Political Quotes

“I rise today to remind everyone who is listening what is being discussed when we discuss this budget impasse. Mr. Speaker, what is being discussed is not whether we have a balanced budget in 7 years; it is how we balance the budget. Can we balance it with no tax break, half of which goes to the top 12 percent of income tax earners? Yes, that is how we can balance it, and in 7 years. In fact, 68 of us who are moderate Democrats in this body have voted for a 7-year balanced budget. Yes, my colleagues heard me correctly, 7 years balanced, but with no tax break. The reason is that tax break money is used to soften the impact on our seniors, on our poor children, on our environmental standards, and on our educational commitments. We need to make sure that we keep these things in mind as we consider these budget issues. But more than anything else, we need not to do it on the backs of the very people who are going to suffer if we do not get on with this job.”