Pat Toomey

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds to respond. First of all, as my colleague, I would think, would be aware, the budget rules of this House simply require the emergency designation in order for this to take place. There is no avoiding that, given those rules. And I am really amazed at the suggestion that if it were not for this suggestion this money would be used to retire debt, because the best I can see, for the last 30 years anyway, there has never been any money that has been allowed to sit in the Treasury account for the purpose of retiring the debt. It always gets spent. That is why this amendment is very necessary to prevent that from happening. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon).

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the CATs budget for many reasons, but in particular I would like to emphasize the principal statement that this budget makes regarding true, meaningful Social Security reform by acknowledging the need to create personal savings accounts. What we are talking about in this budget is first of all that the CATs budget sets aside every penny of Social Security surplus dollars for Social Security, not to be spent on other programs. We do that because we recognize we have got a sacred obligation to honor the promise we have made to senior citizens, those who are at or near retirement. They need to have this program ensured for their benefit. But we also acknowledge that that alone does not solve the problems facing our Social Security system. But one way to solve that problem is to allow younger workers the opportunity to take a portion of the payroll tax they already pay and put that into accounts that they would own and control. They could invest and that savings would grow and provide the basis for their future benefits and their retirement, giving them more security and a better retirement than the current system promises and cannot deliver. This would be a permanent solution to the unfunded liability problem of Social Security. It would grant unprecedented freedom to working people who currently do not have the opportunity to make this kind of savings because the payroll tax takes it away from them. We know this will cost money. This CATs budget is honest enough to acknowledge that it will cost money and create a mechanism that would provide the flexibility to fund that transition of one of our most important programs in the history of this government to one that would have long-term financial stability and provide enormous freedom to the working people of America.

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. The Republican budget as we have heard tonight has six key features, and I want to take a moment to talk about one of them, which is tax relief for hard-working Americans. When we talk about Federal taxes, it is useful to consider the overall context of the Federal budget here. Let us remember, Federal spending is higher than it has ever been. Federal taxes are higher than any peacetime in our Nation's history. As we heard earlier, about 21 percent of our entire economic output goes to the Federal Government. What the Republican budget does is it says after we set aside all of the Social Security funds for Social Security and to retire debt and after we pay down $1 trillion in debt over the next 5 years and after we set aside $40 billion of additional funding for Medicare over the next 5 years, and after rebuilding our national defense and reprioritizing funding for elementary and secondary education; after all of that, there is still an unprecedented surplus projected as far as the eye can see. When taxpayers are paying more money than it takes to fund all of that, then it is obvious to me that taxes are just too high. So the Republican budget offers a modest but a meaningful measure of tax relief and tax fairness. We need to lower taxes and restore to working Americans some more of their freedom to decide how they want to spend their own money. Our colleagues with this amendment are offering a tiny, little, merely symbolic, but not a real meaningful tax cut. It is just not enough. Let us remember, when the Federal Government takes people's money away from them, it is taking part of their freedom away. This is money that the government takes from hardworking Americans that they will never be free to spend for themselves as they see fit. It is money that takes time to earn and that means time taken away that folks could spend doing other things like maybe spending more time with their children, maybe caring for an elderly family member, maybe volunteering in their community, or just enjoying some leisure time. At a time of already huge government spending, record high Federal taxes, it is unconscionable at this point not to provide the American people with the opportunity to keep a little bit more of the money that they earn. The Republican budget strikes the right balance. No more raiding of the Social Security surplus for the second consecutive year. Funding America's priorities like national defense and education, retiring a trillion dollars of debt over 5 years in tax relief for an overtaxed Nation. