Paul Coverdell: “As always, Madam President, I enjoyed the remarks of the distinguished Senator from Wyoming. He brings that clear…”

“As always, Madam President, I enjoyed the remarks of the distinguished Senator from Wyoming. He brings that clear Western thinking to the Senate. If I might add a thought, it is a little hard to believe, but this Congress passed the first balanced budget in the 104th Congress. That was vetoed by the President. We did it again. So we passed two. The President signed it. It is the first one in 30 years. In 30 years Washington has never developed the will to balance its budget. It passed the first tax relief in the last Congress. That was vetoed. A modified tax relief was passed last year. That was signed. That is the first tax relief in 16 years. Now, I don't know what the situation is in Wyoming but that tax relief proposal leaves $750 million every year in Georgia checking accounts of working families, businesses, people sending kids to school and college, trying to make ends meet. It left $750 million in those accounts. It was not a particularly large tax reduction. But it means a lot. It puts about 2,000 additional dollars in the checking account of an average family. Now, the point I am making is this, and I would like to get the Senator's comment, don't you find it interesting that once the United States balanced its budget, once it has become more engaged in managing its financial affairs, how much more optimistic the people are, how many more of them of working, how interest rates have stayed somewhat down, and how we are talking about surpluses for the first time?”