John Spratt: “Mr. Speaker, Members should know that if they vote for this rule, they vote to violate the Congressional Budget Act of…”

“Mr. Speaker, Members should know that if they vote for this rule, they vote to violate the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. They vote to discard the discipline that has brought us from $290 billion deficits to $125 billion surpluses. For 25 years, section 303, black letter law of the Congressional Budget Act, has wisely provided that Congress shall not take up major tax cuts of this magnitude or for that matter major spending increases without first adopting a budget resolution. That has been the procedure for 25 years, and for good reason. It requires to take something of this magnitude and put it in the framework of a budget and face it off against competing alternatives. By not doing that, the result today will be, if we pass this bill, pass this rule, a bill that will drain $182 billion off of a surplus of about $800 billion. Twenty-five percent of the surplus will be disposed of today in one fell swoop without considering other things that we could have done for it. Now, the rule serves a purpose. It is not some arcane rule. It says, do not do something of this magnitude, either on the tax side or the spending side, in isolation. Do it comprehensively. Consider other alternatives. Do it and see what the trade-offs of doing it are.”