Paul Cook: “I am not really happy about President Clinton's proposed 1998 budget. I think in many ways this budget is a mockery of…”

“I am not really happy about President Clinton's proposed 1998 budget. I think in many ways this budget is a mockery of the American people's desire for a balanced budget and responsible spending in Washington. President Clinton promised us a plan that would balance the budget by 2002. However, as my colleagues have been saying, the Congressional Budget Office reports that Clinton's budget would have a deficit of $69 billion in 2002. Under the President's spending plan, the budget deficit would even drop to last year's level of $107 billion until 2000. Between now and then, the deficit would balloon, to allow the President to increase aid to foreign countries and pad our welfare program, six new entitlement programs. And he would increase welfare spending alone by $21 billion over the next 5 years. President Clinton is proposing a budget that carries tax-and-spend ways through, I believe, the rest of his administration, leaving the bulk of his own deficit reductions for another President to implement. Play now, pay later. The American people expect better of their President. This splurge now, starve later tactic, I think, is an offense to our people who are really looking hopefully to Washington for the fiscal responsibility they yearn for from their leaders.”