Wally Herger

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, whereas, Oroville, California, has been named a 1996 All-America City Finalist by the National Civic League and; Whereas, only 30 cities in the United States were designated as All- America City Finalists and only three cities were so designated in the State of California and; Whereas, Oroville has traced its ``can do'' spirit from the rough- and-tumble days of the California Gold Rush to the glorious development of our Nation's railroads, to the timber boom and creation of an agricultural marketplace, to the building of Oroville Dam, the largest earth-filled dam in the United States, which created Lake Oroville with its 167 miles of scenic shoreline and; Whereas, the citizens of the Oroville community will be taking their ``can do'' spirit and pride to Ft. Worth, TX to bring back the title of being one of the 10 All-America Cities in the United States for 1996; Now, therefore, I Wally Herger, Member of the United States House of Representatives, consider it an honor and privilege to pay tribute and recognize this fine community and commend them upon their efforts in making Oroville an ``All America'' city each and every day of the year, and I urge my colleagues to join me in saluting them as an All-America City finalist for 1996. From the nuggets of the Gold Rush era to the energy and enthusiasm of the people of the 1990's, Oroville has been and will continue to remain for years to come the ``city with a heart of gold.''

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of repealing President Clinton's 4.3-cent-a-gallon gas tax increase. When the first Federal tax on gasoline was enacted in 1932, the tax was only one penny per gallon. Today, in certain areas of California, total Federal, State, and local gas taxes cost drivers 44 cents per gallon. This tax has a crushing impact on rural areas such as northern California where citizens are required to drive longer distances daily. Of all the Clinton tax increases, this was the most obvious Washington tax and spend money grab. This tax alone cost Americans $14 billion. And, contrary to popular belief, this $14 billion was not spent on building roads and bridges. Rather, it was diverted to pay for more big government Washington spending. I urge my colleagues to repeal this wrong-headed tax.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Chairman, in 1993 President Clinton took money and power away from the American people and our children and gave it to the Washington bureaucracy. President Clinton gave us our highest tax increase in our Nation's history, raising taxes on the American family to its highest level in history. Mr. Chairman, the Clinton tax bill included increased taxes on gasoline, increased taxes on family incomes, increased taxes on married couples, increased taxes on Social Security benefits, increased taxes on small business owners and increased taxes on property that parents leave their children. Today the average family pays more in taxes than it pays on food, clothing, and housing combined. Mr. Chairman, the Republican budget, on the other hand, lowers taxes by a net $121 billion and cuts Government in Washington so that the citizens of this great Nation can earn more and can keep more of what they earn and, therefore, be able to take better care of their families. Mr. Chairman, America needs the Republican budget before us today, a budget that shifts money and power and influence out of Washington and gives it back to the people. This is a historic debate about the role and the scope of Government in our lives, a debate of whether Washington will continue to tax more, spend more and regulate more or whether we will finally begin to reduce the size and scope and power of Washington. Support the Republican budget.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton has been absent on the war on drugs. Yet yesterday, after more than 3 years in office, President Clinton finally announced a plan to reduce illegal drug use. But Mr. Speaker, it would appear to be too little too late. President Clinton has backed down on the war on drugs. For example, it was President Clinton that only days after taking office, cut the Office of National Drug Control Policy by more than 80 percent. It is during the Clinton administration that drug use among children skyrocketed while interdiction and prosecution efforts dropped. It is during the Clinton administration that marijuana use among young people has increased 50 percent and has jumped 137 percent among 12- to 13-year-olds. Mr. Speaker, who is the President trying to kid? The President has dropped the ball on the war on drugs and now he's playing election year politics.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Gilbert Murray, former President of the California Forestry Association. Today marks the 1- year anniversary of Gil's tragic death at the hands of the Unabomber. Today, I will not dwell on the tragedy of Gil's death, but rather on the greatness of his life. Gil was a respected professional leader. He advocated good stewardship of our forests to keep them beautiful and productive for our children and grandchildren. More importantly, Gil was a leader in his home. Despite his professional commitments, he always made his family his priority. He was never too busy for his wife and two sons. In every way Gilbert Murray was an exemplary man. I speak for many in northern California in saying that we remember him fondly and miss him greatly.