Bill Clinton: “Good morning. As you know, we're working in Washington to try to balance the budget. But we're working on two very…”

“Good morning. As you know, we're working in Washington to try to balance the budget. But we're working on two very different approaches. I want to balance the budget because if it's done right, it will help us to restore the American dream and to keep America the strongest nation in the world. It will help to improve our economy, create jobs, raise incomes, and take debt off our children. That's why we've worked so hard in our administration to bring the deficit down from $290 billion a year when I took office to $160 billion this year, to expand our exports, and to increase investment in education. That's helped to give us 7\1/2\ million new jobs, a record number of new small businesses. And just last week, the Census Bureau announced that the poverty rate has dropped in America for the first time in 5 years, as more families are sticking together and doing better. Still, we all know that many working families are finding it harder than ever to live the American dream. And that's why we have to do even more to ensure opportunity for all working people, to grow the middle class and to shrink our under class. Above all, as we balance the Federal budget, we must make sure we don't make it harder for people to educate their children, care for their parents, strengthen their families. That would defeat the very purpose of balancing the budget. Yet that's exactly what the budget proposals of the Republican majority in Congress would do.…”