Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague, reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, for his very thoughtful comments. The newspapers today carried a discussion about how the stimulus package will be put together. We also have to acknowledge this stimulus package is all funded from the debt. We have shown the Members where the surplus has gone, so any stimulus passed is debt-funded. That means it has to be put together in a way that really makes it worthwhile in terms of addressing the economic slowdown, because otherwise we are just running up the tab some more. When we are in a hole, the best way to try and reverse it is to first stop digging, and passing a stimulus package on the debt reflects more digging. The majority proposal embraced by the President, pursuing an agenda of permanent tax breaks which go mostly to the affluent, and addressing the corporate AMT repeal, would have the least bang for the buck and do the least to stimulate the economy, even though it would cost the budget and continue to be funded, again, from the debt.”