Lee Metcalf

The Public Record

Quotes by year · 1995–2000125 total · peak 2000 (37)

★ Featured Quote

October 24, 2000

tonight I address the House and the Nation for what is probably the last time. I am proud of the accomplishments during my tenure here. Welfare reform instantly comes to mind.…

— Lee Metcalf

Most widely reported

by number of sources

I am here today to address an issue of critical importance to many of our constituents. Over a year ago, my office was contacted by several veterans and others who were concerned about reports that the presence of antibodies for squalene had been discovered in blood samples of sick Gulf War veterans. How could squalene antibodies show up in the bodies of Gulf War veterans? Squalene is a component of adjuvant formulations used in some experimental vaccines but not in any licensed vaccines. It has not been licensed. An adjuvant is a toxic substance incorporated into a vaccine to accelerate, enhance or prolong specific immune responses. After my initial inquiries, I determined that it would be prudent to ask the GAO to conduct an investigation to determine the facts surrounding these disturbing reports. With over 100,000 of our Gulf War era veterans suffering, I believed it was imperative that we provide them with the truth regarding this issue. GAO's report, recently released to me, is very disturbing and raises an increased number of serious questions.2 sources1999govinfo.gov
I rise today to honor our Nation's teachers. I would like to thank them for their dedication and inspiration. I was a public school teacher for 30 years, so I understand the importance of a good education and the foundation it builds for our youth. American students, parents and teachers must maintain the highest level of quality in education. It gives the schools greater flexibility to keep those in school that have the greatest need. And with requiring the matching funds, it is a multiplier and brings more money to the table to help those students that need it the most. It indicates our high priority for the Pell grants and campus-based programs and the fact that we continue to want them to be the highest priority of higher education.2 sources1999govinfo.gov
On June 10, 1999, a liquid gasoline pipeline owned by the Olympic Pipeline Company ruptured and spilled over 200,000 gallons of gasoline at Whatcom Falls Park, a 241-acre park in my district in the city of Bellingham. Gasoline was carried into Whatcom Creek, where it reportedly filled the creek at depths of up to 10 feet. The spilled fuel was inadvertently ignited by two 10-year-old boys, Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas, who were playing with bottle rockets at the creek. The resulting fireball raced down the length of the creek for a mile and a half, killing King, Tsiorvas, and an 18-year-old fly fisherman named Liam Wood. Swaths as wide as 200 feet along the creek were burned within minutes. The explosion of June 10 caused millions of dollars in property damage and did immeasurable harm to the families and friends of Wade King, Stephen Tsiorvas, and Liam Wood. I have long held reservations about our system of pipeline safety regulations. In 1996, I voted against the pipeline deregulation bill because I felt it removed too many essential safeguards. Since the tragedy, I have redoubled my efforts to improve the regulatory climate.2 sources2000govinfo.gov
I do not have to remind this House about the fine work of our Border Patrol agents. They put their lives at risk every day to slow the flow of illegal drugs into this country and to keep our borders safe from dangerous aliens. Their work in helping to arrest a suspected terrorist near Port Angeles, Washington, in December was exemplary. We all appreciate their efforts. Due to the current inept management of the INS, however, the job of these officers is made much, much more difficult. Over the past two fiscal years, Congress has appropriated funds for the INS to hire 2,000 new Border Patrol agents. The agency has failed to hire anywhere near that number, and every new agent they have hired has been assigned to the southern border, even though our northern border also has problems. In fact, until recently, the INS had been detailing agents from our already shorthanded northwestern border to shore up its Border Patrol officers in Arizona. At one point, nearly 10 percent of the field agents in Washington State were assigned to the southern border. The INS has indefinitely postponed the details, but refuses to call a permanent halt to transfers to the southern border. This is not what Congress wanted. There were supposed to be more agents in Washington State, not less.2 sources2000govinfo.gov
we have no business in Kosovo. We have no overriding national interest there. We have heard much vaunted allegations of human rights violations leveled against the Serbian government. Unfortunately, once again, we come to find out that an administration determined to mire us in overseas turmoil has greatly exaggerated the situation to win over a skeptical public and stampede the Congress. In this case, we were told several months ago that as many as 100,000 Albanian Kosovars were brutally murdered. Now we are looking at a figure closer to 1,000. What of our continually expanded bombing that eventually included not only public transportation but medical facilities, nearly 100 schools, churches, and homes? What of the innocent deaths we inflicted with tax dollars of the citizens of the United States? What have we done here? What were the objectives of our President's most recent adventure? What are the results? We were told when we went into Kosovo that we went there to stop ethnic cleansing. It continues with a vengeance, this time with the acquiescence of our own forces. The KLA, not 2 years ago classified by our own State Department as a heroin-financed terrorist organization, soon to be vaunted by the Clinton administration as freedom fighters, now roams the countryside brutalizing innocents, not only Serbs but gypsies, Muslims, Slavs, and Albanians opposed to their thuggishness.2 sources2000govinfo.gov
the topic of my speech tonight is Federal Reserve monetary policy: Is Greenspan's Fed the world's Central Bank? Some years ago, William McDonough of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York stated the most important asset a central bank possesses is public confidence. He went on in that speech to note that, ``I am increasingly concerned that in a democracy a central bank can maintain price stability over the intermediate and long term only when it has public support for the necessary policies.'' Public confidence here can only mean the confidence of the Members of Congress in our oversight capacity. Most of the American public, to this very day, have not the least interest in, awareness of, or knowledge of the Federal Reserve System, our central bank. But most Members feel that Allan Sproul, another former president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, was quite correct in his letter, still quoted by Fed officials, that Fed independence does not mean independence from the government but independence within the government. In performing its major task, the administration of monetary policy, the Federal Reserve System is an agency of the Congress, set up in a special form to bear the responsibility for that particular task which constitutionally belongs to the legislative branch of government.'' Clearly, that form of argument appeals to most Members today.2 sources2000govinfo.gov

