Saxby Chambliss

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. I just want to echo what my good colleague, Dr. Norwood, says there, that the people in my district are really excited about what is going on up here right now. We took an unprecedented step on September 27, 1994, when we signed the Contract With America. Never before had a political party promised in writing what it was going to deliver to the American people. We have lived up to what we said we were going to do in that contract. The people in my district are excited about what is going on up here. They are telling me every time I go home ``keep it up. Keep doing what you are doing.'' That is what we are going to do. We are going to do what we said we were going to do in that contract, and we are going to do it within that 100 days.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Absolutely. Let me just say, Mr. Kingston, I started my morning at the prayer breakfast on the House side, and you weren't there. We missed you this morning.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Minimum wage.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. I was used to working long hours practicing law in south Georgia.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. The gentleman makes a very good point, that every time we have had a tax cut in this country, tax revenues have gone up. That is what tax cuts are all about. When we make tax cuts, we give tax incentives to the business community to expand their businesses. And when they create jobs, they add taxpayers to the roles. Those taxpayers are new sources of revenue for this country that we have never had before. And when we increase those revenues, that more than offsets the tax cuts that are given out there.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. The gentleman makes a very good point, that everybody who comes to talk to us about their program has a good program. There are a lot of good programs up here. But those same people will also tell you that we understand you got to balance the budget, and we want you to treat us fairly. That is the message that we were given on November 8, the message being that look, we know there are good programs out there. We know you have got to continue spending in some of those programs. But we know also that unless wholesale cuts are made, and those cuts go to reduce the deficit, we are never going to balance the budget in this country, and we are never going to get rid of that $4.5 trillion. What we have been assigned to do by the people of this country is to not single out any segment of the country or industry or any segment of people. We have got to be equal in our cuts, we have got to treat everybody fairly, and, most importantly, the cuts that we make have got to go toward reduction of the deficit and not toward funding other social programs out there.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Absolutely. I will tell you about one other interesting fact that occurred to me shortly after I got here, and it was somewhat of a surprise. I was somewhat idealistic when I came here. I thought coming in with 72 other freshmen Republicans, that we would be able to have a real impact upon what is done in this very Chamber. And I think we are having an impact. But the problem that I saw very quickly is that the bureaucracy in Washington is layer after layer after layer of bureaucracy. And exactly what we are doing by block granting money back to the States is doing away with that bureaucracy. That is the way you cut spending. That is way you cut Government intervention. And we are making those inroads in cutting that bureaucracy.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. There is no question about it. I happen to be part owner of a motel in Moultrie, GA, and unfortunately my motel has to comply with exactly the same rules and regulations as General Motors does. We are not nearly as equipped to do that as General Motors, but OSHA demands the same from us that they demand from General Motors. As the gentleman knows, one thing about my district is it is primarily rural, primarily agricultural, and there is no group of individuals in this country or no segment of the business of this country that is more overregulated than our farmers. Those guys have to spend more time in ASCS offices today complying with rules and regulations that come down from Washington than they do on their tractors, and unfortunately they are not allowed to do what they do best for the most part, and that is produce the world's finest crops and agricultural products. So we have got to put some common sense back into regulations that are issued out of Washington, and that is exactly what we did last week and this week. We have been dealing with regulatory reform, and we are putting common sense back into the daily lives of folks from a regulatory standpoint.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Exactly right, Mr. Kingston, and I could not help while listening to this looking at these photographs of those children that they were parading up here for the sole purpose of trying to arouse the emotion of the people that they are trying to appeal to, but really those pictures were very appropriate to be here. We should have had pictures of children here because it is the children of this country that we need to look out for, and, if we continue to spend money the way we have spent it for the last 25 years, we are going to leave a bankrupt country for our children and our grandchildren. That is what the balanced budget amendment is all about. That is what we kept hearing during the course of our campaign over the last 2 years. The people in this country are simply tired of the bureaucrats in Washington spending their money unwisely, and that is what we have got to stop. And I agree with the gentleman. One of the greatest moments I have ever lived was on January 25 in this very Chamber, and I believe it was about this time of night when we watched the 300 votes add up on the wall over here that voted for the balanced budget amendment. That was a great victory for the American people. Today it was a very sad day when the Senate failed to vote for the balanced budget amendment, and I certainly hope that we are going to get that amendment called back up on the Senate side and a very much of a wrong rectified there.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. I would like you to reemphasize that, because as I recall, the School Lunch Program came through your committee, did it not?

