today, we have before us the very important Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. I say it is important because it would provide desperately needed disaster relief funds for those in my home state of North Carolina and others who have…

every American child has a right to a quality education. Yet our education system, as a whole, has been failing to deliver, particularly to minorities. For example, 63 percent of nonurban fourth graders can read at a basic level, while…

each week that we delay the passage of the Colombia aid package costs America the lives of 1,000 of its children. That means every day we sit here and do nothing about the drug trade from Colombia, 143 of our young people will die from…

let us face it, illegal drugs are killing our kids at an alarming rate. Every year we lose 52,000 young lives to drugs, nearly equal to the number of Americans killed in Vietnam over 10 years. According to the U.S. drug czar, one of every…

in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, the soothsayer warned Caesar to ``beware of the Ides of March.'' Caesar did not listen and Caesar perished. Today, on this Ides of March, I bring my colleagues fair warning. If we do not pass the…

While this package is far from perfect, it is essential that we pass it now. Failure to do so would send a signal to the drug cartels in Colombia that this Congress is not serious about helping Colombia fight the war on drugs. In fact…

there are those who compare providing aid to Colombia to providing aid to Vietnam. This is an expected but faulty comparison. Unlike Vietnam, the consequences for failure in Colombia will not be another fallen domino in a far-off land. It…

in a few weeks, the House will consider a supplemental appropriations bill that includes a much-needed comprehensive aid package to Colombia. The purpose of this package is to help that nation fight its war against the narcoterrorists that…

I am pleased that another popular tax relief proposal, the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act, is coming up for a vote today. First, let me point out that the debate over H.R. 5 should contain no rhetoric that this repeal of the Social…

it has been said that the time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining. Our economy is shining brightly, and it is time to fix much of the unfairness in our Tax Code. Right now our government unfairly punishes working seniors through…

I am pleased that a popular tax relief proposal, the so-called marriage tax penalty relief bill, is coming up for a vote today. Unlike President Clinton, I believe that we can achieve our budget and tax objectives simultaneously in this…

it is good to hear that the President is joining our tax relief debate. Just last year the President vetoed our marriage tax relief plan. This year he thinks our idea is so great he has come up with his own proposal. Unfortunately, his…

we all know President Clinton is coming to this Chamber tonight to deliver his last State of the Union address. As we all await with great anticipation what he will say and what he will propose, I would like to mention a few items I hope…

on Sunday, October 31, 1999, the first three of six of the long awaited Blackhawk helicopters crossed into Colombian airspace, returning from extensive training in the U.S. The choppers were later received by the Director General, the…

Congress will soon consider the issue of employer liability in the concern with healthcare. As a small business owner myself with 200 employees, the decision is simple. If faced with the slimmest possibility of being sued for voluntarily…

I would like to issue a challenge to my Democratic colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I would like for someone to explain to me whether it is your view that Republicans are extremists for wanting to limit spending and exercise…

some say that America lacks true heroes, and I disagree. Last Friday, I had the privilege to see a young man, a constituent of mine, Navy Ensign Dan Johnson receive the Navy/ Marine Corps medal for heroism. On August 23, Ensign Johnson, a…

a lot of people do not think there is much difference between Democrats and Republicans. But when it comes to taxes, it is hard to argue that point of view with a straight face. Republicans want to cut taxes. We do not say the government…

taxes today are simply too high. The average American pays $10,300 every year in taxes to all levels of government. That is more than the cost of food, shelter, and clothing combined. Yet President Clinton continues to reject tax relief…

no American can be forced to contribute to political causes or campaigns with which he or she disagrees except one group, members of labor unions. Our committee had a hearing and heard from members of the U.S. Airways union in Charlotte…

many Democrats have stated that tax cuts would be risky. Well, of course they would. They believe the average Americans, to quote the President, might not spend it right. Is this not the perfect expression of a liberal mindset? They really…

Mr. Chairman, I just want to get something off my chest. I just want to take a few minutes to air my opinion about our VA medical system. My older brother died in a veterans hospital 100 miles from his home. When a veteran is diagnosed…

if you take a look at this chart here, you will notice that the Republican budget proposal will reduce the debt held by the public by approximately $2 trillion. You will also notice that the Republican debt reduction proposal bears…

my subcommittee had several hearings with specialists in these fields. This is what the experts said. For example, Dr. Morton Kasden, a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Louisville, testified that ``There is a lack of…

Mr. Speaker, I also rise in strong support of H.R. 982. It is a very simple bill. It simply says that the National Academy of Sciences must complete its study on ergonomics and report to Congress before OSHA promulgates a proposed or final…