Political Quotes

“as a Democratic freshman I rise today in strong support of this resolution. On the first day of the 104th Congress, I voted for congressional accountability. This bill replaces rhetoric with action. It cuts House committee funding by more than $67 million, and eliminates 620 committee staff positions, a 30-percent reduction. It also institutes a 2-year budget cycle for committee funding. This will help to ensure long-term planning and force committees to spend wisely. Finally, the legislation provides for greater oversight and disclosure of committee spending. All committee spending will be fully and completely disclosed so that the public can be assured that its tax dollars are being well spent. This move to cut spending and streamline the process obviously is not going to balance the budget by itself, but it takes an important step in the right direction. We must begin to restore the trust and faith of the American people in their Government, and we must make sacrifices if we are to get our fiscal house in order. Our single most important effort in this congress will be that to cut Government spending and reduce the deficit. We must do this in a careful, considered manner, not by taking a ``slash and burn'' approach or extreme approach. This legislation is just one of many steps that the Congress, working together with the President, must take if we are to continue to move in the right direction to control spending and reduce the deficit.”