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, in 1996, an estimated 3.1 million self-employed Americans will be unfairly denied adequate tax relief for their health insurance costs. Individuals that receive health coverage through their employers do no pay taxes on those benefits while self-employed individuals are only allowed to deduct 30 percent of what they spend on health care insurance. Mr. Speaker, this mere 30 percent deduction inadequate, discriminatory, and discourages the self-employed from obtaining proper medical coverage and care. While this bill doesn't completely end this inequitable tax treatment of the self-employed, it moves us closer to that goal by increasing the health care deduction for the self-employed to 50 percent. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the self-employed in this country by adopting this much-needed legislation.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, just this past January President Clinton stood on this very House floor and proclaimed that the era of big government is over. Well, once again President Clinton's actions speak louder than his words. He's now threatening to shut down the Government again in an attempt to bully Congress into giving him $8 billion more in the appropriations bill to spend on his liberal agenda. Instead of working to balance the Federal budget, the President wants to increase spending in order to appease his liberal base of support in this election year. Mr. Speaker, this is not what the American people want. They want a smaller, less costly, more efficient Government. They want their elected officials to represent their priorities and their values, not Washington, DC, values. And, once again, the President has let the American people down by trying to increase, not decrease Government spending.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning, to recognize Clair A. Hill, an outstanding leader in the State of California. Mr. Hill has been an active public servant in northern California for 30 years and has served as chairman of the California Water Commission, a director of the California Chamber of Commerce, and an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His dedication to the balanced management of California's water supply was recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in its citizen award to him for outstanding lifelong commitment to the wise use and development of California's water resources. Mr. Speaker, I wish to submit for the Record the following written tribute to Mr. Hill in recognition of his distinguished public service and his extraordinary efforts to improve California water management. In Recognition of Clair A. Hill for Extraordinary Public Service Whereas, Clair A. Hill is leaving the California Water Commission after 30 years of public service on this body, his tenure having spanned the terms of seven governors; and Whereas, Mr. Hill began his service on the California Water Commission in 1949, when it was then known as the State Water Resources Board, and has ably served as Vice-Chair and Chair of that body; and Whereas, His interest in, and dedication to, multi-purposed coordinated management of California's water supply was recognized by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in its Citizen Award to him for ``outstanding lifelong commitment to the wise use and development of California's water resources''; and Whereas, Mr. Hill's history of involvement in water resources management at the statewide level is demonstrated by his long association with the California Water Plan. In 1957, he signed the State Water Resources Board's letter transmitting Department of Water Resources Bulletin 3, the first California water plan. In his most recent term on the California Water Commission, he participated in the Commission public hearing on the latest update of the plan; and Whereas, As fishery issues have increasingly becoming become an important component of water resources management, Mr. Hill has represented the California Water Commission before Congress and before federal agencies to seek funding for needed federal fishery restoration projects; and Whereas, Mr. Hill has been a lifelong resident of northern California, having been founder and president of the Redding engineering firm of Clair A. Hill and Associates, now grown to the international firm of CH2MHill. In addition to his participation on the California Water Commission, he has served as a director of the California Chamber of Commerce and has been involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers; and Whereas, Mr. Hill's wealth of knowledge on California water resources management and long experience in helping the State meet its water supply needs have made him an invaluable asset to the Water Commission; Now, therefore, We express our sincere thanks to Mr. Hill for his service to the people of California and of the Nation, and commend him for his personal and professional contributions throughout his career to help improve California water management.