Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Arkansan and a leading citizen of Trumann, Arkansas. I am proud to recognize Wayne W. Hinds in the United States Congress for his invaluable contributions to his community, his state and his Nation.

Wayne was born and raised in Trumann, Arkansas, and even starred on the football team at Trumann High School. During his senior season in 1955, he set an Arkansas state high school football record for the most touchdowns scored in a single game. After graduation in 1956, Wayne decided to remain close to home and attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, where he majored in business administration.

On November 14, 1959, Wayne married Glenda Moye. He and Glenda had two daughters, Tamera Taylor and Misti Sims and are the proud grandparents of Raven Dawn Taylor, Brett Taylor, Mackenzie Sims and Bailee Sims.

In August 1967, Wayne began the job that has become the symbol of his commitment to his community. That year, Wayne was appointed Superintendent, Drainage District Number Seven. This jurisdiction covers 190,000 acres, 300 miles of channels and 65 miles of levees along the St. Francis River and Right Hand Chute of Little River. In February 1978, Wayne was elected General Manager and Executive Secretary of Drainage District Number Seven and since then has led the effort to protect the valuable waterways of Poinsett County.

In addition to his remarkable service in his professional career, Wayne has also been an important leader in his community. Wayne is a member and past president of the Trumann Booster's Club. He also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Trumann Lions Club.

As children, we all learn the importance of ``remembering where you came from''. Wayne not only remembers . . . he serves. He embodies the old fashion values of service, leadership and commitment to his community that have made our State and our Nation great. On behalf of Congress, I pay tribute to Wayne Hinds for his tireless service and unwavering commitment to the people of Poinsett County, the people of Arkansas and the people of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize those men and women who have served our country in battle and have been taken prisoner. Today is National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. It is right that we pause to honor the sacrifice of veterans like these.

However, Mr. Speaker, we must do more than honor these men and women with words. Talk is cheap. I rise to talk about the Budget that this house passed on March 21. The budget that this House passed hurt veterans by proposing long term cuts to essential health care programs. I was proud to vote against this budget. However, it is important the public fully understand why this budget is so bad for our nation's veterans.

The Budget calls for $28.3 billion dollars to be cut from veterans health care and other spending on veterans benefits over the next 10 years. This is a disgrace. Why is this body going to cut this money? In order to pay for a $1.35 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans that doesn't create jobs or stimulate the economy.

So, that means that this Administration and the leadership of the House of Representatives has made a choice. They would rather

have tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans than veterans benefits. Period. No other explanation is plausible. It is almost impossible for me to believe that as the veterans population rises and ages, that this House would eliminate benefits.

Mr. Speaker, we have men and women on the field of battle in Iraq, fighting to make others free. Should we not honor their sacrifice by keeping our promises to those that have already served? Should we not eliminate these cuts in VA spending? The wealthy need a tax cut less than veterans need the health care they were promised. If our society has sunk to the point where we are choosing to dishonor service in order to make the rich richer, then we surely are not the great nation we once were.

Mr. Speaker, we should honor those who have served, those who were POWs, and those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, since 1980, over and over again, the Republicans have come to this House and this Congress and this Nation and promised that if we just cut taxes some more, everything will be wonderful.

Inscribed on the walls of the first floor of this wonderful building is a saying from Patrick Henry. It says: ``I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided. That is the lamp of experience.''

Experience tells us that this maddening, crazy, lunatic economic plan that we are being presented with tonight on this floor leads us down the path to enormous debt. And that is all it gets us. And we know that.

Mr. Speaker, I would associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor). Where I come from, we teach our children that one can go to the bad place for lying

just like you can for stealing. Let us not steal the future from our children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry. I believe the Chair has directed speaker after speaker this evening that we should address the Chair. I do not believe this is the way this is being done, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Arkansan and an outstanding citizen. I am proud to recognize Sam Boyce in the U.S. Congress for his invaluable contributions and service to his community, his state and his nation.

Sam showed signs of the talent, determination and achievement that have been the hallmarks of his career at an early age, when he graduated valedictorian from Tuckerman High School in 1949. After receiving a bachelor of science in journalism from the University of Arkansas, Sam served his country in the Armed Forces, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps.

In 1958, Sam graduated with his law degree from the University of Arkansas. Since then, Sam used his legal acumen to champion the rights of Arkansans in the legal system and to assume a leading role on two issues of particular importance to the people of Arkansas: worker's compensation and Social Security. During his career, he co-chaired United Labor of Arkansas, chaired the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Worker's Compensation section and served on the Legislative Ad Hoc committee on Worker's Compensation Reform. His work on Social Security issues includes chairing the Social Security Committee of the Arkansas Bar Association and his continuing service on the Executive Committee of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives.

Above all, Sam's career has centered on service and leadership. In the 1960's, Sam twice ran for statewide office, including a gubernatorial bid in 1966. Later, Sam was a member of the Arkansas Bar Association House of Delegates and continues to serve on the Board of Governors of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers.

He's a man who has truly used his talents and abilities, particularly his legal expertise, to benefit the people in his community and across Arkansas. He has made life better and richer for all--like me--who were lucky enough to call him a friend. On behalf of Congress, I pay tribute to Sam Boyce for his tireless service to the people of Arkansas and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor this evening with a heavy heart. I came to Washington, D.C., in 1993 as part of the Clinton administration. We worked hard for 8 years. We passed on to the next administration a $5 trillion surplus. We passed on to the next administration peace and prosperity.

Today it is not that way. The great country singer Merle Haggard has a song that he sings; it is called ``Rainbow Stew.'' One of the verses in there says when a President goes through the White House door and does what he says that he will do, we will all be drinking that free Bubble-up and eating that rainbow stew.

When the President came here a few weeks ago and gave us the State of the Union, one of the things he promised was that we would not pass our problems on to another Congress or on to another generation. And yet just a week ago Monday we are presented with a proposed budget from that same President that is nothing more than an assault on our children, on working people, on veterans.

We are asking our young men and women to go on the battlefield, and at the same time we just heard the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland) tell us what the President is proposing to do to veterans.

He said, ``We're not going to pass this problem on to the next generation.'' Yet in his own budget, by his own Office of Management and Budget, we are faced with about another $468 billion in debt. Check with the CRS. The percent of the gross domestic product that the nation of Brazil has in debt is 60 percent. The percent of debt that the United States of America has of our gross domestic product is 62 percent. And that is what we owe today. That does not include 300-plus billion-dollar deficits for as long as anyone can imagine. Yet the President presents us with this idea that we can have it all: it's rainbow stew. Just reach out there and grab you some. Have a big drink. It's free Bubble-up. We can cut taxes, we can fight at least two wars, maybe more, we can provide everything that anybody is going to possibly dream up, and nobody has to pay. We'll just keep borrowing money.

I have a button back there at my desk that they told me I could not wear when I came on the floor to make a speech. It says, How much is the debt tax? How much are we going to pile on our children and grandchildren? How much of a debt are we going to continue to just put on our children and grandchildren that they cannot pay? No nation, I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, can be free and powerful and broke, and that is where we are headed.

I have been on this floor many times. I have heard people make great patriotic remarks, declare their intense love for this country; and I share that love. I think the Founders, our Founding Fathers, would absolutely be disgusted with what we are doing right now, with the idea that we are going to borrow ourselves into financial oblivion by just continuing to borrow money and borrow money and borrow money and not even acknowledge that we have got a problem.

It is time, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize that we cannot continue to do this irresponsible thing.