Bill Clinton: “Thank you very much. I want to congratulate the Members of the House and their leaders for breaking gridlock tonight and…”

“Thank you very much. I want to congratulate the Members of the House and their leaders for breaking gridlock tonight and entering a new era of growth and control over our destiny. In the future, the American people will thank them for their commitment to moving away from the horrendous legacy of debt, underinvestment, and slow growth of the 1980's and putting the national interest ahead of the narrow interest, putting tomorrow ahead of today's pressure. The margin was close, but the mandate is clear. I will continue to fight for this economic package with everything I have. And I urge the Members of the Senate to act on it in a positive way tomorrow. The fight is still on, and we have just begun to fight. This economic plan represents an important first step in changing America. For the first time in a very long time we are making a meaningful downpayment on the Federal deficit, with deep spending cuts locked away in a trust fund that cannot be spent for anything else. For the first time in a dozen years the tax burden that is a part of the deficit reduction trust fund will be borne largely by those best able to bear it, with 80 percent of the new revenues coming from those with incomes above $200,000. And still, there will be shared contributions. The middle class is asked to make a modest contribution to paying down the deficit and growing the economy.…”