Bill Clinton: “No, absolutely not. Since when has a big piece of legislation like this ever moved through the Congress unamended? I…”

“No, absolutely not. Since when has a big piece of legislation like this ever moved through the Congress unamended? I mean, give me one example of that. Most things of this magnitude, when you turn the country around, take years to get done. We put it together in just a few months. I think that the things that I cared about are there. The plan has $500 billion in deficit reductions. There are now more spending cuts than taxes. The tax system is very fair, indeed, more progressive than it was when I presented it. Now 80 percent of the burden falls on couples with incomes above $200,000. There are enormous incentives in here for business growth which were not in any of the Republicans' plans--a new business capital gains tax; there are research and development incentives; we nearly double the expensing for small businesses in this country. Then finally, the thing which I think will really have a huge difference in terms of our society: The earned-income tax credit lifts working families out of poverty. It's a huge incentive to leave welfare and go to work. So the big guts of the things that I proposed way back in February have survived this whole legislative process. And I feel good about it.”