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment with its puny, little tax cut and, instead, support the Republican budget.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a group of my constituents who do volunteer work helping others in my district. Over 300 volunteers at the Good Shepherd rehabilitation facility recently received Raker Memorial Awards for their service. These volunteers contributed over 38,000 hours of service in 1999, helping to improve the lives of thousands of people in the community. From assisting residents with their chores to inspiring them during difficult physical therapy, the acts of these volunteers show the depth of their generosity and compassion. The volunteers help individuals with disabilities achieve their full potential, and represent a light of hope to the entire community. I applaud Good Shepherd's wonderful volunteers for providing a service that aids so many members of the Lehigh Valley community. Mr. Speaker, all the volunteers at the Good Shepherd rehabilitation facility are Lehigh Valley Heroes. List of honorees Mr. Bruce Achey, Ms. Edna Adams, Mr. David Allen, Ms. Janet Ober, Ms. Althea Axe, Ms. Veronica Baker, Ms. Lucille Balzano, Ms. Virginia Bankhard, Ms. Betty Barrall, Ms. Rachael Bartek, Ms. Kathleen Batz, Ms. Shirley Baum, Ms. Christine Beck, Mr. James Beck, Ms. Dori Ann Becker, Mr. Michael Beecham, Ms. Diane Beil, Mr. Joseph Bemolas, Mr. Nicholas Bolling, Jean Borchick, Ms. Michelle Botelho, Ms. Evelyn Bouchat, Ms. Diane Bozzelli, Ms. Marilyn Breitenfeld, Ms. Sarah Brint, Ms. Donna Buzby, Ms. Heather Capuano, Mr. Matthew Cascioli, Mr. Vincent Carvallaro, Ms. Sandra Christman. Ms. Sara Christman, Ms. Lois Cocanougher, Ms. Barbara Colby, Mr. James Collins, Mr. Frank Conlon, Richard Covert, M.D., Ms. Gloria Cowdrick, Mr. James Craig, Ms. Amber Cromer, Ms. Shannin Crone, Ms. Krystal Cruz, Mr. William Czar, Ms. Katie Czekner, Mr. Michael Daniels, Ms. Heather Deeble, Mr. Stephen DeLacy, Ms. Dorothy DeLazaro, Mr. Michael Delgrosso, Ms. Sarah D'Emilio, Ms. Ashley Donchez, Ms. Mary Dreisbach, Mr. Nathan Druckenmiller, Ms. Patricia Engler, Ms. Jill Farrara, Ms. Catherine Favata, Jean Feldman, Ms. Linda Ferrol, Ms. Elizabeth Fillman, Mr. Joseph Fischl, Ms. Jennifer Fleck. Ms. Nichol Foster, Ms. Irene Francoeur, Ms. Janet Frederick, Ms. Lauren Gallagher, Ms. Erica Garber, Ms. Suzanne Garber, Ms. Cynthia Ann Garguilo, Mr. Sephen Gaul, Ms. Katherine Geiger, Ms. Mary Geiger, Ms. Maria Gentis, Ms. Sharon George, Ms. Kristen Gilbert, Ms. Megan Gilbert, Ms. Katie Grasso, Ms. Henrietta Graul, Ms. Maureen Griffin, Mr. William Griffith, Ms. Kristen Grob, Mr. Raymond Grube, Ms. Pauline Gruber, Mr. Warren Haas, Ms. Gladys Hahn, Ms. Rachel Halton, Ms. Mary Lou Hann, Ms. Katie Hannon, Mr. George Hargesheimer, Nichole Harris, Ms. Alison Hartman, Francis Hartneft. Mr. William Hathaway, Ms. Dolores Hauze, Ms. Elizabeth Held, Ms. Helen Held, Ms. Hillary Hermansader, Ms. Elaine Herzog, Ms. Kitty Heydt, Ms. Sarah Hilbert, Ms. Varta Hojjat, Ms. Connie Holleman, Ms. Erin Hontz, Ms. Jennifer Hoyt, Ms. Sahnnon Hrabina, Mr. Nathan Huskey, Ms. Gale Hyman, Ms. Brittany Johnson, Ms. Carol Ann Johnson, Phyllis Johnson, Ms. Julie Kametz, Ms. Valerie Kamon, Mr. Joseph Kane, Ms. Davene Kates, Ms. Kristie Kapinas, Ms. Dolores Kelhart, Ms. Andrea Kiechel, Ms. Debbie Kiniuk, Ms. Tammy Kissel, Mr. Christopher Kissel, Mr. Kenneth Kissinger, Kelly Klampert. Mr. Jason Klepac, Mr. Frederick Knauss, Mr. Winfield Knechel, Ms. Anne Knecht, Ms. Dorothy Knerr, Ms. Eugene Knerr, Ms. Sue Ann Knoebel, Mr. Donald Knowles, Mr. Joseph Koch, Mr. Sean Kopishke, Ms. Caitlin Kordek, Ms. Linda Kreithen, Ms. Cynthia Kutz, Ms. Sarah Lang, Mr. Brian Larrimore, Ms. Elizabeth Lawson, Mr. James Layland, Curelle Lee, Maur Levan, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lichtenwalner, Ms. Maria Lieberman, Mr. and Mrs. Delsin Lindter, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Lloyd, Ms. Samantha