Rod Grams: “I rise today to make a few, brief observations about the President's budget. Let me say I welcome the fact that…”

“I rise today to make a few, brief observations about the President's budget. Let me say I welcome the fact that President Clinton has come up with a budget that may finally be balanced in the next fiscal year, although I do not agree with the outlines of his plan. The good news is that if the economy stays as strong as expected, we may soon enjoy a unified budget surplus for the first time since 1969. However, Mr. President, again, after a thorough examination of President Clinton's budget, I must say this is not at all a responsible and honest proposal. Here is why: First, President Clinton claims it is his fiscal policies that have reduced the federal deficit and brought the budget to the edge of balance. That would be stretching the truth. The productivity of the American people has brought us to this point, in spite of what Congress has done or the President's tax-and-spend habits. The truth is, the President has only been willing to balance the budget, if he is allowed to use all increases in revenues, plus even higher taxes, to match his appetite for spending on expanded programs, new programs, and new entitlements. In 1992, candidate Bill Clinton promised he would balance the budget if he were elected. When President Clinton arrived at the White House in 1993, he abandoned that promise at the front door.”