Saxby Chambliss

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, integrity, respect, and character have always been the centerpiece of the long and magnificent tradition of the United States Marine Corps. I cannot begin to praise our United States Marines for their reliability and devotion to our country and its history. But I would like to pay tribute today to a great American and friend who has served his country since he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1964. General Charles C. Krulak stepped down from his position as the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps last month. General Krulak, who served his country for 35 years, leaves the Marines with countless honors. While serving two tours of duty in Vietnam, commanding during the Gulf War, and serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Krulak earned numerous decorations and medals including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star Medal; Combat Action Ribbon; Vietnam Service Medal; and the Purple Heart. However, these well deserved honors simply amplify the values of duty, honor, and country which General Krulak exemplified. His honest and candid assessments were always welcome and our military is a stronger force and America is better nation because of him. I want to say thank you to this great man who has done so much for our country. His service to the United States will be missed, but not forgotten. I am sure our Marine Corps will continue to pursue and practice the lofty values that General Krulak instilled in America's troops. I would like to thank General Krulak and wish him the best of luck for the future

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Moreover, Mr. Chairman, can the gentleman from Virginia verify if a peanut allergy study has been conducted by the Department of Transportation as specified in the 1999 omnibus bill? Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf).

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I do so for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf). Mr. Chairman, I understand that the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) is concerned, as we all are, with the effects of peanut allergies on individuals who fly on our Nation's airlines, as well as for other reasons. As the gentleman knows, included in the 1999 Omnibus Appropriations bill was language to ban the Department of Transportation from implementing peanut-free buffer zones on airlines without the Department first conducting a study on peanut allergies. In fact, in Fiscal Year 2000's Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill, $300,000 was earmarked for the peanut industry to conduct research to find a vaccination for peanut allergies and eliminate the allergy that is contained in the peanut. I ask the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf), is it true that the language included in the omnibus bill was a change to permanent law and does not need to be addressed again this year? Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf).

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) for his clarification in this matter and the leadership that he provides for this committee.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia for recently winning the National Junior College Athletic Association's men's tennis title. The Stallions had previously won the title in 1984, and have once again proven to be the best Junior College tennis team in the nation. Both national titles were won with the Stallions under the direction of Coach Norman ``Red'' Hill. This year's title is especially sweet, as Coach Hill retired after thirty-four years of dedication to ABAC, and to its students. Red Hill began his career at ABAC in 1965. During the past thirty- four years, Coach Hill has built a nationally recognized, well- respected program. Having recruited some 300 students from around the world to play tennis at ABAC, Coach Hill was much more than a coach. Sure, he was building a nationally recognized program, but he was also instilling character, integrity, and hard work in those whose lives he influenced. Coach Hill has won more men's college tennis matches than any other coach in America. He led ABAC teams to national tournaments thirty-four consecutive times, won twenty-nine regional championships, has been ranked in the top five national rankings for the past five years, and has won two national championships. Red became the fourth person in 1993 to be inducted into the NJCAA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame awarded Coach Hill with an Achievement in Sports Award; he has been designated as an Honorary Alumnus by ABAC's Alumni Association, and will retire with Emeritus status. Mr. Speaker, Red Hill spent his career making a difference in the future of this country. Those thirty-four years contributed to the success of the many lives that Red influenced. Now, ending his career with another national championship, Coach Red Hill retires a legend. I commend Coach Hill and the ABAC Tennis program for their success.