Loving, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Lucas, Ms. Harriet MacDonald, Ms. Virginia MacDonald, Ms. Holly Macko, Ms. Susann Madara, Elfie Maniatty. Ms. Reba Marblestone, Ms. Tara Marsh, Ms. Judith Marushak, Ms. Ellen Masenheimer, Ms. Rita Maugle, Jahvon McAuley, Ms. Ann McCandless, Ms. Marie McClay, Mr. and Mrs. Frank McCormick, Mr. Daniel McFadden, Mr. Charles McKenna, Ms. Patricia Mease, Mr. Hector Mendrell, Ms. Elizabeth Messer, Ms. Pauline Metzger, Ms. Erica Miller, Ms. Justine Miller, Mr. Kyle Miller, Ms. Sharon Miller, Ms. Stephanie Minarik, Ms. Ruth Morgan, Ms. Doris Moser, Mr. Patrick Murphy, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Nagle, Ms. Milly Nagle, Ms. Lauren Neveling, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Oberdoester, Ms. Elizabeth Oberly, Mr. Kevin O'Neill, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Orach. Mr. Michael Orendock, Mr. Gus Orphanides, Mr. Michael Palumbo, Ms. Georgine Patt, Mr. and Mrs. John Pello, Vergen Perez, Ms. Lillian Peters, Ms. Cheryl Petrakovich, Ms. Betsey Pitt, Kelly Potter, Ms. Judy Prodes, Ms. Linda Quinn, Marian Ramacci, Ms. Cynthia Raub, Ms. Eleanor Reichard, Ms. Valerie Reinhard, Ms. Sara Reinik, Ms. Janna Reiss, Ms. Sara Reiter, Phares Reitz, Ms. Susan Reynard, Ms. Kimberly Reynolds, Ms. Sharon Ritchey, Ms. Patricia Rice, Mr. Rey Rivera, Mr. Jorge Rodriguez, Mr. Joshua Rodriguez, Ms. Reina Rodriguez, Ms. Julia Rossi, Mr. Charles Roth, Mr. Ryan Ruch. Ms. Allison Ruyak, Ms. Jennifer Sabot, Ms. Virginia Saemmer, Mr. James Sawruk, Mr. Roger Scanlon, Ms. Brenda Schaadt, Mrs. Betty Scharfenberg, Ms. Dorothy Scherer, Mr. Charles Schmehl, Ms. Mary Schmitt, Mr. Joshua Schnalzer, Mr. Justin Schnoll, Mr. Justin Schurawlow, Ms. Marie Scofield, Ms. Berverly Seibert, Mr. Richard Seitzer, Mr. Bobbie Shuhler, Ms. Kathy Schumack, Ms. Tara Siegle, Ms. Cathryn Sinnitz, Ms. Catherine Smicker, Ms. Dariene Smicker, Ms. Brenda Smith, Jamie Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Smith, Ms. Arline Snyder, Ms. Melanie Snyder, Ms. Susan Soler, Mr. Simon Song, Mr. and Mrs. Travis So. Mr. Justin Spanburgh, Mr. Jason Stauffer, Mr. Jerome Stephan, Ms. Lucille Stephens, Ms. Ruth Stier, Ms. Farahlee Straukas, Ms. Joyce Szmodis, Ms. Tamey Nora Lee, Ms. Nichole Taylor, Mr. Ted Terry, Ms. Lynn Teumim, Ms. Carol Thompson, Ms. Mary Lynn Thompson, Mary Kay Thomson, Mr. Bradley Trabosh, Ms. Jamie Trumbauer, Ms. Arlene Uhl, Ms. Mary Jane Uhl, Ms. Hope Ulmer, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Vorholy, Ms. Louise M. Wagner, Ms. Phyllis Wagner, Ms. Philomay Walker, Mr. Allen Walp, Ms. Mildred Wehr, Mr. James Wickert, Ms. Alice Widmann, Mr. Henry Williams, Ms. Geraldine Wilson, Ms. Katrina Wilson, Mr. Fred Yeakel, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Youst, Ms. Dolores Zale.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, we are here today, and I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 288 authored, as we have heard, by myself and my friend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer). H. Con. Res. 288 supports National Family Day as we have heard which is sponsored by KidsPeace. KidsPeace is a national, nonprofit organization based in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. They have dozens of facilities across the country, treating over 2,000 children facing crisis. KidsPeace also has various prevention programs to help children before a crisis arises. It cares for some of our most troubled children and helps all of the children they deal with to develop the confidence and the skills to avoid and to overcome crisis. They help children anticipate and overcome crises from disasters and personal traumas, to family issues and neglect, to severe depression, eating disorders, and the general stresses that any children experience in our modern society. I am very proud to have such a worthwhile organization based in my community in the 15th District of Pennsylvania. What KidsPeace has done is they have developed a great idea with the National Tabletop and Giftware Association, the folks who make the plates, the silverware, and the cooking utensils we use to prepare our meals. Their idea is this National Family Day, a day to remind us of the need to reclaim the family mealtime for the family. This year is its first year. National Family Day is this coming Sunday, March 26. It will always be held on a Sunday in March. KidsPeace is undertaking a variety of activities to support this National Family Day. Perhaps most interesting of these is this brochure that I am holding in my hand. Plate and