Ron Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Absolutely, and you know the other side keeps saying Contract on America instead of what we actually signed was a Contract With America, and I would like to say right now the Contract With America is not a Republican contract, it is an American contract that the Republicans signed onto to do the will of the American people. And let me say if there is a Contract on America, it has been the last 30 years of a welfare system that has destroyed individuals and families.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. The bottom line is that the War on Poverty has not taken care of poverty. I ask, ``Isn't it true we have more poverty now than when we started?''

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Good

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Yes.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield my time right now to my good friend from Ohio to start us off this evening.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. I think it goes back to what I said earlier, that we are keeping a contract that we signed, that the American people gave to us. We found out what they wanted, and we said we are going to do it, and we are. We are going to keep our word and we are going to do it. And we are going to reform the welfare system and make it work for people that have real needs.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. You know, there is one thing though that I have noticed in the debate the last few days that I do not think our friends on the other side of the aisle are too willing to give, and that is a tax break to the middle class of this country.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Hayworth, I just want to add to that. Another tragedy, and you have just led up to that, is that the average family, the working family, we hear the working class and the working family, the working family today is paying on an average 40 percent of their income in State and local and Federal taxes, 40-plus. If you add in the hidden taxes, it is probably reaching close to 50 percent, utility taxes, gasoline taxes. That is a tragedy. We wonder why mothers and fathers are both having to work. Because they have to pay their Federal bill. That is a burden that cannot go on. And that is why we are trying to fix this system so that we can have good, wholesome, strong, prosperous families all across this Nation.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, straight from the Democratic Party propaganda room, I give you the Washington Post's latest poll that says the momentum of the Republican Contract With America is slowing down. Mr. Speaker, it is polls like this and scare mongering by our opponents that has given America 40 years of one party rule, bloated budgets, arrogance, and a country on the verge of bankruptcy. Are the Republicans cutting wasteful spending? Are we working toward a balanced budget? Have we begun to end the arrogance of Washington knows best? And are we working hard to keep our word to the American people? The answer is yes. Our journey is a difficult one. Fighting the scare tactics of the ``let's party on'' crown has not and will not be easy. But the American people know better. the 1992 election and ended up with the ``let's party on'' crowd's higher taxes, more Government spending, and a proposal for Government run health care. But the 1994 election was different. And despite the naysayers who will fight our efforts every day preserving the status quo, we will succeed in cutting the waste and making Government less costly and less intrusive.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Stump amendment to this rescission package. Let me explain why. First of all, the Stump amendment does not lessen this package of much-needed reductions. We'll pay for it by reducing what American taxpayers are forced to shell out for a Federal volunteer program, AmeriCorps. The rescissions bill is still a $17 billion blow to big government-- and a $17 billion victory for the American taxpayer. Mr. Chairman, a conservative view of the Federal Government's role holds that there aren't really that many things the Federal Government needs to be involved in. Most Americans don't believe that everything good has to come from a Washington politician or bureaucrat. We should all realize that a monstrous, expensive Federal Government is threatening our way of life. But among the chief missions only the Federal Government can fulfill is that of national security. And Mr. Chairman, an effective military demands that we take proper care of the men and women who have put their lives on the line for our country. It also happens to be the honorable thing to do. But we have not always done so in the past. The military is not an easy way of life--even in peacetime. Service men and women usually have little choice over their duty station. They spend months at sea, or in a tent--away from their loved ones. And if we go to war, they can be ordered to the front lines to possibly lay down their lives for our country. Of course, even in peacetime, the military can be a dangerous profession. Mr. Chairman, the 104th Congress must do a better job of taking care of our active duty and retired military personnel. We began to address the needs of our active duty service men and women with the National Security Restoration Act. The Stump amendment will save $156 million for veterans and help us address their needs. The sad fact is that America has often betrayed its veterans in the past. How many of the brave men and women of Operation Desert Storm are sick and don't know why? Thousands of young men and women in the prime of their lives--many of them reservists--don't have the energy to return to work. We owe it to them to see that they're taken care of. We are cutting dozens of big government programs today, Mr. Chairman--many of which are duplicated elsewhere, or filled with waste, fraud and abuse. But I suggest now is not the time to turn away from the needs of our men and women in uniform. Mr. Chairman, I will vote ``yes'' for the Stump amendment today. And I urge my colleagues to devote some of their energy in the future to taking better care for those who have taken care of us.