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I am gravely concerned about today's youth and the challenges they face growing up in contemporary society. If we do not restore values, morals, and principles to our schools and communities for our children, our great nation will continue to sink further into the cultural state of emergency we are mired in today. We should vote to empower parents so that they may in turn protect their children, our future leaders. I recognize that many children face terrific difficulties as they grow up--deteriorating schools, broken homes, and crumbling neighborhoods. A culture of gratuitous violence, sexual irresponsibility, and illegal drug abuse. erodes the fundamental values that keep our families and our country strong. In the wake of several tragedies involving school violence, it is appropriate that we focus on addressing youth violence and the problems which face our kids. First let me say that we should not undermine our Bill of Rights, the cornerstone of our freedom which spells out the underlying principles of our nation. More laws that target and restrict the freedoms of law- abiding citizens are not the answer to addressing cultural problems that face our nation. We must strengthen and enforce our current laws, we must effectively prosecute, and we must punish criminals who violate the law. But we must also restore sensible community values to our schools and communities. A common set of shared values is the fabric that has held American society together for over two centuries. Unfortunately, this fabric is fraying at the edges before our very eyes. I believe public figures should show strong leadership by setting good examples. I believe that through restoring prayer and religious values to the classroom, teaching character based education, and shielding our children from pornography and violent and sexually explicit material, our children and families can flourish in safer more secure communities. Additionally, I am encouraged that many existing youth organizations and recreation clubs are right now promoting leadership, teamwork, and confidence in our younger generations. Groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs, Pop Warner Football, the National Council of Youth Sports, the Georgia Parks and Recreation Association, and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association are working hard to make a positive difference in our children's lives. There are many steps that we can take to reach out to our children to guide them in the right direction. I believe that the actions Congress will take today to hold criminals accountable for their own behavior, to improve the enforcement of our current laws, to bolster support for programs that combat juvenile crime, and to prohibit the sale of explicitly violent or sexual material to children will go a long way in addressing some of the difficult issues which confront children in today's world.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, despite all the rhetoric that is being used by liberals here tonight, the thrust of their effort is one of the most dishonest attempts to disguise legislation that I have ever seen. To my colleagues and to my constituents in Georgia's Eighth District, they deserve to know what is behind all the smoke and mirrors here tonight. The majority of the amendments that we are debating are not about saving lives, they are about taking rights away from law-abiding citizens. What we are talking about is gun control. That is the wrong issue. Just yesterday and today this House approved amendments that were truly aimed at saving lives, preventing tragedies, and solving the cultural problems facing our Nation. That is where we need to direct the debate tonight. Let us punish those who break the law, let us enforce the laws already on the books, and let us limit the access of children to violent and sexually explicit material. We do not need to punish law- abiding Americans. We do not need more gun control legislation. I will oppose all attempts to chip away at America's Bill of Rights, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. The Second Amendment and the 10th Amendment are part of our Constitution. Every single Member of this body took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. Uphold the Constitution by defeating any gun control measures on the floor tonight and in the future.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Crop Insurance Equalization Act of 1999. I am honored to have Representative Marion Berry, Representative Chip Pickering, and Representative Sanford Bishop joining me as original cosponsors of this comprehensive crop insurance reform legislation. The need for an effective safety net could not be more obvious. It is imperative that we provide our nation's farmers with a federal crop insurance program that is affordable and workable. Our farmers cannot and should not become dependent on annual disaster bills; in the past nine years, the federal government has spent over $9.5 billion in emergency farm funds. By crafting a strong program that will both increase participation in the program and increase affordability to farmers across the nation, we have sought to eliminate the need for such yearly crop loss disaster aid. Back in February, Georgia's Eighth District hosted the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Risk Management, Research, and Specialty Crops for hearings on the federal crop insurance program. During those hearings, I personally witnessed how frustrated farmers and agents are with the program. Simply put, the program does not work for them. The Crop Insurance Equalization Act of 1999 addresses concerns that have been voiced to the extent possible. This reform package significantly improves the program not only for farmers in the Southeastern United States, but for those across the entire nation. This bill does not simply make cosmetic changes to the program; it focuses attention on the root of the problem by seeking to restore an improved, updated rating system. Beyond reform for the crop insurance program, this bill expands the non-insured assistance program for those who cannot participate in crop insurance. Crop insurance reform is a top priority for this Congress, and the Crop Insurance Equalization Act of 1999 is a sufficient vehicle for achieving appropriate reform.