Mr. CHAMBLISS. You know, a revolution occurred in this country November 8, 1994, and the reason that revolution occurred is because the American people are sick and tired of the bureaucrats in Washington running their lives on a daily basis from a personal and a business standpoint. You know, I am somewhat appalled that the folks on the other side of the aisle who spent the last, and it was not an hour, gentlemen, it was an hour and a half, that we had to listen to this berating of starving children and starving mothers, which is simply misinformation that is being put out from the other side. But those folks represented a total, if I counted correctly, somewhere between 15 and 20 States. You know, what we, as Republicans, are trying to do is we promised the American people that if you elect a majority of Republicans to the House of Representatives on November 8, 1994, we are going to return your government back to you, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are doing that with this program. We are taking the bureaucrats from Washington out of the picture, and we are returning the program to the States. I have the confidence in the States that were represented here tonight. I have the confidence in the counties that were represented here tonight on the other side of the aisle that those folks are much more capable of determining what is best for North Carolina, for California, and in our case, for Georgia. They know what is best in their local States and their local counties than the bureaucrats in Washington do. I was interested, in coming up here on Monday of this week, and looking at the Atlanta Constitution. Our Governor of the State of Georgia, who is a Democrat, came out in wholehearted support of our plan to modernize the School Lunch Program.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. We listened to an hour and a half discussion from folks on the other side of the aisle tonight, and anybody who watched that would remember, I hope, that not one single dollar figure was mentioned. They never mentioned how much money was being spent. All they talked about was cuts. Would you just talk about again what you said about the money that is being spent this year and the amount of money that is going to be spent next year on the very program they are complaining about?

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Isn't that what November 8 was all about? Didn't the American people tell us on November 8 that we want you doing a better job of spending our tax money? Make cuts where cuts are necessary; where cuts aren't necessary, don't make the cuts. But please do a better job of spending our tax money wisely. I think that is a classic example.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I have with me today, tonight, my colleague from the 10th District of Georgia, Mr. Norwood, and also my distinguished colleague from the First District of Georgia, Mr. Kingston. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston].

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, how many times have we heard that money is the root of all evil? I do not know if it is the root of all evil, but it does appear to be the root of the disinformation campaign being waged by the Democrats to, get this, defend the current welfare system. A quick perusal of campaign finance records shows that the eight largest Federal employee unions gave a whopping nine times more to Democratic candidates than Republican candidates over the last five elction cycles. Once we know that fact, it is easier to understand the Democrats' attack on the Republican plan to increase spending on the school lunches while decreasing the Federal bureaucracy. Once we know that fact, it is no surprise that the Democrats have decided to cast their lot with the bureaucrats instead of the recipients of the School Lunch program, namely the children at schools like R.B. Wright school in my hometown where my wife has taught for 20 years. Once we know that fact, it is easy to understand why the American people chose Republicans on November 8 to conduct welfare reform.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, farmers deserve a break from the burdensome and bureaucratic regulations which dictate how agribusiness is run. Last night after much deliberation we passed a permanent tax break to help cover the cost of health insurance for farmers and other small businessmen. This is only one step toward relieving the farmer's burden--we must do much more. Congress needs to re-implement the investment tax credit so farmers will have an incentive to expand their operations. We need to pass legislation that will ease the burden of private property takings. We need to pass a capital gains tax reduction which will allow farmers to invest in further improvements on their farm. The farmers should be able to leave their farms to their heirs without having to sell the farm assets in order to pay inheritance tax. As we debate these issues and others, I urge Congress to regard the farmers, those people who work to provide food for the Nation. America's farmers must be relieved from the undue hardship of over- regulation in order for them to continue to toil the land.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam Speaker, this week, the House will take up consideration of H.R. 889 and H.R. 845, the emergency supplemental appropriations and rescissions measures for fiscal year 1995. Several weeks ago in his annual budget proposal, the President sent a $2.5 billion supplemental spending request to this Congress--funds to cover the costs associated with unplanned and unbudgeted military operations abroad. Aside from the question of how vital these military missions were to the national security of our great Nation, the President failed to include in his request the necessary rescissions to pay for the missions. Well, Madam Speaker, this President's supplemental request is nothing more than another rubber check written by the Federal Government. And in this case, it is the armed services and the American people who will pay the overdraft charges. Fortunately, House appropriators have insisted on a budget-neutral approach to supplemental spending. Support H.R. 889 and 845.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, this week the House will take up H.R. 7, the National Security Revitalization Act. H.R. 7 represents a vital statement of priority and policy for the future of this Nation's military. H.R. 7 offers a much needed policy redirection in the area of U.N. peacekeeping operations. Too many Americans have experienced the painful costs associated with the ever-expanding peacekeeping role of the United Nations. This country has raised and trained the most effective military machine the world has ever known. And yet, how can we allow our sons and daughters to be put under inferior command and control? H.R. 7 restricts the President's ability to subordinate U.S. troops to U.N. command and control by requiring Presidential certification of such an arrangement and by restricting the funding required for U.S. forces engaged in U.N. operations. We owe it to our military men and women to pass H.R. 7 and resist weakening amendments.