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning, to recognize Clair A. Hill, an outstanding leader in the State of California. Mr. Hill has been an active public servant in northern California for 30 years and has served as chairman of the California Water Commission, a director of the California Chamber of Commerce and an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His dedication to the balanced management of California's water supply was recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in its citizen award to him for outstanding lifelong commitment to the wise use and development of California's water resources. Mr. Speaker, I wish to submit for the Record the following written tribute to Mr. Hill in recognition of his distinguished public service and his extraordinary efforts to improve California water management. Thank you. In Recognition of Clair A. Hill for Extraordinary Public Service Whereas, Clair A. Hill is leaving the California Water Commission after 30 years of public service on that body, his tenure having spanned the terms of seven governors; and Whereas, Mr. Hill began his service on the California Water Commission in 1949, when it was then known as the State Water Resources Board, and has ably served as Vice-Chair and Chair of that body; and Whereas, His interest in, and dedication to, multi-purposes coordinated management of California's water supply was recognized by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in its Citizen Award to him for ``outstanding lifelong commitment to the wise use and development of California's water resources''; and Whereas, Mr. Hill's history of involvement in water resources management at the statewide level is demonstrated by his long association with the California Water Plan. In 1957, he signed the State Water Resources Board's letter transmitting Department of Water Resources Bulletin 3, the first California water plan. In his most recent term on the California Water Commission, he participated in the Commission public hearing on the latest update of the plan; and Whereas, As fishery issues have increasingly become an important component of water resources management, Mr. Hill has represented the California Water Commission before Congress and before federal agencies to seek funding for needed federal fishery restoration projects; and Whereas, Mr. Hill has been a lifelong resident of northern California, having been founder and present of the Redding engineering firm of Clair A. Hill and Associates, now grown to the international firm of CH2MHill. In addition to his participation on the California Water Commission, he has served as a director of the California Chamber of Commerce and has been involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers; and Whereas, Mr. Hill's wealth of knowledge on California water resources management and long experience in helping the State meet its water supply needs have made him an invaluable asset to the Water Commission; Now, Therefore, I express my sincere thanks to Mr. Hill for his service to the people of California and of the Nation, and commend him for his personal and professional contributions throughout his career to helping improve California water management. Wally Herger.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, it is a great day to be a conservative Republican because last night the President came over to our side. He even declared an end to big government. Last night the President gave a ringing endorsement of the Republican revolution. He wants tax relief for working Americans. He wants a balanced budget. He wants to save Medicare from bankruptcy. He spoke of the importance of the family. He even advocated a get-tough policy on illegal immigration. Now that the President has come over, I now extend an invitation to my Democrat colleagues here in the House to join the cause of lower taxes and less government. Just in case my colleagues cannot wait, I brought along a change of party form that I am sure will be quite useful. Again, I welcome the President to the party of real balanced budgets, real welfare reform and lower taxes.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2072.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, $5 trillion of debt, $200 billion deficits, $187,000 in interest debt for a child born today. These are the hard numbers--the facts that back up the need for a balanced budget. I could stand here all day and talk numbers. But, the fact is, Mr. Speaker, balancing the budget is not about numbers--it is about people. People like our children and grandchildren that will bear the burden of today's fiscal irresponsibility. It is about letting taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money. It is about who can spend money better, the Federal Government or the American family. It is about lower interest rates so families can afford to buy a home and live the American dream. Mr. Speaker, the Republican Congress is serious about balancing the budget--the President needs to start doing what he said he would do, and work with this Congress to give the American people what they deserve--a balanced budget.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton has abandoned his commitment to balance the budget in 7 years. Still, after four attempts, the Clinton budget maintains a $426 billion deficit over 7 years. Just 30 days ago the President signed a promise to the American people, and I quote, ``The President and Congress shall enact legislation to achieve a balanced budget no later than fiscal year 2002.'' The President has broken his word. Vote ``no'' on the President's massive $426 billion unbalanced budget.