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in favor of the Condit amendment to H.R. 450--the Regulatory Transition Act. Let me tell you a little story about an animal called the copper- belly water snake. It's a nonpoisonous snake that ranges from Michigan to Kentucky-- mostly in the wetlands. Now by all accounts it's a very nice snake. And those of us from farm States know that snakes provide a useful service removing rodents and other nuisances. But if the copper-belly water snake is added to the threatened species list, thousands of farmers throughout Kentucky could be out of work. We've heard too many such stories: The farmer who accidentally ran over an endangered mouse. Or the man who killed a rat in his basement, only to find out that it was a protected species. What sort of fine might a Kentucky farmer be forced to pay if he accidentally ran over a copper-belly water snake? Would the regulatory forces that serve as judge, jury, and executioner impound his tractor? Our farmers are generally the best stewards of our land. They have to be--their crops depend on fertile soil and clean air and water. The men and women who literally make their living off the land are already suffering due to overzealous regulators. The coal industry could also be affected by the copper-belly water snake. Nearly 500 people in the western Kentucky county of Daviess still depend on coal-mining to put bread on the table. Are we to shut down the few remaining mines if a copper-belly water snake decides to go undergound? Let me again say, Mr. Chairman, that I have no quarrel with the copper-belly water snake. I've certainly never been bitten by one. But I urge my colleagues to support the amendment to H.R. 450--so that our farmers, miners, and indeed all of us aren't bitten by the latest version of the snail darter or spotted owl.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, as the rock band Queen so gracefully put it, ``And another one's gone, and another one's gone, and another one bites the dust.'' With the passage of the final part of the crime package last night, the Contract With America smoothly continues on its way toward completion by mid-April. But we still have plenty of work to do. Today we begin the important task of rebuilding our military after years of neglect under the Clinton administration. We simply cannot afford to continue on our current path, which will surely lead to a hollow force reminiscent of the Carter years. We simply cannot continue putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. We saw how deadly that can be in Somalia. And we must increase the readiness and training of our forces while providing them with the hardware they need to do their job properly. The said fact is that this administration has ignored the needs of the military and endangered the future of our national security. All that changes today.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I believe all of us agree that a strong military was a prime factor in the end of the cold war and won a stunning victory in the Persian Gulf, but events over the past few years have shown that though the cold war is over, we still live in a very dangerous world. It is not just our side of the aisle that recognizes our military is stretched too thin. We have cut too far, too fast. And these massive cuts have been multiplied by our military being ordered to build nations in places where we have no vital national interest. Places like Somalia and Haiti. Meanwhile, even top Pentagon officials admit we need to commit more resources to training in places like Fort Knox in my district, facilities vital to keep our service men and women well prepared. H.R. 7 allows a bipartisan panel to review our military in light of yesterday's mistakes and tomorrow's challenges. And perhaps most important, H.R. 7 will keep our men and women in the armed services from being placed under command of another country. We are still the leaders of the free world, Mr. Chairman. The men and women in our armed services have given their all to our country. H.R. 7 is an important step toward ensuring we do the same for them.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, some of the President's remarks last night gave us reason to hope. The President has done that before. However, let us remember that hopeful rhetoric does not always lead to action. I know what kind of action the American people want. Back in November the voters sent us a message--it is time to change Congress, no more overbloated, big spending, big government status quo. The American people demand change. Republicans are working to keep our promise to the American people. We are committed to reducing the size, scope, and cost of our Federal Government. We are passing unfunded mandates legislation and balancing the budget because that is what the American people want. They want no rhetoric, just action. I hope the President's party will join us in a bipartisan way to deliver the people the action they want.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, tonight, as the President addresses the Nation, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reflect on what they have done to reform the government. Have they come out in support of a tax-limitation, balanced budget amendment? Have they fought to reform unfunded mandates, have they embraced the Republican-led changes in the way the Congress does business? Or have they fought the reforms put forth? Have they tried to filibuster, delay, and destroy the Contract With America? Mr. Speaker, many House Democrats, guardians of the failed past, have come to the floor today and in the past weeks for one reason, to stop needed reform of this Congress. They attack Republicans on irrelevant issues. They complain about fair procedures, they whine when we make necessary cuts. The time has come to stop this silly bickering, this endless partisanship. Let us work together to complete the Contract With America and restore the people's faith in their Congress.

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky

Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. Mr. Speaker, people across the country sent this institution a message last November. They said we are sick and tired of big Government telling us how to run our lives. I believe the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act is a vital step toward showing we heard what the people had to say and that we are doing something about it. If we are serious about reducing the size and intrusiveness of the Federal Government, we should pass this bill. We have to stop passing the cost of our big ideas back to our State and local governments. I don't doubt that many of the unfunded mandates passed by this institution were well-intended. The American people do need and they do deserve clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. But it is well past time the Federal Government begins to get a little more honest about the cost of the laws we pass. Our mayors, our county judge executives, our Governors, have been pleading with us to quit passing the buck for many years now. Yet the House of Representatives, the people's House, has all too often refused to listen. We need to remember that our actions have an impact on the folks back home. New laws and regulations cost money, and it is not our money we are spending. It is the people's money. And if we are going to spend the people's money, they deserve to know what it is for and why. Mr. Speaker, it is time to clean up our act. If we need to pass new laws and regulations, let us be honest about their cost. Let us provide the money so that folks back home do not pay higher taxes and user fees. Let us show the leadership that the people sent us here to provide. Let us listen to the people.