Gilbert Gutknecht: “I think one of the most frustrating, and there are many frustrating parts about the debate we have been having in…”

“I think one of the most frustrating, and there are many frustrating parts about the debate we have been having in Washington about restructuring the way Government works and what functions should be done at the Federal level, downsizing Federal Government. One of the most frustrating things is facts do not mean anything anymore, at least according to some people. If you look at the facts, there is overwhelming amounts of evidence to suggest the Great Society has failed. In fact, even President Clinton in some respects when he gave his State of the Union Address the other night said the era of Big Government is over. I think he said that several times during his speech. But yet, the next day it was like some of the Members of this body did not hear that or do not agree with that or do not share that particular view. But I think we have to look at the facts. Facts are stubborn things. If you look at the facts about what has happened to the welfare state over the last 30 or 40 years, we have spent $5 trillion, and if you want to see the evidence of what we have gotten for $5 trillion, you do not have to go very far from this building, because Washington, DC is perhaps the greatest social welfare experiment of any city. In fact, if you go around Washington, D.C., you will see the product that we have produced. We have created debt. We have created dependency. We have created despair.”