Richard K. Armey: “Mr. Speaker, this is a day when this Congress has an opportunity to stand up and say, ``Mr. and Mrs. America, we know…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is a day when this Congress has an opportunity to stand up and say, ``Mr. and Mrs. America, we know who you are, we understand your goodness and we respect your decency. And, Mr. and Mrs. America, we know who we are. We are not the ones who govern you but, instead, we are those who represent you. In short, Mr. and Mrs. America, we are you. It is our job to know who you are, to understand your hopes and dreams, to share with you your hopes for this great Nation, and to care with you your hopes for your children.'' It is our job to appreciate all that this great Nation does to not only build itself into a great Nation but to support a great government that is determined to act on behalf of these great people. And today we do that with this bill. We start off by saying to all the working men and women of this country, ``We understand it is your money. You let us use your money on your behalf. We hope that we do with your money things that you understand must need be done and should be done, as a reflection of your compassion, your generosity, your sharing and your caring for your neighbors and for the greatness of your Nation.''”