Eva M. Clayton: “I want to commend the President for developing a budget that makes a great strides in reducing our Nation's fiscal…”

“I want to commend the President for developing a budget that makes a great strides in reducing our Nation's fiscal deficit. I am pleased that he has followed the guidelines established by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. The President's budget for fiscal year 1994 does indeed prove that he is committed to leading this Nation out of its fiscal and social deficits. I do want to add, however, that some of the cuts are going to be very hard on the most needy in our society, especially the 40 percent reduction in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. I look forward to working with members on the Budget Committee to try to address this concern. Although I support the President's health care reform proposal, I have a great concern for his reliance only on the tobacco tax to finance health care reform. I do not believe that it is a fair or responsible government that would place such a great burden on one industry--knowing that this burden threatens the well-being of farmers and all those hardworking Americans who are involved in producing this product. Instead, I urge all my colleagues to remember the tobacco farmer as they debate the means to finance health care reform. Despite the concerns I have just raised, I applaud the President for giving the American people a sincere budget committed to deficit reduction. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to promote deficit reduction while maintaining our support for poor families.”