silverware companies throughout our Nation are distributing millions of these brochures at their stores. As the brochure says, ``The family evening meal has been the source of building healthy communication and family bonds for centuries. Yet it is becoming a lost art in modern America.'' The brochure goes on to give eight simple steps on how a family can reclaim their mealtime to foster open communication and healthy relationships. KidsPeace and its President, C.T. O'Donnell, are to be commended for developing this brochure. I also want to commend the National Tabletop and Giftware Association and its president, William Simpson of Pfaltzgraff in York, Pennsylvania, I believe that is the chairman's hometown, for distributing this brochure. I want to thank the majority leader, the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce and certainly the gentleman from Indiana for all of their work and help on this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House's indulgence for one last note before I conclude. When I announced these efforts and my introduction of a House resolution at a news conference in my district, we were joined by a family from the Lehigh Valley. Eric and Toni Hummel with their son Michael who is 9 years old and their daughter Lauren who is 1 talked about the need for a reminder to help make family mealtimes a priority in all of our family lives. I took their words to heart because my wife and I are expecting our first child in June. We both know that we have very busy lives and we will have to be constantly on guard that we are not letting our child's time slip away from us. I want to thank my colleagues. I want to thank them for all their help in support of this resolution which will serve as the reminder that the Hummel family pointed out to all of us.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to one of my constituents, Mrs. Donna Mulholland. Mrs. Mulholland, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Easton Hospital in my district, recently won the Girl Scout's World of Well-Being Award for service to the community. As a CEO of a major hospital in my district, Mrs. Mulholland has shown a passionate commitment to quality health care. Through years of hard work and diligence, she gained the experience and knowledge needed to make an impact in her field. In addition to her corporate excellence, Mrs. Mulholland's personal actions also serve as a model for the community. She has been active as a mentor for the Girl Scouts, serving to motivate and inspire other young women to succeed in their chosen fields. Her contributions in business and community service won her this distinction. I applaud Mrs. Mulholland for her professional achievements and her devotion to the Lehigh Valley community. Donna Mulholland is a Lehigh Valley Hero.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to one of my constituents, Mr. J. Anderson Daub. Mr. Daub, who owns and operates five car dealerships in my district, recently won the prestigious Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award for outstanding performance. This award is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work for Mr. Daub, who began his career washing cars in his father's dealership at the age of twelve. Through hard work and diligence, he learned how to operate his dealerships successfully, with a commitment to quality and service that won him this impressive award. In addition to his excellence in business, Mr. Daub also gives much of his time back to the community. He is a board member of the Lehigh Valley Easter Seal Society, the State Theatre for the Arts, and the United Way of the Lehigh Valley. In addition, Mr. Daub is president of the Brown-Daub Foundation, which provides educational and social services to thousands of citizens in my district. I applaud Mr. Daub for his professional achievements and his involvement in his community.