as we draw this 104th Congress to a close, I think it is appropriate to remember where we were 2 years ago, before Republicans became a majority in this House. The Democrats were not talking about a balanced budget. In fact, the…

This bill will give some kids a chance to learn how to farm the old-fashioned way: through hard work and sweat. They will work hard, planting their crops, watering them, guarding them against the many threats faced by all farmers--the…

I would just say, Jim, it is true that American workers are currently the most productive in the world, but we cannot continue that kind of efficiency and productivity because the other countries are increasing their rate of productivity…

Just to expand a little bit on why balancing the budget is important with this whole tax reduction to motivate economic and job expansion, if we can balance the budget at the same time, that means that the demand for borrowing money from…

I think one example is the taxes that we put on businesses that buy new equipment and machinery to put better tools in the hands of the American work force. So, we call it neutral cost recovery. But the fact is that Government, this…

It is so frustrating listening to the debate, pretending that Congress can somehow create more wealth by passing a law saying you increase wages. Do we think $5.15 an hour is that great of an income? Do we think that is the correct rate…

today, this Congress can pass much needed campaign finance reform. While this legislation doesn't go as far as I think it should, it's a positive step in the right direction. I have supported campaign finance reform for a long time. I've…

Many Members of this body who come to Congress come with the goal of saving taxpayers money, being frugal with their own office spending accounts as is possible. Since entering Congress, many of us try to save for the taxpayers and keep…

Mr. Chairman, it is not a giant step in the way we are changing business in the United States Congress. Maybe it could be akin to the baby step forward. But still, if every Member of Congress knows how much they are spending for the carts…

I think everybody in this Chamber agrees we should not carelessly cause the extinction of animal or plant species. Unfortunately, this amendment, our current policy, makes it harder to save endangered species. I think it is important to…

It makes me think, after listening to much of the discussion of what we should do, of the Nike running shoe ad that says, ``Just do it''. We hear a lot of rhetoric about the fact that we should cut down on some of the wasteful spending. I…

when I am back in Michigan in our 7th Congressional District, around Battle Creek and Jackson and Hillsdale and Adrian, not a day goes by but a young mother or a young father comes up to me and says, you know, we are working very hard and…

A lot of Americans know talk is cheap with a lot of politicians. I think it is good that we review what has actually happened in the last couple of years. Two years ago, nobody on the other side of the aisle was talking about the need for…

usually I am sort of a calm, old farmer from Michigan, and I take the ups and downs and the comments of what people say pretty casually. This afternoon, though, I was quite upset when I heard Secretary Rubin and Secretary Shalala and the…

This Republican budget is the best one of the whole bunch that we have got, certainly much better.

And it is sad. We talk about a $5 trillion national debt, but we have spent $5 trillion on the welfare program since they started in 1965, and we have been successful in transferring wealth, but in the process somehow we have taken away…

It seems to me we need to remind ourselves what made the United States of America so great, and that was the concept that the people that worked hard, that really tried, that invested, that took chances, that got up every morning when they…

That used to be true. Now, we have passed what is called the Fair Agricultural Act that does away with all of those subsidies. Over the next 7, or 6 years now, it phases out all of those Federal farm program subsidies, so the Federal…

There are so many loopholes and so many corporate tax breaks that probably should not be there that it justifies a whole new look at our tax system.

And if a person wants to stay in exactly the same program they are in, they can do that.

You know, somebody asked me last Thursday, look, we do not smoke. Why should we pay more of our taxes, more of our premiums for Medicare to cover the people that do not take care of their own health, that smoke, that do otherwise? My…

it is hard not to be aggressive when talking about this issue. Even today I heard a Member of the more liberal party suggest that look at how deficits have come down. Look how they came down in 1995. Look how they came down in 1996. Of…

You know, I think that that kind of attitude, that kind of solicitation to take advantage of senior citizens to try to make more money for whoever, is washed up, because I think most senior citizens, as they decide what they want to leave…

I mentioned earlier that Social Security has got very serious problems and that actuary debt or unfunded liability amounts to about $4.5 trillion. But in Medicare, it is even more serious than that. So the promises that past Congresses…

In fact, most States have the requirement of a balanced budget. So it is a shame that the United States that is overspending so much and that taxes so much does not have the same kind of legal obligation. I guess the gentleman from…