Political Quotes

“we are making terrific progress on the deficit reduction front. Nineteen months ago we were accumulating deficit at the rate of about $331 billion a year. A month ago that figure was down to $251 billion, and OMB now tells us the deficit for the next fiscal year is going to be under $200 billion. That is terrific progress, and we should be proud of that. But we must maintain our focus and maintain our discipline. It is too easy when major bills come through Congress to tuck away little private provisions that help a particular area. The crime bill passed by the Senate, which all of us support in its general outline, contains a provision calling for the establishment of a task force to protect Hawaii against the introduction of foreign plants and animals. What does that have to do with making our streets safer? There is also a provision assisting Hong Kong Royal Police who may want to come to the United States, emigrate, and become law enforcement officers here. In Nebraska we have lists of highly qualified, college-educated men and women waiting for openings in law enforcement. We need not favor Hong Kong police officers. We have plenty of qualified Americans right here. Mr. Speaker, my point is that these wasteful projects are to our war on crime like the $600 toilet seats were in our war against communism. We have to resist these. We have to keep our bills clean and resist those sorts of special interest provisions, which will only run up the deficit.”