James A. Leach: “Mr. Chairman, we also would stress that the committee's numbers are precisely the same numbers as the Department of…”

“Mr. Chairman, we also would stress that the committee's numbers are precisely the same numbers as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, whose secretary is Mr. Cuomo, the gentleman's brother-in-law. The other point I would like to make here is that it has been my impression as a Member who has been here almost two decades that one of the reasons the total budget has to be out of whack in virtually every area of Federal spending, including housing, is the terrific pressure from each constituency group's perspective that has been brought to bear. When Members establish reputations for always increasing a program, they come to be known as the person that most defends that particular constituency and, therefore, there is a particular appreciation from that constituency that is extended. But when numbers get out of whack, the fact of the matter is that the sum budget totals can be at times counterproductive. So from a constituency's point of view, there might well be a desire for more numbers, despite the fact that the general public is often disadvantaged. That is why we have these huge deficits and that is one of the reasons why the growth in the economy has been less impressive than otherwise. I would stress to the Members of this body that when the Republican Party came into power in 1994, there was an effort to constrain the budget, including housing.”