Maurice Hinchey: “I just wanted to remind us all that it is interesting to have resolutions on the floor that recommend action by the…”

“I just wanted to remind us all that it is interesting to have resolutions on the floor that recommend action by the other body, but the important thing is for us to do our work here. I am a member of the Committee on Appropriations. We have eight of the 13 appropriations bills which have been dealt with by the committee, but which have not been put out here on the floor to be dealt with by the full body. Why is that? The main reason is because the leadership of this House has taken an approach to fiscal policy which is totally unreasonable and unrealistic. This is not anything new; it has been going on now for a couple of years. My Republican colleagues have taken us from a situation within the Federal budget of growing surpluses to now deepening deficits, and they do not know how to deal with it. They do not know how to solve the problem that they have created for the people of this country with growing deficits in the Federal budget. They cannot fund the necessary things that need to be done. In addition to that, there is a whole host of issues that are crying out for attention; most notably, a prescription drug program which will allow the senior citizens of this country to get the medication they need to restore themselves to health and to maintain their health. We have a good bill. If we want to talk about something the Senate has done, they have passed a good bill. Their bill provides for a prescription drug program as an entitlement under Medicare.”