Gerald Kleczka

8 years ago, the first ``Taxpayer Bill of Rights'' passed which created a more level playing field between citizens and the IRS with safeguards to protect taxpayers. The legislation gave taxpayers the right to sue the IRS for actions taken…

Americans will today witness firsthand an overt effort by the Republican leadership to sink a much-needed piece of legislation for the sake of preserving their cozy relationship with special-interests. A perfectly good insurance reform…

I direct the attention of the Members to page 90 of the authorization bill before us where we do authorize funds for various programs in the fossil fuel energy program. If the Members look down to the coal technology, up pops off the page…

a lot of talk has been had today on Medicare. Let me make two quick points. No. 1, there is a solvency problem of Part A, the hospital trust fund, and we are told to extend the solvency to the year 2006 it will take $90 billion. In about…

I would like to discuss several important issues surrounding H.R. 1555, the Communications Act of 1995. Today, the House is acting on a comprehensive telecommunications reform bill that some say is the most far-reaching legislation debated…

I agree with all the gentleman says. However his mark coming before the committee was a $59 million appropriations. If in fact he wanted more dollars in that line, why did not the committee from the git-go put in the $64 million or $84…

this is a sad day for this country . Today, the Republicans passed what should be called a ``Deficit Acceleration Bill'' under the guise of a tax cut bill. This measure will not receive my support because it is a Trojan Horse. It sounds…

Mr. Chairman, as I review the legislation before us, I at first blush thought it was an unfunded mandate bill on the States. But as I have listened to the debate and as I have studied the bill, I find that it is not only an unfunded…

Mr. Chairman, as I read H.R. 2, I discovered two serious flaws or two problems that I personally had with it. One was addressed in the previous amendment, and that is limiting the corporations or the individuals who are getting a tax break…

Let me echo the sentiments of my colleague who has just spoken. If we are going to start the exclusion game, we are going to be on this bill longer than the unfunded mandates game. I say to you right now, and I told you earlier in the…

I also support the rule and will be supporting line item veto authority for the President. I come from Wisconsin. It has been in our Constitution for years. Even though the current Governor is now abusing that power, I think it is one…

I take the floor this morning to expose a caper which will be unfolding later today. A couple days ago I and several of my colleagues went to the Committee on Rules to ask to be made in order a balanced budget amendment which would exempt…

over the past years I have supported various versions of the balanced budget amendment. However, I have not been willing to support just any version. After studying all of the proposals that will be coming up next week, I find them…

I rise in support of H.R. 4277 and urge my colleagues to do the same. I am particularly pleased to see that this bill addresses the Supplemental Security Income [SSI] Program, which is in dire need of reform. In recent months, SSI has been…

I am holding in my hand a copy of a story from the Milwaukee Journal, which describes in vivid detail the death and destructiveness of military-style assault weapons. The headline reads, ``Outgunned by the Bad Guys,'' and is a quote from…

this weekend, the Nation's media coverage was monopolized by pictures of Dan Jansen parading a victory lap with his 9-month-old daughter Jane, who is named for his late sister. This perfect moment was how it was meant to be. Last Friday's…

I would like to take a few moments to pay my respects to the late Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill. As a Member of the House who had the honor of being sworn in by Speaker O'Neill, I have always had a special fondness and respect for him, and it…