Thomas Daschle: “in the last week, this budget has gone from bad to worse. That is the only ``progress'' we've seen. After a conference…”

“in the last week, this budget has gone from bad to worse. That is the only ``progress'' we've seen. After a conference from which Democrats were excluded, our Republicans colleagues are now proposing even bigger tax cuts. Last week, Senate Republicans voted for $150 billion in tax cuts over five years, plus a ``summer surprise'' of more tax cuts. This resolution calls for $175 billion over five years, plus a ``summer surprise.'' To pay for those bigger tax cuts, this resolution calls for even deeper cuts in education, health care, other critical priorities. It still calls for 6 percent across-the-board cut in discretionary spending next year. That hasn't changed--for obvious reasons; our colleagues don't want to make things even worse just before an election. But things do get much worse after the election--and every year for the foreseeable future--under this plan. The additional cuts all ratchet up in the ``out years.'' Instead of 8 percent across-the-board cuts by 2005, this plan calls for cuts of nearly 10 percent across-the-board by 2005. This plan dramatically weakens--in fact, it all but eliminates--any commitment to a prescription drug benefit. Last week, this Senate passed a plan that dedicated $40 billion over five years for prescription drugs. That commitment is not included in this resolution. This resolution includes $20 billion to quote--``improve access to prescription drugs''--whatever that means.…”