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this rule and of H.R. 6. I think the case for supporting this bill is really very straightforward. First of all, let us bear in mind, taxes are at an all time postwar record high. When taxpayers are paying more than it takes to fund the biggest Federal Government in history, when taxpayers are paying more than it takes to also pay all the Social Security benefits for the next 10 years and a $2 trillion surplus above and beyond that, which is going to be used to either reform Social Security or pay down debt, when taxpayers have already paid down $350 billion in debt just over the last 3 years and will continue to do so each year, when taxpayers are paying for all of that and still there is another trillion dollars that is going to come into the Federal Government from these taxpayers, it is obvious to me that taxes are simply too high. Meanwhile, we have an IRS Tax Code that is terribly unfair. It is ridiculously complicated. It is downright immoral in its treatment of married couples. Today we have a wonderful opportunity to do two things: To relieve some of that tax burden on our working families, and to rid the Tax Code of one of its most ridiculous features, punishing couples for choosing to get married. It is senseless. It is immoral. We have an opportunity to change that today. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the rule and vote yes on H.R. 6 so we can accomplish that today.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend workers in the biotechnology industry for their progress in improving the lives of all Americans. We just concluded National Biotechnology Month, and I would like to take a brief moment to highlight the potential that biotechnology has for us in 21st century. Biotechnology companies are developing treatments and vaccines for devastating diseases--such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, and AIDS--that will improve the lives of millions of Americans afflicted with these ailments. They are also responsible for developing treatments for smaller diseases harming perhaps just a few hundred people, but nonetheless just as debilitating. In addition, biotechnology is about more than just medical research. Scientists are beginning to use biotechnology for other uses, such as environmental remediation. Furthermore, the biotechnology industry has also had a significant positive impact on our nation's economy. A recent report by the Joint Economic Committee stated that the biotechnology industry spent $10 billion on research and development in 1998, while employing 150,000 workers nationwide. My home state of Pennsylvania has helped lead the way in biotechnology, ranking second in the nation in the number of jobs based on biotechnology. Congress needs to continue to work with the biotechnology industry for an equitable public-private sector partnership, and make sure new technologies are not unnecessarily slowed by over-burdensome regulations. I congratulate the biotechnology industry on its accomplishments and its bright future.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and the legislation under consideration today. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act is probably the most important financial legislation to come before Congress since the Glass-Steagall Act mandated a separation between banking and the securities industry back in 1933. Today there is virtually unanimous agreement among economists, academics, policymakers and most importantly the men and women actually creating and providing financial services across America today. The repeal of Glass-Steagall is necessary so that consumers can get the products and services they desire and American financial firms can compete in the global marketplace. Madam Speaker, I would like to highlight just one small part of this sweeping legislation. I am particularly pleased that this bill includes an important provision regarding certain derivative transactions, especially credit and equity swaps. These somewhat obscure products are actually very important tools used by businesses, including financial service firms, to manage a variety of risks that they face. This bill reaffirms that swap contracts are legitimate bank products that can be executed and booked in banks and are adequately regulated by and will continue to be regulated by banking supervisors. I would also like to congratulate the many Members of this Chamber who have worked very hard, some for many years, on financial modernization. In particular, I would like to salute the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Leach) and the ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for the outstanding work they have done to see this legislation through to completion, and I urge my colleagues to support the rule and passage of this historic bill.