Thomas Daschle: “today we begin the debate about the budget resolution. As everyone knows, yesterday the President sent to Congress his…”

“today we begin the debate about the budget resolution. As everyone knows, yesterday the President sent to Congress his plan for a balanced budget. The way we receive that budget will be the first real test of our ability and our willingness in this Congress to find bipartisan consensus on a budget. Is bipartisanship truly our goal, or is it merely a PR strategy? The debate that begins today will go a long way on both sides of the aisle toward answering that question. The plan the President is sending us balances the Federal budget by the year 2002 while protecting our priorities. It invests in America's future, and pays for those investments. The President's budget offers targeted tax relief for homeowners and families with children; for parents who are struggling to save for their children's college education, and workers who are trying to save for their own retirement; for companies involved in environmental cleanup and converting old industrial sites into new hubs of opportunity. The budget provides a strong framework for a bipartisan agreement. It reflects 2 years of hard negotiations, and contains ideas advocated by both parties. With the requisite sense of purpose and political will, this Congress can enact a balanced budget that protects important national priorities this year. That is my goal, and I am committed to making it happen. It does not take a miracle to balance the budget. I know.…”