Betty Sutton: “I would like to begin my closing remarks by returning us to the painful reality of what we begin with today. This…”

“I would like to begin my closing remarks by returning us to the painful reality of what we begin with today. This administration and these past Congresses took a $5.6 trillion surplus and turned it into a $9 trillion debt. This Democratic budget, in contrast, reaches balance by 2012, and strictly adheres to PAYGO rules. This budget contains not a dollar, not a quarter, not a dime, not a penny of tax increases. And you don't just have to take my word for it. The Concord Coalition says that the budget resolution does not have a tax increase. "Thus to be clear, the budget resolution does not call for or require a tax increase," the Concord Coalition said on March 28. The Center on the Budget and Policy Priorities says the budget resolution does not have a tax increase. "This claim is incorrect. The House plan does not include a tax increase," made on March 28, 2007. The Brookings Institution says, "The Democratic budget would not raise taxes." "The budget would not raise taxes." March 28. Mr. Speaker, we have made it clear why passing this rule and passing this budget is so important for our Nation, so let me wrap up this debate by highlighting the facts about our budget. The Democratic budget puts together the broken pieces left to us by the mismanagement of previous Congresses and this administration. Our budget returns fiscal responsibility to Congress, and allocates funding for some of our most important national priorities.”