Helen Bentley: “it is spring, it is budget time, and the minority is going to be run over--again. The majority suggests this is good. I…”

“it is spring, it is budget time, and the minority is going to be run over--again. The majority suggests this is good. I think not. Today, America will see the President's budget, which includes few cuts and many taxes. The Democrats assure us that the road to prosperity is paved with taxes. This is an argument I have never understood: How can you and I be more prosperous if the Government takes our money? We have less, so how can we be more prosperous? The majority claims it is time for hard choices. I agree, but those choices can never be made if they are not brought to the floor. Mr. Burton has formulated his freeze plus 2 percent solution which would balance the budget by the year 2001. My plan is similar to Mr. Burton's--the only real difference being my reconciliation language instructs the Committee of the Whole to reduce expenditures by $34 billion. This is a novel approach--permissible under the rules. Such an approach would give all Members a chance to participate in the budgetmaking process--the only way we can take the budget process out of the back rooms and onto C-Span for the public to see. This is the only time the whole budget would be in front of Congress, and all Members should be allowed to offer their alternatives, to offer specific budget cuts. But they are not. Instead, Members are required to submit a complete budget document, one that includes CBO projections.…”