David Thomas: “I certainly could not agree more that when we have--as we do and will--a surplus, we need to decide where our priorities…”

“I certainly could not agree more that when we have--as we do and will--a surplus, we need to decide where our priorities are in terms of spending those dollars. I can tell you, if they are just left here, they will be spent. If our priorities do lie in funding what our programs are, in ensuring that Social Security maintains itself, and that Medicare is there, and when we want to ensure that we keep a balanced budget and start to pay down our debt, then we have to commit ourselves to do those things. I think it is an excellent idea for those dollars, so that they won't be spent for something else. I also think we ought to pay down the debt, and we hopefully will have some opportunity to get some tax relief. It is tougher, interestingly enough, when you have a surplus to make sure that the money is used as beneficially as when you are dealing with a deficit. That is what I wanted to talk about this morning. That is how we might make Government more efficient.”