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, in their zeal to defend the status quo, President Clinton and his Democrat allies in the Congress have inundated Americans with a barrage of misinformation about the Republican plan to balance the budget. So let me make the distinction between Clinton fiction and the plain facts. Fiction: The Republican plan to balance the budget cuts education. Fact: Funds for student loans rise from $24 billion to $36 billion, and the maximum Pell grant goes up to its highest level ever. Fiction: Our plan cuts Medicare. Fact: Medicare spending will increase by 7.2 percent, more than double the rate of inflation, each year. That is an increase from $4,800 to $7,100 per beneficiary. Only in Washington would a 50-percent increase be called a cut. Mr. Speaker, when the facts are laid out, the American people support our plan to balance the budget. Let us give them the best Christmas present ever. I say to the President, support our balanced budget.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, December 13 on rollcall vote No. 850, H.R. 1868, the conference report making appropriations for Foreign operations for fiscal year 1996, I was inadvertently recorded as a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the voters of California for looking behind the outrageous smear campaign run by the Democrats for California's 15th District special election. My colleagues across the aisle are in desperate straits these days and they, unfortunately, have resorted to desperate tactics. Nevertheless, California voters yesterday cast a strong vote for fiscal responsibility, for straight talk on the problems our country faces, and for a new vision. Make no mistake, Tom Campbell won on the issues. His impressive victory reaffirms my belief that the big truth beats the big lie any day of the week, especially on election day. I would like to welcome Tom as the 236th member of the Republican Conference. I look forward to working with him to truly address the concerns of all Americans.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, this so called mission is not--as the President would have us think--a peacekeping mission--this is a peacemaking mission. How can we commit our troops to keep a peace that does not even exist? Why should U.S. blood be spilled for a cause that is not in the interest of the American people? Mr. Speaker, what will we tell these brave soldiers' parents that their children died for? Remember the lessons of Somalia and Beirut. Vote for the Dornan bill.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2243, the Trinity River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Reauthorization Act of 1995. I wish to acknowledge and thank my colleague, Frank Riggs, and his staff for their efforts to bring this legislation to the floor. I also wish to thank Chairman Saxton, Chairman Doolittle, Chairman Young, and their staff for their help and cooperation moving H.R. 2243 through committee. Mr. Speaker, the reauthorization of the Trinity River restoration program enjoys broad support from the residents of Trinity County in northern California. Congress authorized the restoration program in 1984 to study the effect of increased stream flow and watershed rehabilitation within the Trinity River system. The primary purpose of the program is to restore fish habitat that was lost due to the construction of Lewiston and Trinity Dams. The program gives priority to rehabilitating spawning areas for winter and spring-run chinook salmon. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2243 extends the Trinity River program for 3 years. This will authorize completion of an environmental impact statement that the Secretary of the Interior will use to establish an adequate stream flow for salmon populations. It will also authorize additional river bank restoration projects intended to maximize the effectiveness of streamflow modifications. As members of the California delegation can attest, our State's water supply, particularly within the Central Valley project, is used for a variety of important purposes and is constantly stretched to the limit. Efficient water use is therefore, essential to meeting the demands of the future. H.R. 2243 will maximize water use within the Trinity River system by helping to establish an appropriate balance between riverbank restoration and stream flow. The benefits of this balance will be rejuvenated fisheries and a more stable long-term supply of water for counties of origin, recreation, agriculture, wildlife habitat, industry, and a host of other important water uses. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note that a letter has been sent to Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary General of the United Nations, demanding that the United Nations get involved in seeking the release of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Indian human rights activist who was kidnapped by the police outside his house in Amritsar on September 6. Here it is early December and his whereabouts are still unknown. Mr. Khalra was kidnapped after publishing a report which showed that the Indian regime had kidnapped more than 25,000 young Sikh men, tortured them, murdered them, then declared their bodies unidentified and cremated them. The police chief of Tarn Taran, Ajit S. Sandhu, reportedly told Mr. Khalra, ``We made 25,000 disappear. It would not be hard to make one more disappear.'' Amnesty International reports that for this threat, Mr. Sandhu was recently transferred to another district. Transfer is the most severe punishment a police official faces. As Amnesty International said in its report entitled ``Determining the fate of the disappeared in Punjab,'' ``Punjab