Gene Taylor

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on the evening of Monday, July 10th, I was unavoidably detained because of inclement weather in Atlanta which caused the cancellation of my connecting flight from Mississippi to Washington, DC. Due to this circumstance, I missed rollcall votes 373 through 378. If I had been able to vote, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 373, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 374, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 375, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 376, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 377, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 378.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I believe we have an agreement on the amendment.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, again I have already spoken to the Majority and Minority on this. They have been very helpful. It is the reallocation of some funds for wildlife conservation. I appreciate everyone's assistance on it.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, what is interesting today is what is not being said. Our Nation is $5.7 trillion in debt. Five trillion dollars' worth of that debt was acquired by Congress in our lifetimes. Most of it since 1980. We are squandering a billion dollars a day on interest on that debt. The Joint Chiefs of Staff testified that we have a $100 billion shortfall in our military. The Shows bill which would provide relief to our veterans and military retirees has 300 cosponsors, but the Republican leadership will not bring it to the floor because they say we do not have $5 billion a year to cover that cost. So I have to admit I find it a bit unusual that the Republican leadership can find $50 billion a year to give the wealthiest 2 percent of all Americans a free ride on this. I hope someone will explain that.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I hope during the course of this debate someone will explain to me how a Nation that is $5.7 trillion in debt; a Nation that squanders $1 billion a day in interest on that debt; a Congress that during their lifetimes saw the debt rise by $4.7 trillion; a Congress that is delaying the pay of the troops in the military from September 29 to October 1 in a budget game to move that $2.5 billion expense to the next fiscal year, no big deal for a Congressman, big deal for an E2 or an E3 when they do not have money for diapers or formula that weekend; a Congress that will not vote on the Shows bill to help our Nation's veterans and military retirees because they say we do not have the $5 billion, but this same Congress is now saying we are going to ignore the fact that we owe the Social Security Trust Fund $800 billion, we are going to ignore the $1 billion a day we are paying in interest on that debt, and we are going to give the wealthiest two percent of all Americans a tax break. If they earn $650,000, they pay taxes on it. But they can inherit $650,000 and pay nothing. That is the present law. So we are really talking about things above that. And if it happens to be a couple, then it is $1.3 million. Yes, there are some farmers who are the unfortunate victims of the inflation value of their acreage. Yes, there are some small business owners. Let us gear this bill to take care of them instead of helping the folks who have the most, who, in all probability, benefit when we borrow money because they sell us the T bills, and they are already getting the interest on that debt and all we are going to do is pass this generation's bills on to our children. I will not do that as an individual. I will not do that as a Congressman.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time, 1\1/2\ minutes, to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones), another key member of the House Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the Buyer plan calls for a very limited program that would end in 2003. The Taylor plan calls for a nationwide program that would begin now and remain as long as we are a republic. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), one of the sponsors of the Taylor amendment.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me point out a couple of things. The Taylor amendment does not deprive any single program of one cent. It is an expansion of health care made permanent in military installations. The Buyer bill, throughout the entirety of the bill, says ``may be carried out at a limited number of places'' and it expires in 2003. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, in addition to the broad base of congressional support, the Taylor amendment has been endorsed by the Military Coalition, a group of 24 veterans groups; the National Military Veterans Alliance; the Retired Officers Association; and the Retired Enlisted Association. It has also been endorsed by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) to whom I yield 2 minutes. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, let me point out that General Ryan is a four-star general. When he retires, the private sector will be beating his door down to offer him outstanding opportunities. I am more concerned with the sergeants and chief petty officers who do not have that financial security, and that is why we are trying to make Medicare Subvention on a nationwide basis for all military retirees. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), the ranking Democrat on the Committee on the Budget and the senior member of the House Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member of the House Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, keeping our word to our Nation's military retirees is not an option. Ten Members of Congress have cosponsored this amendment. They are the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scarborough), the gentlemen from North Carolina, Mr. Jones and Mr. Hefley, on the Republican side; the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez), the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) on the Democratic side. We believe, Democrats and Republicans, that it is time we keep our word.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I have the greatest respect for the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), but if the gentleman from Texas had read the Buyer amendment, he would notice that it limits the number of sites where Medicare subvention will be allowed; it says it may be carried out, it does not say it shall be carried out, and it expires in 2003. Quite frankly, our Nation's military retirees are tired of being told maybe, sort of, kind of, if we get around to it. The Taylor amendment says we are going to do it, we are going to fulfill the promise. The Buyer amendment says we might. It is that simple. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows), the champion in the United States Congress as far as health care for military veterans and military retirees.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, again in addition to the Military Coalition, the National Military Veterans Alliance, the Retired Officers Association, the Retired Enlisted Association who have all come out in favor of the Taylor amendment is the Colonel from the Tennessee National Guard, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) to whom I yield 2 minutes.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I would say to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), I have the luxury of a team that is going to win on this. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), another key member of that team, and a member of the House Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I would again like to remind everyone that the Taylor amendment has been endorsed by the Military Coalition, the National Military and Veterans Alliance, the Retired Officers Association and the Retired Enlisted Association. A week from Monday we will all be honoring our veterans at Memorial Day. We are going to honor them for what they have done, the many who died, the so many who were away from their families, who lost their sight, their limbs, their loved ones. What better way to honor our veterans than to finally say to them we are going to keep our word, we are going to fulfill the promise that was made to you the day you enlisted? Mr. Chairman, I attended Walter Jones Sr.'s funeral, and I remember the preacher saying a quote by a man named Everett Hale, he was using it to describe Walter, Sr. He said ``I am but one, but I am one; I can't do everything, but I can do something; and those things that I can do, I should do, and, with the help of God, I will do.'' We are 435 Members of Congress, given the awesome opportunity to do what is right for our Nation's veterans. I am asking Members to step forward. We are not going to solve every problem in the world, there will still be other things. But we have the opportunity to do what is right for our Nation's military retirees, to say to them we are going to fulfill the promise at every base hospital in America, for every one of you, and it is forever. We are not going to cut you off in 4 years. We are going to keep our word. Let us do what we can to make the world a better place. Let us fulfill our promise to our military retirees.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings). (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, the Taylor amendment tells the Department of Defense to do it and we tell HCFA to pay for it. Our Nation's military retirees kept their word; we want our Nation to keep its word. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Clement), a recently-retired Colonel from the Army National Guard.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, for the past half of a century people wearing the uniform of the United States of America in federally-owned buildings have been telling young 18-, 17-, 19-, and 20-year-old enlistees that if they served their country honorably for 20 years, that upon retirement they would receive free health care for them and their spouse in a military facility for the rest of their lives. By and large, our Nation did a pretty good job of honoring that promise until about a decade ago. Then, with the demise of the Soviet Union, the subsequent drawdown, the subsequent reductions in the defense budget, the military health care system started telling these military retirees when they hit 65, we are sorry, we cannot see you anymore. Go see a doctor out in Medicare. They justifiably feel betrayed, and betrayed is the proper word. They were made a promise. They kept their end of the promise, and their Nation let them down. Today I am going to ask my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to honor that promise. After all, great nations keep their word. I am asking us to take a major step that would allow these military retirees to continue to go to the base hospital, and upon reaching their 65th birthday, Medicare would reimburse that base hospital. It would make this program nationwide, available at every military medical facility, and it would make this program permanent. Why is this program important? Today in America, people will be retiring from the Armed Forces. When they retire and choose their retirement home, in many instances they do so near a military facility because they want to be able to use that hospital. I want those people who choose a house, who choose a retirement home, to know that this is going to be the law of the land forever, and that our Nation has failed them, but we will fail them no more. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the Taylor amendment. This is the beginning of what is going to be an hour-long debate. My colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), is going to try to gut the Taylor amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, we are talking about surplus equipment. The military has made the decision to surplus these things. I am not telling them to surplus it. Once they make that decision, the question is then should the American taxpayers get the benefit through their counties, through their cities, or should someone else? The gentleman would deprive them of those benefits. I think that is a bad idea.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Bateman) for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I take this opportunity to say that the National Sheriffs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Airborne Law Enforcement Association all oppose the Sanford amendment, but I would also remind him that Charleston County is the beneficiary of this. They have received a helicopter, as has Greenville County, South Carolina; as has Lexington County, South Carolina; as has Saluda County; as has the South Carolina Law Enforcement Divisions. Actually, this is a very good program. The taxpayers paid for these things. It makes sense that our underfunded cities and counties should be able to use them before some foreign country gets them. That is why we changed the law about 8 years ago to give the American taxpayer preference for these things. We should leave the law as it is.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina.

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi

Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule. For those who followed it yesterday, I was very concerned that an amendment that would have fulfilled the promise of lifetime health care for our Nation's military retirees was not included in the rule yesterday. It is today. We will have an opportunity to vote on this amendment, which would make Medicare subvention the law of the land permanently. This amendment has been endorsed by the military coalition, the 24 organizations that the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) just made reference to, the National Military Veterans Alliance, the Retired Officers Association, and the Retired Enlisted Association. I am very pleased that the Committee on Rules has seen to it that Members will have an opportunity to vote for it. I would also ask my fellow colleagues to support it without being amended. I think it is important that we fulfill the promise that was made. Retirees, quite frankly, have been getting jacked around for a long time. They do not need any more demonstrations, more promises, they do not need any more half-hearted efforts. They need the promise that was made to them on the day that they enlisted to be fulfilled. The promise was free lifetime health care for them and their spouse at a military facility for the rest of their lives. That is what we are trying to do. I am going to vote in support of this rule so this amendment can be voted on. I am going to ask all of my colleagues to vote for it. I would remind my colleagues that this amendment has five Republican cosponsors, five Democratic cosponsors, and I sure as heck would like to see every Member of this body vote for it.