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Arizona for yielding. I want to commend the gentleman for the effort he has made consistently to establish and reiterate the importance of fiscal discipline and the opportunity we have before us, which is truly remarkable. But I wanted to suggest that we consider that there are three alternatives, really, to resolving this dispute that we have with the current administration versus Congress in how we are going to end up in this appropriation process this budget process. The first is the easy way out. The first way would be to follow the suggestion, the budget that the President presented back in February. The easy way out, that has been done for the last three decades at least, and that would be simply raid that Social Security trust fund. That is what has happened so many times in the past. That would be the easy and, I would argue, irresponsible and the wrong way out. We have made it such an important priority of this Congress that we are not going to take that easy, irresponsible way out, that I am delighted to see that it appears that the President has come around to our point of view on this, and it appears that the President recognizes that it would be wrong to spend that Social Security surplus. There is another way that Congress could get out of this apparent dilemma. That would be to raise taxes. Let us consider this for a moment. This year Federal spending will be higher than it has ever been in the history of this great Nation. This year Federal taxes are higher than they have ever been in the peacetime history of this Nation. The Federal tax burden on working Americans is consuming almost 21 percent of the entire output of our economy. Now, even after we set aside all the Social Security funds for the next decade, for the purpose of either reforming Social Security or retiring debt, without a penny of that being in the calculations, we still have unprecedented surpluses, projected as far as the eye can see by administration budget forecasts, Congressional budget forecasts, private forecasts. Mr. Speaker, it strikes me that when taxpayers are paying more than it takes to fund the biggest Federal Government in history, and in addition to that taxpayers are paying Social Security benefits for the next 10 years and then $2 trillion above and beyond that, which is going to be used for the Social Security trust fund and for retiring debt, when in fact taxpayers are paying $1 trillion above and beyond all of that over the course of the next 10 years, it seems obvious to me that taxes are simply too high. For the President or anyone else to seriously consider raising taxes in that context is an outrageous infringement upon the freedom of working Americans. We need to lower taxes, and I am happy that yesterday this body voted on a resolution which I authored which expressed the sense of Congress that we will not raise Federal taxes. That resolution passed with a vote of 371 to 48. I think it is worth noting, however, that there were 48 Members of this Chamber who felt that despite a record high tax burden on the American people, we should make it an even higher tax burden. Well, we do not have to worry about that, I do not think, because an overwhelming majority said no, we are not going to raise taxes. So we have established that we are not going to spend that Social Security money on the President's spending wishes. I think we have established that we are not going to raise taxes to do it. How else do we deal with this issue? We do it from the spending side. This is the common sense solution that we have before us. Frankly, the fact that a 1 percent across-the-board reduction in waste and fraud and abuse that is in so many of our government programs can solve this problem, can solve this entire budget problem, makes it the obvious solution to me. As my colleague from Arizona pointed out, my background is in business. I am to this day an owner of two restaurants. Prior to getting in the restaurant business I was in the business of finance. I can tell you that despite the incredibly intense pressures in the private sector, the pressure that comes from competition, the pressure that comes from another operator, whether it is a restaurant or a shoe store or you name it, despite enormous pressure to be efficient, to lower your costs, any halfway decent business manager can find 1 percent of his budget to trim when he has to. That is despite the enormous ongoing pressures that he already faces. Now, the government, of course, does not live under the same kind of economic pressures. The Department of Energy, for instance, does not have a competitive Department of Energy down the road against which it has to compete, against which it has to demonstrate consistently that it can lower its costs. The government just does not face those kinds of pressures, which only means it is even easier in government to find out opportunities to eliminate some waste, some excess costs. That is the opportunity before us. This is a no-brainer. This is an easy opportunity for us to do the right thing, not the irresponsible thing, but to go ahead and allow 1 percent, just 1 percent across the board, of the waste and excesses and frivolous expenses that we know we spend in virtually every government program to be taken out and to achieve the fiscal discipline, the fiscal responsibility, that comes with that.