Charles W. Stenholm: “It is difficult to be perceived as being against a tax cut, particularly when you agree that the marriage tax penalty…”

“It is difficult to be perceived as being against a tax cut, particularly when you agree that the marriage tax penalty should be corrected, but it is not difficult to oppose a bill that not only corrects the marriage tax penalty, but also gives a marriage bonus to those that are currently getting a bonus. But the real purpose for which we take this hour today is to talk about why paying down the debt should be the number one priority for this Congress and why some of us on this side of the aisle feel so strongly that not following the regular order of determining the priorities of the Congress is a drastic fiscal mistake. We now have the opportunity to pay down this debt we all talk about if, and this is one of the big questions, if the projected surpluses materialize. That is why we and the Blue Dogs have been saying now for quite some time, let us not spend projected surpluses as if they are real money, surpluses that may or may not occur in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.”