Political Quotes

“this bill is not mainstream. This bill is extreme. This bill will not respond to the dreams of Americans. It is going to turn out to be a nightmare if it were to pass. I was not here in 1981. I came here in 1983. I came here when Michigan was in a deep recession. I came here when unemployment rates were climbing to 17 percent in my State, 17 percent. There has been a lot of partisanship in this debate and a lot of rhetoric. I am not saying the 1981 act was the sole responsible cause of that recession. But it was part and parcel of it. And here we go again. Here we go again. The basic thrust of this proposal is you cut taxes mainly for the privileged few, not only, but mainly, and everybody is going to benefit, and the deficit will disappear. That was the assumption in 1981 and now it is the assumption in 1995. But what happened? The deficit skyrocketed. We know that, despite tax increases while I was here, that President Reagan supported to try to counteract what he did in 1981. The gentleman from Florida [Mr. Gibbons] was here then for that experience. The gentleman from Texas [Mr. Gonzalez] I see, and he was here, was forced to vote for tax increases because of the irresponsibility in 1981. Do not say it helped the middle class. This chart shows what happened to incomes from 1973 to 1993, and it was not only because of the mistakes of 1981, but that was an important part of it. What happened? This chart shows it all, it shows it all.…”