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, when I was elected to this Congress in November, I felt a tremendous sense of honor and pride to have the opportunity to represent the many good people of Georgia's Eighth District. I was excited to advance the contract that I made with the people of my district, in particular the piece of legislation we will take up today, the balanced budget amendment. Poll after poll reflects the same truth, Mr. Speaker: The people want this Congress to deal with the deficit, and they want us to pass a balanced budget amendment. Mr. Speaker, the American people elected a new leadership that will take up the critical issues that will effect the type of change demanded in every town hall and around every kitchen table in America. Now that the former leadership is reduced to a minority status, they have taken on a new strategy for killing the amendment: scare tactics. It seems odd that the Democrats are such experts in telling the American people and the new majority what programs it must cut to balance the budget when it has been utterly incapable of doing so in recent memory. I have a news flash for the old leadership: We can balance the budget, and we will balance the budget. But make no mistake about it, we will not sacrifice the future of our senior citizens to do it. I commend the gentleman from Illinois for offering this well-meaning resolution as our way of assuring the elderly of our society that this leadership will not renege on this Government's contract to provide for seniors, one of whom is my mother, in their sunset years. I would also like to personally take this opportunity to assure the seniors that I represent, seniors in my home town of Moultrie, and in towns like Cochran, Eastman, and Pearson that our Contract With America is for real and that this balanced budget amendment is for real. We will not turn our backs on the men and women who worked so hard to make this country the greatest democracy the world has ever known, and so I urge Members to adopt this resolution. Mr. Speaker, let us send a message of assurance to seniors of this great Nation.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, this week the House will continue consideration of the second major piece of legislation outlined in the Contract With America, the prohibition of unfunded mandates. The overwhelming feeling in Georgia's Eighth District is that this Federal Government has grown too large. How have the people come to this conclusion? They see the obvious overreaching in the form of higher taxes and increased regulation. But, Mr. Speaker, they also see the more subtle signs of a bloated, arrogant bureaucracy; namely, the unfunded mandate. Mr. Speaker, there was a time in this country when the understood role of our Federal Government was to work at the will of the States that created it. It is high time we return to that understanding and put back into practice the system of Government that our forefathers intended for this great Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to show the American people we are committed to changing the way this Congress does business. Support H.R. 5 and put an end to unfunded mandates.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, our Contract With America states as follows: That on the first day of Congress, a Republican House will force Congress to live under the same laws as everyone else, will cut one-third of committee staff, and will cut the congressional budget. We have done that. In the next 85 days we will vote on the following 10 items. One, a balanced-budget amendment and line-item veto. Two, a new crime bill to stop violent criminals. Three, welfare reform to encourage work, not dependence. Four, family reinforcement to crack down on deadbeat dads and protect our children. Five, tax cuts for families to lift Government's burden from middle-income Americans. Six, national security restoration to protect our freedoms. Seven, Senior Citizens Equity Act to allow our seniors to work without Government penalty. Eight, Government regulation and unfunded mandate reforms. Nine, common sense legal reform to end frivolous lawsuits. Ten, congressional term limits to make Congress a citizen legislature. This is our Contract With America.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I have come to the floor today to bring to this House's attention the tremendous achievements of my hometown's football team, the Colquitt County Packers. On Saturday, December 17, this team defeated one of the strongest high school football teams in the country, the Valdosta Wildcats--also from my district--to win the AAAA State Football Championship. As father of one of the players, I had the opportunity to watch this group of fine young men overcome great odds to go undefeated in their longest winning streak ever and to win their first State championship. As many of you are aware, high school football in south Georgia is not just a game--it's a way of life. Valdosta, also known as Winnersville, USA, is the future home of the High School Football Hall of Fame, and I am proud to be a part of the tradition that makes up south Georgia football. Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will all join me in congratulating the players, the coaches, the cheerleaders, the bands, the fans, and everyone else who has helped make south Georgia football some of the best in the United States.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I came here with a 1-minute speech on unfunded mandates, but as I just listened to my colleague from the other side of the aisle, I cannot help but ask one question. That is: How much money can the President of the United States spend? The Congress of the United States has authority for spending money.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. No, I will not.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, we in Congress face the very difficult task of reigning in the national debt and reducing the size and scope of an overgrown Federal bureaucracy. This was a message sent to Members in November and it is a task I take on gladly. However, Mr. Speaker, as we head into this very difficult year of budget cuts and spending decisions, I would like to take this opportunity to recall to Members those qualities that have made this country the strongest Nation and longest-standing democracy the world has ever known, namely, military might and a vital economy. The United States has shown time and time again that its military is second to none. It has turned back every challenge and the men and women who serve are the best trained and the most committed fighting force of any in the world. Let us be mindful of their commitment and renew our commitment to the strength that has contributed to the peace we enjoy today. As for the economy, the engine that drives growth and creativity, we must never turn our backs on those who lie at the very heart of the economy, the American farmer.