else do they do with their tax cut plan? They end up saying…

this amendment is part of the Republican campaign for the dumbing down of America. First, they killed the fairness doctrine so Americans no longer hear both sides of an issue. Then the Republicans invested heavily in right wing radio and…

I would like to at least clarify a few facts here. Could I have the attention of the gentleman from California. Is the gentleman from California aware of the fact that this project was the result of a competitive solicitation by the…

I believe it is $21 million. I would like to ask the gentleman, does he know how much the Federal Government has already put into this project before this year?

I wish some of my Republican colleagues who have proposed these cuts in programs might have accompanied me on my trip through Illinois. My first stop was at a convention in Chicago sponsored by the Illinois Education Association, one of…

Mr. Chairman, the position taken by the Republicans in opposition to the Conyers amendment is going to give free trade a bad name. If foreign corporations want to sell their products to Americans in America, they should be subject to our…

I do not profess to be an expert on any subject. But I come to this debate with some experience. Prior of my election to Congress, I spent 10 years practicing law, specializing in medical malpractice. I defended doctors, and I brought suit…

the gentleman has given the most classic conservative argument I have ever heard. He is asking for us to protect our rights as individuals against forces that otherwise would prevail, whether they are the power of government or the power…

The gentleman responded relating to frivolous lawsuits. But back to my original question: What is the gentleman's experience on the percentage of cases presently filed, civil cases that are settled before they go to trial? What has been…

I want to tell my colleagues this a very dangerous concept that we are pushing in this bill. ... What we are talking about here is as fundamental as our Constitution, the basic rights of individuals, the rights of victims if you will, to…

This bill envisions the possibility that NATO will be expanded in the future. The North American Treaty Organization, which has been the bedrock of democracy in Europe since World War II, has been a major factor in American foreign policy…

there is a lot of debate in Washington about the role of the Federal Government. You hear a lot said about Federal agencies and what they do. Let me tell you a little story about one Federal agency. Two weeks ago this agency got a phone…

I would like to join the effort of my colleagues in discussing H.R. 728, which will be considered by this House of Representatives today and tomorrow. There are three issues before us: police, prevention, and pork. On the police side, we…

I favor the death penalty, he opposes it, but I still believe he offers a valuable amendment. If Members believe in the bedrock of the American judicial system, it is trial by jury. It is a decision by America's citizens as to the guilt or…

Mr. speaker, now this is the Republican Party you remember. The Republican Party and Speaker Gingrich oppose raising the minimum wage so hard-working Americans can earn a decent living. The same Republican Party which reveres family…

The Republican Contract on America is a budget buster. Yesterday our Joint Tax Committee came up with an estimate of what it will cost the Treasury for the Republican tax cut package: a little less than $200 billion in the first 2 years…

I strongly favor PAC's because they tie candidates' promises to their performances by keeping records more effectively than do individuals. By linking their contributions to performance in areas of interest to the contributors, the PAC…

I think we all know that when it comes to television ratings, the Simpson trial is going to get a lot more viewers than the proceedings of the House of Representatives, but I hope that America will tune in today to this debate on the…

stay tuned America for the battle of the contracts today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. In one corner the Republican contract, which will bring us today the balanced budget amendment. And what is included in the…

I returned to my district in Springfield, IL this weekend as I do virtually every weekend, and it was interesting that some of my friends when I came across them at a party on Saturday night said, ``What in the world was going on in the…