On the recordJanuary 25, 1994
and Members of the House, as the American people prepare to watch the State of the Union Address this evening, we ought to warn them of gifts bearing leaks. Many, many people view the health care proposal of the President as a gigantic gift, yet more and more is being leaked out about how that really affects the American people. Who will pay for it? How will it be paid? What new massive taxes will have to be proposed? Will there be a retention of the private doctor/ patient relationship? Will there be rationing of health care? Will hospitals be able to perform the surgical remedies that are required? What in the world will this gift really bear for the American people? Some will view the crime proposal as a gift to the American people, the gift of security. Yet if history repeats itself, the President's colleagues and the important committees in the House and in the Senate will wreak havoc with any crime bill and tilt the whole thing toward the criminal. We have been trying for a generation to be tougher on criminals, yet our opponents on the other side of the aisle make it easier for criminals. What kind of a gift of security would that be?