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, this bill is a bold step toward putting America's defense funding back on a sound footing. Our military is currently overextended and underfunded. Right now we have a quarter of a million American troops serving in 135 countries around the world. The military is 40 percent smaller than it was during the Persian Gulf War while operational commitments around the world have increased by 300 percent. This bill establishes additional quality of life functions for the members of our Armed Services that are going to be of tremendous benefit. We also provide for four new Marine Corps KC-130J tankers, a 14th JSTARS aircraft, long-lead funding for a 15th, and the F-22 advanced technical fighter. Finally, we reaffirm our belief that depot maintenance capabilities for critical mission essential systems must be retained organically in the military depot system. The Air Force has chosen an ill-defined and unclear policy to support critical weapon systems in the future. This bill requires the Air Force to report to us on their future sustainment plans and specifically identify the core logistics requirements for the C-17 aircraft, a unique military system that has proven its importance in supporting our deployed forces. We owe it to our warfighters to ensure that core capabilities will be there when they are called upon in the future. I urge the support of this bill.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my alma mater, the University of Georgia, and its athletic program for recently capturing four NCAA championships this season. Four national titles in one season is a record for the University of Georgia. An outstanding group of young men and women brought home national titles in Men's Golf and Tennis, and Women's Gymnastics and Swimming and Diving, and each of these teams deserve great recognition. I especially want to congratulate both the Men's Golf and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams for winning their first-ever national titles. Just this past weekend, the Men's Golf Team and their Coach Chris Haack won the NCAA national championship by three strokes over Oklahoma State. In March, the top-ranked Lady Bulldog Swimming and Diving Team also won their first NCAA Championship be defeating Stanford, the defending champion. I would like to recognize Coach Jack Bauerle for being named Swimming Coach of the Year and Kristy Kowal for being named Swimmer of the Year. I am extremely proud of both of these teams for these historic accomplishments, and I know there will be many more in the future. The UGA Women's Gymnastics Team and their Coach Suzanne Yoculan have brought pride to the University of Georgia over the years, and words cannot describe the incredible talent displayed by this group of young women. This year was no exception as the Gym Dogs outdistanced Michigan and Alabama in April to capture their fifth NCAA National Championship while at the same time defending their 1998 national title. The Gym Dogs have maintained a perfect record of 67-0 over the last two years, an amazing accomplishment. Imagine, not a single loss in two years. This season they completed the season with a perfect 32-0 record as the only undefeated team in the country. They are the first team ever to have a perfect record two years in a row, and the second team to win back-to-back women's gymnastics titles. I also want to congratulate Karen Lichey for being named the 1999 recipient of the Honda Award for Gymnastics as the country's top female collegiate gymnast. Miss Lichey also earned the maximum five First-Team All-American honors as well as SEC Gymnast of the Year. These incredible accomplishments should not go unnoticed. I had the honor of hosting the Gym Dogs during their visit to Washington last summer, and they are a group of bright young women that are already a legend in the University of Georgia's athletic program. In May, the UGA Men's Tennis Team and their Coach Manual Diaz fought back to defeat UCLA and win its third NCAA title since 1987. Upon entering the tournament, Georgia was ranked number 10. UCLA was ranked number one in the country, but Georgia fought with great heart and overcame the odds. The Bulldogs came back from being down two matches to one and brought home another title, winning four of the seven matches. The team has a rich history of winning, and this year was no different. In the years to come, I know we can expect the Men's Tennis Team to continue their winning tradition. Mr. Speaker, victory is sweet indeed, but it cannot be achieved without the hard work, talent, and perseverance of every single athlete. These four teams of outstanding individuals, including numerous champions and All-Americans, and their coaches deserve the recognition they have received. I want to commend the University of Georgia athletic program, its director Vince Dooley, and its fine coaches and athletes. I also want to say what an honor it is to be a UGA alumnus, and I look forward to many victories in the years to come.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, throughout my home State of Georgia and all cross America there is a common concern among many citizens. Apparently, my friend from Wisconsin who just spoke really does not understand this concern. But the concern is that Social Security is not going to be there for them when they retire. And that concern is real. It is not unfounded, as American seniors have witnessed the raiding of Social Security over the last several generations. I have got two children. One of them is in the workforce as we speak. The other one just graduated from college and is going into the workforce. I also have got the pleasure of having two beautiful grandchildren. I want to make sure that Social Security is going to be there for those children and grandchildren when they become of age. After years of hard work, the independence that comes from financial security ought to be one thing that our Nation's seniors and our Nation's young people can count on. The Social Security and Medicare safe deposit box to be considered by the House today goes a long ways towards restoring that ideal. Every penny that is taken from the paychecks of America's hard- working men and women should be locked away and can be locked away in a safe deposit box and used only for retirement benefits. And that is what this bill does. Quite simply stated, it is the right thing to do. Social Security and Medicare safe deposit boxes before us establishes honesty and accountability in the Federal budget process and takes the next step in securing and ensuring retirement security, not just for this generation but for generations to come. I congratulate my colleague and friend from California, who is a member of the Committee on the Budget along with me, for his tireless efforts for promoting honest budgeting and encourage my colleagues to support this common sense legislation.