Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Flanagan resolution and thank my colleague from Illinois for bringing this issue into the balanced budget amendment debate in a productive manner. The same special interests who have for years tied up the balanced budget amendment debate are now resorting to scare tactics to try to get older Americans on their side in opposition to the balanced budget amendment. They have scared seniors in my district by saying that balanced budgets will require cuts in their Social Security benefits, cuts in their fixed incomes, and threaten their way of life. But this is not true. In fact, the Seniors' Coalition, a national organization, supports the balanced budget amendment, because they know that spiraling deficits are the biggest threat to our national well-being. We can achieve a balance without touching Social Security. Our party and our leadership are on record opposing cuts in Social Security-- opposing cuts--and so am I. Now, passage of this resolution would do three things. First, it would hold our feet to the fire in passing budgets under the balanced budget amendment that do not use the Social Security trust funds to mask the deficit or to raid those funds for other purposes, whether increased spending or deficit reduction. Second, it would force each Member of this House to go on record by voting their intent to leave Social Security off the table once a balanced budget is passed.”