John Spratt: “day by day, bill by bill, the surplus is washing away. The House is driving this budget straight into the Medicare trust…”

“day by day, bill by bill, the surplus is washing away. The House is driving this budget straight into the Medicare trust fund. Yesterday, it was the energy bill, with an impact on the budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office, of $33 billion over 10 years. Today it is the Patients' Bill of Rights whose impact is $15 billion to $25 billion brought to the floor without being scored. In each case, Democrats have offered offsets to protest the trust funds and the surplus, and in each case, Republicans spurned the offer of offsets. Mr. Speaker, in 2 days, this House will have whacked $40 to $50 billion out of the surplus. It is a good thing we are going home. Mr. Speaker, let me warn Members, mid-August when we are at home, the Congressional Budget Office will complete its midyear update of the budget, and when we come back, there will be no question, the House will be in the Medicare trust fund. That is where the budget activity today will have taken us, by passing bills like this and paying no heed whatsoever to the budget. Bring it up, ignore the offset. I direct Members' attention to this chart. This shows what thin ice the budget is now sitting on. After the energy bill last night and the defense bill we reported yesterday, there is a $12 billion bottom line remainder in fiscal year 2002. That is black.…”