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues will join me in strongly opposing the Coburn amendment to eliminate funding for the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness. It is no secret the peanut is a very important crop to Georgia and Southern agriculture, and this program is critical to ensuring that peanuts hold an attractive, competitive position in the global marketplace of the 21st century. The 1996 Farm Bill reformed the federal peanut program; it is now a no-net-cost program to the government. It provides consumers with ample supply of one of the safest, most nutritious foods. The National Center for Peanut Competitiveness is a broad-based research program that includes product development, economics, and the fundamental aspects of reducing production costs; additionally, it enhances consumer appeal and improves product safety. This program also encompasses research into nutrition, biotechnology, peanut allergies, and trade liberalization through the World Trade Organization. Eliminating funding for the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness would be detrimental for both peanut farmers and the peanut industry. Mr. Chairman, the FY 2000 Agricultural Appropriations bill contains critical funding for agricultural research, and I urge my colleagues to vote against cuts to the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this resolution. While our military operations in Kosovo continue with no end in sight, America faces a crisis in military readiness. Our troops are overextended and underfunded. The military is 40 percent smaller now than the successful force of Operation Desert Storm, and operational commitments around the world have increased by 300 percent. More troops are being sent around the world to perform more missions with fewer resources. While Congress has restored some funding to the defense budget, the Joint Chiefs of Staff still estimate that there is a significant shortfall. The Navy is decommissioning ships faster than they are being replaced. We are literally flying the wings off aircraft that are almost 40 years of age. The Air Force and the Army are running short on missiles. The list goes on and on. An effective military force cannot fight and win in a world where critical weapons systems must be cannibalized to keep other equipment operational. Task Force Smith paid a high price in Korea in 1950 because the Army was stretched too thin, underequipped and overutilized. We must not allow that to happen again. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support today of H.R. 1569. Given the current ongoing military operations and the fact that the American men and women of our Armed Forces have their lives on the line, I do not think that now is the time to have a constitutional showdown on the War Powers Act. We had an opportunity to repeal the War Powers Act in 1995 and the administration, despite the urging of several former presidents, failed to support the effort to end this legal obstacle. I believe that the War Powers Act is indeed unconstitutional, but today the debate is on Kosovo and the policy of our pursuing military operations against Yugoslavia. I continue to be extremely concerned about the current military operations in the Balkans and the obvious lack of long-term goals and objectives. We were initially told that our military objectives were to deter Serbian attacks against the people of Kosovo and to reduce their ability to pursue offensive operations in Kosovo. Two weeks ago we were told that our objective was to remove all Serbian troops from Kosovo, a political moving target. After five weeks of bombing targets, which have been limited by politicians, Serbian forces have created a humanitarian crisis where over 1 million refugees have now retreated from Kosovo, and, in fact, have dug in along the Kosovo border. In 1995, the President said that we would send troops to keep peace in Bosnia for a year. We are four years later and we still have 6,000 American soldiers serving in Bosnia, with no end in sight. Where are we headed in Kosovo? We still do not have a clear, well- defined mission or strategy for what we are pursuing in the Balkans. There may be conceivably some point in time at which I would very reluctantly support the use of overwhelming force, including ground troops, to ensure that the United States is victorious in this military engagement. Dictators around the word must know that when America becomes involved, we intend to win. The President must show leadership and define our mission and the end game strategy, clarify our objectives and provide the resources required to ensure victory. We must know when we have achieved success and how we measure our progress. Our military is already overextended and underfunded, and we are fighting a war without a clearly defined objective. Mr. Speaker, we cannot win that. We need leadership. We need to support H.R. 1569. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Ms. Fowler's bill to prohibit the deployment of ground troops in Yugoslavia unless specifically authorized by Congress. Given the current ongoing military operations and the fact that the American men and women of our Armed Forces have their lives on the line, I do not think that this is the time to have a constitutional showdown on the War Powers Act. We had an opportunity to repeal the War Powers Act in 1995 and the administration, despite the urging of several former Presidents, failed to support the effort to end this legal obstacle. I believe that the War Powers Act is indeed unconstitutional, but the debate today is on Kosovo and the policy of pursuing military operations against Yugoslavia. I continue to be extremely concerned about the current military operations in the Balkans and the obvious lack of long term goals and objectives. We were initially told that the military objectives were to deter Serbian attacks against the people of Kosovo and to reduce the ability of the Serbian military to pursue offensive operations in Kosovo. Two weeks ago we were told that our objective was to remove all Serbian troops from Kosovo. However, after five weeks of bombing targets which have been limited by politicians, Serbian forces have created a humanitarian crisis with over a million refugees, have not retreated from Kosovo, and in fact have dug in along the Kosovo border. In 1995, the President said that we would send troops to keep the peace in Bosnia for a year. Here we are almost 4 years later with 6,000 American soldiers serving in Bosnia with no end in sight. Where are we headed in Kosovo? We still do not have a clear well-defined mission or strategy for what we are pursuing in the Balkans. There may conceivably be a point at which I would very reluctantly support the use of overwhelming force, including ground troops, to ensure that the United States is victorious in this military engagement. Dictators around the world must know that when America becomes involved, we intend to win. The President must show leadership and define our mission and the end game strategy, clarify our objectives, and provide the resources required to ensure victory. We must know when we have achieved success, how we measure our progress, and thoroughly understand new long term commitments we are accepting. Our military is already overextended and under funded. They are brilliantly executing a questionable policy. Without a significant change, another long term, open ended commitment in the Balkans will continue to degrade military readiness and our ability to deal with other national security challenges around the world. It is clear that the President has failed to plan for the possible contingencies and the unintended consequences of military action in the Balkans, he has failed to demonstrate clear and decisive leadership in leading this military campaign to a successful conclusion, he has failed to provide the necessary resources to adequately support our brave men and women serving in the military. I am gravely concerned about the incremental and gradual escalation of this conflict without the clear understanding of where we are headed. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to ensure that we in Congress are engaged in this before the President commits us further to war in the Balkans.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider the conference report to the fiscal year 2000 budget resolution. I would first like to acknowledge the hard work by my colleagues on the House Committee on the Budget and their Senate counterparts in not only meeting the April 15 budget deadline but in crafting a budget that will boldly carry America into the 21st century. This budget, the first for the new millennium, safeguards Social Security, addresses priorities such as education, defense and agriculture, and, yes, does provide historic tax relief. I am proud to see this conference report meet the challenges of the 21st century head on by adhering to several bedrock principles, as it, first of all, locks away every single penny of the Social Security surplus to provide for the retirement security of the Nation's seniors, and I emphasize that. Every single penny of the Social Security surplus is locked away to provide for the security of our seniors. Secondly, we maintain the spending discipline from the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. Thirdly, we ensure sizable payments are made to reduce the national debt, a very critical issue. Fourth, we make national defense a top priority by providing additional resources to properly train, equip and retain our men and women in uniform. Next, we offer security for rural Americans by providing the financial resources to make real crop insurance reform possible. Finally, we enact historic tax relief to return the surplus to its rightful owners, the American taxpayer. Mr. Speaker, the conference report on the budget is consistent with the common sense principles of encouraging our communities and individuals to grow from the bottom up, not from Washington down. This is a budget all Americans can be proud of and I strongly urge the adoption by my colleagues. I would like to close by saying to my friend, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), I commend him and have enjoyed working with him through this process. He has been a strong advocate for his position. When we have disagreed, he has been a gentleman but he has been right there working, and his staff also, in a very professional manner. To my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kasich), our leader who has led us through this process, he has provided the energy, the innovative ideas and the wherewithal to carry us through in this balanced budget and I commend him.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I want to address one other issue with respect to agriculture, because this is critical. The President talked a lot, when he came here in this very House in his State of the Union address, about crop insurance reform, something that is so desperately needed by our farmers. Yet in his budget he provided zero dollars for crop insurance reform. In our budget that we are going to vote on today we are providing $6 billion for crop insurance reform, in addition to what we currently have, to be used over the next 5 years to truly come up with a meaningful, sustainable crop insurance reform program that is going to be of benefit to every single farmer all across this great country.