Jasper Packard: “Today we will vote for 1-percent across-the-board savings in the budget by targeting waste, fraud, and abuse in the…”

“Today we will vote for 1-percent across-the-board savings in the budget by targeting waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal bureaucracy--not from critical services like Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this sensible proposal. This proposal does not compromise vital programs. Even with a 1-percent across-the-board saving, our defense spending level remains at $265.1 billion, $1.8 billion more than the President's request. For education, our funding level is $34.8 billion contrasted to the President's proposal of $34.7 billion. This budget also contains $3.25 billion to continue our fight against crime versus the President's proposal of $2.85 billion. Mr. Speaker, this 1-percent across-the-board saving proposal makes sense. It forces federal agencies to closely examine their spending and make wise decisions on where tax dollars are most needed. Congress remains committed to holding the line on protecting the Social Security Trust Fund despite pressure by President Clinton to raid the fund to pay for more government spending. Again, I urge my colleagues to support the 1-percent across-the-board saving proposal.”