Debbie Dingell: “I rise today in support of balancing the budget. That is why I will offer my mild support to this resolution. It is, by…”

“I rise today in support of balancing the budget. That is why I will offer my mild support to this resolution. It is, by my view, flawed in many respects. I will not, however, see fit to impede further movement toward a balanced budget. The budget agreement is a product of compromise which is the hallmark of our great democracy. I cannot help but remember 1993, when the Democrats, without the support of a single Republican, passed the budget plan which cut the deficit and provided a solid framework for the economic expansion we currently enjoy. While we would have appreciated some Republican support, I recognize the need to move past malevolent politics and engage constructively with my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to solve a national problem. We have it backward. We've had our ice cream and cake but its time to eat the spinach. I fear that we do not remain wise and diligent, we are doomed to repeat the same failure of the 1981 Reagan voodoo budget agreement. I am concerned that the tax cuts should be fully paid for up front, and this agreement backloads the tough budget cuts. I also have serious reservations about a proposal to index the capital gains tax cut which has the potential to empty the U.S. Treasury.”