Jack Kingston: “I think it is important really when we do have a dialog to be factual about it. We have been accused of cutting student…”

“I think it is important really when we do have a dialog to be factual about it. We have been accused of cutting student loans, and yet our budget calls for increasing student loans from $24 to $36 billion. We have been accused of cutting Medicaid, and yet our budget calls for an increase from $89 to $124 billion. Of course, we have been accused of cutting Medicare, but our budget goes from $180 billion to $290 billion. I think it is important that when we talk about this that we divide the facts from the rhetoric. Now, one of the things that we have been trying to do with our reforms is to balance things, and I know our friend from Michigan is here, and we wanted to talk about yes, there are things we are trying to fix, but we are not trying to destroy things, specifically in the environment. I do a lot of camping, and I plan to continue to do a lot of camping. I have 4 children, and my 12-year-old daughter last year started hunting with me. My 10-year-old son is coming along, and I want that environment there for them. I want there to be plenty of species out there. I want the endangered species to be protected. I want private property rights to be protected as well. Mr. Speaker, I really get offended when the President accuses us of trying to gut environmental legislation when the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency all were created in the early 1970's under a Republican administration.”