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4\1/2\ minutes. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for adding to the civility of the discourse in the House. But, Mr. Speaker, later this week, in all probability, we will pass the 13th and final appropriations bill for this year. And when we do so, we will have spent in those bills all the non-Social Security funds that the Federal Government will take in next year but not one dime of the Social Security funds themselves. We will have a balanced budget, and we will not have raised taxes. Unfortunately, the President has already vetoed three of those bills and he may veto more because he thinks we are not spending enough money in them. Mr. Speaker, if the President wants to spend more money, as he does, for instance, in the foreign aid bill, he has to show us where he is going to cut spending somewhere else. Because the only alternatives are to spend part of the Social Security fund or to raise taxes, and neither of those alternatives is acceptable. We have made it clear in this body that we will not tolerate spending Social Security money. Today I believe we must send the President a clear message that we will not raise taxes to pay for his new additional spending, either. Now, when we talk about Federal taxes, it is useful to consider the overall context of the Federal budget, the national economy, and just a little bit of history. This first chart illustrates that Federal discretionary spending is higher than it has ever been; and, thus, the Federal Government is bigger than it has ever been. The second chart shows that Federal taxes are higher than they have ever been in our Nation's peacetime history, consuming almost 21 percent of our Nation's entire economic output. Now, even after we set aside all of the Social Security funds for Social Security and debt retirement, as this third chart will show, we still have unprecedented surpluses projected as far as the eye can see. The administration's budget forecasts that. The congressional budget forecasts that. Private budget forecasters show that. Now, when taxpayers are paying more than it takes to fund the biggest Federal Government in history and, in addition to that, taxpayers are paying more than it takes to pay Social Security benefits over the next 10 years and another $2 trillion more and all of that surplus is going to reform Social Security or to pay down the national debt, when taxpayers in fact are paying an additional trillion dollars before and beyond that, it is obvious to me that taxes are too high. For the President to propose adding to this record Federal tax burden is outrageous. We need to lower taxes and restore to working Americans their freedom to decide how they want to spend their money. And make no mistake about it, when the Federal Government takes money away from the people who earn it, it is taking part of that freedom away as well. The money this Government takes from hard-working Americans is money those hard-working folks will never be free to spend for themselves as they see fit. The money this Government takes from working Americans takes time for these folks to earn that money. That is time people cannot devote to things they would rather be doing than working for the Federal Government, such as spending time with their children, caring for an elderly family member, volunteering in their community, or just enjoying some leisure time. At a time of already record-high Government spending, record-high Federal taxes, unprecedented surpluses, it is just unconscionable to consider taking even more money away from the people who earn it. And that is all this resolution says, that there should be no increase in Federal taxes in order to fund additional Government spending. Mr. Speaker, America's taxpayers are counting on this Congress to protect them from the President's very large appetite for their money. I urge my colleagues to send a clear message to the President: No tax increases, restrain Federal spending. Vote ``yes'' on House Concurrent Resolution 208. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu).