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I would call to the gentleman's attention the fact that the President's budget called for an increase in veterans' benefits of $26 million. In the House-passed budget we provided for $1.1 billion of increase for veterans' health care benefits alone. The conference report increased that amount by an additional $700 billion directly applied to veterans' health care benefits.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I remind the gentleman that, as he well knows, in our budget resolution that we are going to vote on today there is no reduction in employees in the Farm Service Agency. We are not going to micromanage what the Agriculture Department does in their budget. The House Committee on Agriculture, of which the gentleman is a member, along with myself, and he and I work very closely on these very issues, is going to make that decision on how we manage the budget that is handed to us with the Department of Agriculture.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I am somewhat encouraged by what I hear from my friends on the other side because I think we have a real opportunity here to work together in a bipartisan fashion to, in fact, save Social Security. Our budget does exactly that. We do dedicate $1.8 trillion over the next 10 years to Social Security. That will go to pay down debt. That does not mean the program itself is reformed. The real way that we have got to work together to save Social Security is to come up with true and meaningful reforms. I think we all agree to that. I am encouraged by what I hear over here. My good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) who works with me on so many other issues of mutual interest made some good points. My friend, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), that I work with on the Committee on the Budget made some excellent points, and I think it is time that we came together on this issue of the budget, came together on the issue of Social Security, came together on the issue of Medicare, and let us work for meaningful reform. Let us take the numbers that both of us know we are dealing with. Irrespective of what the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) just said, we know what we are dealing with in the short term, and we have some idea of what we are dealing with in the long term. We can take those numbers and we can make it work, if we will work together. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to truly save Social Security and truly save Medicare, and we thank the Members for wishing to join our team on that.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer). (Mr. BUYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I had hoped we were going to come to the floor today to talk about the real facts contained in the Democrat budget versus the Republican budget, but it appears we are getting off base here. But let us look at what the actual dollar numbers are when it comes to Medicare, and here they are. We are going to put $1.8 trillion aside over the next 10 years to save and protect Social Security and Medicare. What does the President do? He is well below us, right down here. These are the actual numbers, Members. Mr. Chairman, today the House is going to consider a budget for the fiscal year 2000 that addresses the issues that matter most to American families. This budget, the first for the new millennium, safeguards Social Security and Medicare, addresses priorities such as education, defense and agriculture, and provides historic tax relief. This budget meets the challenges of the 21st century head-on by adhering to several bedrock principles, each of which is set forth right here. First, we are going to lock away every penny of the Social Security surplus for our Nation's elderly. We are going to set aside more money than the President to strengthen Social Security and Medicare. We are going to create a safe deposit box to ensure that bureaucrats in Washington cannot get their hands on the Social Security Trust Fund money. We are going to pay down more debt than the President's budget. We are going to maintain the spending discipline that carries over from the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. We are going to make national defense a top priority by providing additional resources for things such as pay raises which are specifically set forth in the budget. We are going to provide the resources to train, equip and retain our men and women in uniform, who are in harm's risk as we speak today. We are going to offer security for rural Americans by providing reforms in crop insurance and money to fund that crop insurance reform. And we are going to enact historic tax relief. Yes, tax relief. And it is interesting that opponents of this budget would get up today and argue against tax relief. That is almost un-American, and I really cannot believe we are hearing that in the well today. But, yes, we favor tax relief, and we are going to support tax relief in our budget plan for hard-working Americans. Mr. Chairman, this budget is consistent with the common sense conservative principles of encouraging our communities and individuals to grow from the bottom up, not from Washington down. This is a budget Americans can be proud of, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the Republican budget.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Cramer) remains the great gentleman that he is. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson).

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kasich), the chairman of the Committee on the Budget.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle).