Tom DeLay

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. I object, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, obviously the gentleman cannot substantiate his charges, obviously he cannot name names.

Mr. DeLAY. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. DeLAY. No, Mr. Speaker. I ask that the Chair rule.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I demand that the gentleman's words be taken down.

Mr. DeLAY. I object.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, would the gentleman yield and read those names?

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, it seems that it is OK to take something out of the newspaper that is not true and bring it down to the floor of the House and attack other Members of this House with something that is not true, written by a reporter in the Washington Post, and using it as if it were true, and I think it is really, Mr. Speaker--it shows the lack of shame in this House about what is going on in this House when we are trying to pass a rule to bring bills up, consentual bills up, under suspension when the minority does not even have a campaign finance reform bill that they could bring to the floor even if we gave them the time to bring it to the floor.

Mr. DeLAY. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. DeLAY. Regular order, Mr. Speaker, or have the gentlemen removed from the floor.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the courtesy from the gentleman.

Mr. DeLAY. I know the gentleman does not like to follow the rules, Mr. Speaker, but I am asking for regular order.

Mr. DeLAY. I just got to say, Mr. Speaker, in that article there is no--there are no names, there are no time periods that this meeting happened, there is absolutely no--regular order, Mr. Speaker. I know the gentleman does not like the rules----

Mr. DeLAY. This gentleman, Mr. Speaker, denies categorically that it ever happened, that there are lobbyists in the majority whip's office writing legislation, unlike in the gentleman's office where environmental groups write legislation.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, if I understand your ruling correctly, the gentleman from California has made statements about another Member of this House that are incorrect. Is it the ruling of the Chair that a Member can make incorrect statements about another Member on the floor and not have his words taken down?

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would also say that they want us to do it before we look at whether laws have actually been broken. And we all know the reason for that; it is strictly politics, to cover up the fact that the national security of this country may have been compromised.

Mr. DeLAY. I am delighted to yield to the distinguished gentleman from California.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. And he is so right about the real important things that we intend to do in this 105th Congress, rather than play these games that are being played around here. It is amazing to me, the lack of shame that is expressed on this floor, that the minority party, that used to be the grand majority party for so many years, particularly since the last major campaign finance reform was passed back in the late 1970's, I think 1976 or so, had the majority of this House and the majority of the Senate and yet did not bring any bills down. In fact, if they just passed this bill, they could probably bring their campaign finance reform to the floor under suspension. Oh, I forgot; they do not have a campaign finance reform bill. They are crying for campaign finance reform to come to the floor, but they do not even have a bill. What is happening here is something that is really serious, because we want to hold hearings to look into what is serious. We have the potential of having had in the last campaign our national security compromised by foreign money being pushed into this country and trying to manipulate our campaigns, and they are trying to change the subject so that the American people will not focus on what is really happening and what really happened in the campaign last year by this President and by the Democratic National Committee. That is what is going on here. I just came back from 2 weeks in my district and holding town meetings and meeting with my people. I did not travel anywhere. I worked my district during the district work period, and I had one person ask one question on campaign finance reform. Now, the American people out there know exactly what is going on here on the floor of the House, and, frankly, they are ashamed as to what is going on on the floor of this House, trying to cover up what could be potentially a national security problem brought on by breaking the campaign finance laws that were reformed by this majority, by the majority Democrat party back in the 1970's, and trying to cover it up by talking about campaign finance reform here, and they do not even have their own bill.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, last week, joined by my colleague and friend Phil Crane, the chairman of the Trade Subcommittee, I had the pleasure of meeting Gov. Froilan Tenorio of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands [CNMI]. Governor Tenorio has embarked on a bold course to promote economic and political liberty in the CNMI. The brave men and women who died for freedom at the battle of Saipan would be proud to know that Governor Tenorio has been a true champion of freedom in the Western Pacific. Governor Tenorio recognizes that the market, and not the government, is the engine of job creation. Governor Tenorio has pushed forward with a program of privatization, fiscal restraint, and lower taxes for his people. Governor Tenorio did not come to Washington looking for taxpayer benefits, welfare, or handouts. He came to promote his market reforms. Mr. Speaker, Governor Tenorio deserves our support. During his administration, Governor Tenorio has actively pursued and courted businesses around the globe to open shop in the CNMI. Like President Reagan in the 1980's, Tenorio has kept taxes low. Low tax rates have actually increased productivity, which in turn, increased revenue for the government of the CNMI. Additionally, the Governor has recognized the importance of trade and has demonstrated how trade with Asian markets can bring prosperity. The economic changes that have taken place in the CNMI have been nothing short of miraculous. In 1970 most roads were unpaved and most homes lacked running water. There were 55 licensed businesses on the islands, with combined assets of $2 million. There was one bank and one credit union. Then the island tried free markets. CNMI dropped laws common elsewhere in Micronesia that restricted foreign investment. It reduced the regulatory burden on business. The island also reformed its punitive tax system. The result has been economic growth. As Peter Ferrara of Americans for Tax Reform said, ``Once a dismal outpost of failed state socialism, the islands have now been thoroughly integrated in the dynamic economy of the Pacific Rim.'' The number of businesses on the islands has grown from 55 to 5,000. Gross business revenue rose from $244.4 million in 1986 to $1.477 billion in 1994. Only 1,056 people were employed in 1970, most by the government. Twenty years later, 25,965 people were working, 22,795 of them for the private sector. Unemployment has fallen from 15 percent to 4 percent since 1980. The pro-growth economic policies of the CNMI have been in stark contrast to the experiences of other American territories in the Pacific, such as Guam and American Samoa. The unemployment rate in Samoa is close to 16 percent. The government is the most important provider of jobs in the American Samoa and, as of 1989, nearly 60 percent of the residents had incomes below the poverty lines. In Guam, where the local economy has benefited from United States military presence on the island, but the unemployment rate remains higher than in the CNMI. The Governor's efforts have not come without criticism by some who believe that Washington knows better how to create jobs for the people of the islands than the people of the CNMI themselves. Rep George Miller of California believes that Washington should impose the Federal minimum wage on the people of the CNMI. Make no mistake about it, passage of that bill would kill jobs, growth, and opportunity. Most Members of Congress recognize that a higher minimum wage would result in a withdrawal of industry from the islands and widespread unemployment. Factories would move from the CNMI to other Pacific outposts that were not burdened by Washington wage controls. Instead of trying to impose redtape and mandates on the people of the CNMI, we should look to the CNMI as a model of reform. Like the CNMI, Washington should provide tax relief for the American people. We should recognize that pro-business policies create jobs. And we should recognize that free trade creates prosperity. The CNMI is proof positive that these policies work. While we shouldn't impose Washington mandates on the CNMI, we should also allow the people of the island more control over their own lands. Governor Tenorio described to Mr. Crane and me the trouble the people of Tinian are having with unreasonable Federal control of their land. Governor Tenorio asked us to look into assisting the people of Tinian with opening up more of their land for development and use in accordance with their cultural and economic interests. Congressman Crane and I hope to become active in bringing a positive resolution to this matter and other areas where we can help the people of the CNMI. The CNMI is on the right track. Their Pacific neighbors should view the economic policies on the CNMI as a model. Washington should also acknowledge that Governor Tenorio's policies are on the right track. Let's not nip job creation and economic reform in the bud with ill- conceived Washington knows best legislation. It's time that we recognize and respect the impressive progress that this group of American citizens halfway around the world has achieved.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, Sam Malone of Sugar Land, TX, will celebrate the fourth anniversary of his 104 KRBE morning show on March 21, 1997. This top rated show addresses a wide diversity of issues, and features many prominent Houstonians, including the Honorable Robert and Elyse Lanier, University of Houston Coach Kim Helton, and Clyde Drexler of the Houston Rockets. Sam started his career in radio as a $6-an-hour joke writer in New York City. His career took him to Buffalo, NY, before his talents were recognized by KRBE in Houston. After 4 years on his hometown airwaves, Sam is still going strong. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the 105th Congress to join 104 KRBE in congratulating Sam Malone and the morning show on this auspicious occasion, and extending best wishes for continued success.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. But if the gentleman would yield, the deadline is for a conference report by April 15, and this House has not reached that deadline in the last 18 years.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's remarks. I just want to ask the gentleman, he said that we have not reached the April 15 deadline in the last 2 years. Is the gentleman aware we have not reached that deadline in the last 18 years out of the last 19 years?

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate those words more than we can imagine, and I do appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule because I rise in strong support of this very important resolution. We said from the beginning of this Congress that we want to negotiate with the President, but we cannot negotiate with a President that does not want to balance the budget. We do not want to negotiate over whether to balance the budget or not; we want him to submit a budget that balances by CBO which he called for. We will negotiate with him in the parameters of a balanced budget and negotiate over the priorities within that balanced budget. But if the President cannot submit one, how do we negotiate apples with oranges? You know, the saying goes, if at first you do not succeed, try, try again. The President's first attempt at a budget this year did not balance, so we are giving him a chance to try it again. The President has said that he supports a balanced budget, and I hope he is honest in his statement. He also said that we did not need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution if we had the will to balance the budget. But this President, Mr. Speaker, has done everything he can to derail the balanced budget process; first, by vetoing the first balanced budget in a generation, the last Congress; then, by working overtime to kill the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution; and, finally, by submitting another budget that simply does not balance. Why is balancing the budget so important? Why should we care whether we pile up more debt on future generations? Mr. Speaker, I will tell my colleagues why. At our bipartisan retreat this last weekend a lot of Members in both parties brought their children. The place was overflowing with kids. It was so much fun to see these kids having a good time. We are balancing the budget for their sake. The President should explain to those kids why he will not take steps today to make their futures brighter tomorrow. The President should justify why he did not have the political will to make commonsense changes to entitlement programs so that those programs could survive when those children decided to retire. Mr. Speaker, this debate should not be about green eyeshades, it should be about preserving the future for America's children. So I just urge the President to be responsible and to resubmit his budget. America's children deserve better than they are getting from this President's current unbalanced budget.