Political Quotes

“I have rarely heard Members lavish on themselves more undeserved credit. The budget deficit has gone from $292 billion a year in 1992 to $67 billion. That is a reduction of about $225 billion in 5 years. Those were the 5 terrible years. Now, over the next 5 years, we are going to go from 67 billion to zero. And Members who have denigrated a reduction from $292 to $67 billion in 5 years are endangering their own chest bones by beating them so hard in praise of getting it down that last $67 billion over 5 years. How are they doing this small part of the job? By making America less fair. If Members vote for this budget, they vote to say an old woman or an old man, an 80-year-old living on $12,000 or $13,000 a year will contribute to deficit reduction by getting a reduction in his or her Social Security through the Consumer Price Index from what otherwise would be the case, but do not worry because while your Social Security Consumer Price Index will go down, your Medicare will go up. So maybe that is some kind of equality. If you are making $13,000 a year, the CPI will be reduced and the Medicare will go up. We began, in 1993, to bring some fairness to the Tax Code. This reverses it. We are being told we must give a degree of tax relief and some of the tax relief is, it seems to me, relevant for people who need to send their kids to school. But a lot of it will go on capital gains to wealthier people.”