Angie Craig: “last night there was an interesting discussion on CNN. It went something like this: The White House is now spending the…”

“last night there was an interesting discussion on CNN. It went something like this: The White House is now spending the surplus--the surplus that the President, a few months ago, said had to be guaranteed for only Social Security. I am told that the White House immediately responded by saying: Oh, no, no, no, the White House isn't spending the surplus. Surpluses don't exist until after you have had all of the emergency spending you need. In other words, the White House has now come to the Hill to ask for upwards of $20 billion worth of surplus spending that is now emergency spending, that isn't called surplus and, therefore, doesn't count against application to the trust funds of Social Security. Now, while the President's legions are up here in negotiations over in Speaker Newt Gingrich's office, the President is still out on the stump accusing Republicans of wanting to spend the surplus. The President has effectively, by Democrat action here on the floor, denied the taxpayers a reasonable tax cut this year.”