Oct 18, 2000

I rise today to share my outrage at our State Department's callous and thoughtless dismissal of the young men and women who died on the U.S.S. Cole. I will quote from an October 16 State Department memorandum telling Voice of America to…

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Oct 10, 2000

The greatest naval disaster for the United States during World War II was the sinking of the Arizona, when 1,077 were killed. The Arizona has properly been memorialized in the national consciousness. On November 26, 1943, there was a loss…

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Oct 5, 2000

I am certain that U.S. citizens would be furious if they realized that each person pays $100 each year to the Federal Reserve to rent the paper money we use. Why do we each pay $100 for the privilege of using Federal Reserve notes when we…

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Sep 26, 2000

I have spoken before on the absolute necessity of maintaining U.S. sovereignty in every area stated by our Constitution. We must be ever alert to threats to our sovereignty. That is our responsibility and it is the theme of my message…

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Sep 25, 2000

does anyone believe that it would be possible to reduce our national debt by $600 billion and reduce our annual interest payments by $6 billion with no harm to anyone nor to any program? That sounds too good to be true, does it not? But it…

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Sep 19, 2000

this Nation can reduce our national debt by $600 billion and reduce our annual interest payments by $30 billion with no harm to anyone nor to any program. That sounds too good to be true, but it is true. Most people have little knowledge…

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Sep 18, 2000

the President warns of the potential of a new age of civil wars. He is one of the progressive new center-left academics turned leader and a proponent of the view that he and his family of progressive thinkers can find the cause of wars and…

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Sep 14, 2000

I would like to speak on the topic, Interested in the Interest that Americans Pay for Their Own Currency, and I hope we are. I think we should be. The interest owed on our national debt to the Federal Reserve System is a disgrace. One day…

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Sep 12, 2000

the greatest naval disaster in the United States during World War II was the sinking of the USS Arizona. 1,177 were killed. The Arizona has been memorialized in the national consciousness. On November 26, 1943, however, a loss of American…

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Sep 7, 2000

I am going to speak on does wage inflation cause price inflation? That is a question that few have asked, even at the Federal Reserve Systems' Board of Governors. Though wage inflation is presently utilized to aid in determining whether…

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Sep 7, 2000

the death tax is confiscatory taxation at its very worst. Many family farms and small businesses do not have the cash flow necessary to pay the inheritance tax. Many family farms and small businesses must go out of business and use the…

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Jul 26, 2000

the Makah Indian Tribe in Washington State has been granted special permission by the Clinton-Gore administration to kill four gray whales each year. They have already killed one whale and injured at least one. By the way, for every whale…

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Jul 18, 2000

the topic of my speech tonight is Federal Reserve monetary policy: Is Greenspan's Fed the world's Central Bank? Some years ago, William McDonough of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York stated the most important asset a central bank…

govinfo.gov

Jul 18, 2000

does one believe it would be possible to reduce our national debt by $500 billion and to reduce our annual interest payments by $25 billion, with no harm to anyone, nor to any program? Sounds too good to be true but it is possible, and it…

govinfo.gov

Jun 29, 2000

in March 1999, following an investigation into reports that researchers at Tulane Medical School had developed a test that demonstrated a direct correlation between Gulf War illnesses and antibodies to squalene, the GAO recommended that…

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Jun 29, 2000

I rise in support of Mr. Kucinich's efforts to secure funding for more study on the allergenic effects of genetically modified foods. I believe that bioengineered foods hold the potential for great benefit to the consumer. However, studies…

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Jun 21, 2000

the U.S. membership in WTO violates our Constitution. Article I, section 8, clause 3 of the Constitution delegates to Congress the sole authority to ``regulate commerce with foreign nations.'' Our membership in WTO transfers authority to…

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Jun 19, 2000

during 1969, C. P. Kendleberger wrote that the Nation's State is just about through as an economic unit. He added that the U.S. Congress and right-wing-know-nothings in all countries were unaware of this. He added the world is too small…

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May 24, 2000

in February this year, China's army threatened long-distance missile strikes against the U.S. Later that month, its defense minister threatened to attack U.S. aircraft carriers if they came near the Taiwan Strait. In April, the Chinese…

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May 8, 2000

on March 6, the United States Supreme Court invalidated Washington State's standards for oil tankers entering their waters. That is, it invalidated Washington State's effort to control the tankers in their waters and, in doing so…

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May 4, 2000

during 1969, C.P. Kindleberger wrote that the ``nation-state is just about through as an economic unit.'' He added that the U.S. Congress and right-wing-know-nothings in all countries were unaware of this. He added, ``The world is too…

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Apr 12, 2000

2 days ago a mighty 35-foot long gray whale washed up on the beach in front of my home on Whidbey Island in Washington State. As a vociferous opponent of killing whales or the expansion of whaling worldwide, and as a lifelong advocate for…

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Apr 10, 2000

I firmly believe that any participation in multilateral organizations that in any way affects the independence and sovereignty of these United States is wrong and should be discontinued. Unfortunately, it has become obvious that the WTO…

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Apr 5, 2000

most Americans possess little knowledge of or experience with the subject of presidential directives. Indeed, even those familiar with executive orders and proclamations may not understand the full impact of these directives on Federal…

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