police have been allowed to commit human rights violations with impunity.'' Recently, the United Nations spoke out strongly against the executions of nine political activists in Nigeria. That was the right thing to do. People should not be killed or abducted and tortured for expressing political opinions or for exposing abuses of the rights of others. Yet the United Nations has not spoken up against the illegal detention of Mr. Khalra, the ongoing illegal detention of more than 70,000 other Sikhs under a repressive, expired law known as Tada, which has been discussed in this House many times, or any of India's massive abuses of the fundamental human rights of Sikhs and other minorities. This is the same United Nations, by the way, under whose auspices President Clinton is sending 20,000 Americans to keep a very fragile peace in Bosnia. Why won't the Secretary General speak out against human rights abuses in India, one of the most oppressive and corrupt countries in the world? Is it because India falsely claims to be a ``democracy''? It is time for the United Nations to condemn human rights violations in India as it does so effectively around the world.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, when President Clinton vetoed the Balanced Budget Act yesterday, not only did he reject the first balanced budget to hit the President's desk in 25 years, he also vetoed the only plan that will save Medicare for the next generation. Under the Republican budget plan, Medicare spending per beneficiary will increase over the next 7 years from $4,800 to $7,100 and the Democrats call that an unacceptable, draconian cut. The last time I checked, going from $4,800 to $7,100 is an increase, not a cut. Mr. Speaker, it's time for the President to get his priorities in order. Does he want to help deliver a balanced budget to America, or does he want to try to demagogue the issue for political pints. The Republican majority wants a balanced budget. The American people want a balanced budget. It's time for the President to show leadership--give us a balanced budget.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, the current trend in deficit spending cannot be sustained. Without the Balanced Budget Act of 1995, Americans will experience increased interest rates, higher taxes and a lower standard of living for our children and grandchildren. Past spending has left a $5 trillion legacy of debt to future generations. For example, a child born today will pay $187,000 in taxes just to pay for interest on the debt and a 21-year-old faces a bill of $115,000 in taxes. Mr. Speaker, the time has come to say ``no'' to fiscal irresponsibility and say ``yes'' to an economically sound and rejuvenated America. It is our moral imperative to vote for this, the first balanced budget in 26 years. Mr. Speaker, we have kept our promises for America's families, for America's future.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, why is President Clinton insisting on sending 25,000 American troops into Bosnia where a number of them will most certainly die? We cannot take this situation lightly. Submitting our young men and women into a battle region is a dangerous proposition at best, yet President Clinton has still failed to articulate just what U.S. interest is at stake that requires putting American combat troops in war-torn Bosnia. Mr. Speaker, why should U.S. blood be spilled for a cause that is better handled within the European Community? What will we tell these brave soldiers' parents? What will we say their children died for? Mr. Speaker, I do not believe President Clinton has answers to these questions. The administration should remember the lessons of Somalia and Beirut. When we commit U.S. troops to unstable regions of the world without a defined mission, Americans die. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, what will a balanced budget mean to the American family? Economists predict that balancing the budget will bring about a 2- percent drop in the interest rates. On an average 30-year home mortgage of $75,000, families will save $37,000 over the life of that loan. On an average 10-year student loan of $11,000, graduates will save $2,160 over the life of that loan. And on an average 4-year car loan of $15,000, families will save $900 over the life of the loan. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about real savings for all Americans. The economic future of our country is at stake. No more excuses. No more gimmicks. The time has come to balance the Federal budget. Americans deserve the chance to realize the savings that a balanced budget will bring to their family.

Mr. HERGER

Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend one of my northern California constituents, Mr. Dino Corbin. As the general manager of KHSL-TV in Chico, CA, Mr. Corbin showed great courage and leadership by canceling the Jenny Jones Talk Show and replacing it with more family- oriented programs. In a television world that is becoming increasingly seamy, Mr. Corbin is the first and only broadcaster to stand up for the standards and best interests of his community of which he is morally and legally bound to uphold. Instead of mindlessly exploiting the problems of our culture, the television industry and all Americans should be working to solve them. As a concerned parent and legislator, I congratulate and thank Mr. Corbin for his courage and unwavering moral judgment and hope that the television industry heeds this call.