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary Miller). (Mr. GARY MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say that I welcome the support of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle in resisting any increase at all in Federal taxes whatsoever, and I hope that they will pass that message on to the President, who has not apparently come to the same conclusion. He obviously does have a considerable say in this budget process as well as the Republican majority does, and I would simply remind my colleagues that at a time when there is already record high level of government spending, record high level of Federal taxes and unprecedented surpluses it would be unconscionable to consider taking even more income away from the American people who earn it, and that is what this resolution is all about. It is very simple. It simply says: There should be no increase in Federal taxes in order to fund additional government spending. I urge my colleagues to send this clear message to the President: No tax increases, restrain spending.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nebraska for yielding this time to me. Mr. Speaker, when one considers the overall context of the Federal budget in our national economy, it is really just incredible that the President wants to raise taxes. First of all, Federal spending is higher than it has ever been. Thus, government is bigger than it has ever been. Federal taxes are higher than they have ever been in peace time, consuming almost 21 percent of our Nation's entire economic output, and even after we set aside all of the Social Security funds for Social Security and for retiring the debt, we still have unprecedented surpluses projected as far as the eye can see. Now when taxpayers are paying more than it takes to fund the biggest Federal Government in history, when paying more than it takes to retire $2 trillion in debt; in fact, paying a trillion dollars more over the next 10 years than it takes to do all of that, Mr. Speaker, it is obvious to me that taxes are too high. For the President to propose adding to this record high tax burden is frankly outrageous. We need to lower taxes and restore to working Americans the freedom to decide how they want to spend their own money, not raise their taxes.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to deliver my Report from Pennsylvania. Today, I would like to share with my colleagues and the American people the remarkable efforts of an individual in our community. All across the Lehigh Valley, my wife, Kris, and I meet so many wonderful people. We learn of and hear about amazing individuals who strive day and night to make our communities better places to live. I like to call these individuals Lehigh Valley Heroes. Lehigh Valley Heroes make a difference by helping their friends and neighbors. Today I would like to honor a man whose volunteerism makes a difference in the lives of a number of veterans in our communities. Leonard E. Shupp, a retired Army Colonel, has been giving his time and services to veterans in the Lehigh valley area for the past thirty years. A veteran of World War II, Mr. Shupp has been decorated with a number of the nation's highest honors--the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star-- along with ten other decorations. Aside from his heroics during the war, today he is still active with a number of veterans' organizations. To name a few, he has been a volunteer chaplain of the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Memorial Council for the last thirty years, and has been a volunteer chaplain in the retirement services office of the Tolsyhanna Army Depot for the past ten years. Also, over the past decade, he has served as a volunteer consultant to the Director of Veteran's Affairs in Lehigh County. On top of his numerous volunteer activities in veterans' affairs, Mr. Shupp has been a licensed minister of the United Church of Christ. And has since March 1998, become a member of the Faith Lutheran Church in Whitehall as a volunteer pastor. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons I would like to recognize Mr. Leonard Shupp, of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, as a Lehigh Valley Hero. Through his activism, he has truly made a difference in the lives of members of our community, and for this I commend him. This concludes my Report from Pennsylvania.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share my Report from Pennsylvania for my colleagues and the American people. All across Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District there are some amazing people who do good things to make our communities a better place. These are individuals of all ages who truly make a difference and help others. I like to call these individuals Lehigh Valley Heroes for their good deeds and efforts. Today I would like to recognize Mr. Harold Seibert, a retired fireman who's respect and dedication to his job led him to compile a 175-year anniversary book for the Allentown Fire Department, an invaluable document for future firemen of the community. Harold Seibert is a commendable member of our community--not only for his documentary, but also for his heroism--having been decorated five times for saving lives during his 24 years as a firefighter. Today, I would like to recognize Mr. Seibert, of Allentown, PA, for his hard work and dedication. He is creating a legacy for the Allentown community and I commend him on his efforts.

Mr. TOOMEY

Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.