Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Stenholm balanced budget amendment. Many members have predicted doomsday scenarios if the Federal budget were actually balanced. These are mere scare tactics. We have also heard about the problems this Nation faces should we fail to get our fiscal house in order. These observations are correct. Because members have fully debated the economics of the issue, I will not address those. Mr. Chairman, I take this floor on behalf of the American family, and I can't help but wonder what lies in store for families if we don't balance the budget. I am deeply concerned that the American dream is beginning to wither. Many feel that they are not better off than their parents, and many of my constituents have great concern that their children will not be better off than they are. In the world that I grew up in and every Member of this House was raised in, the American dream was available to them. My parents were better off than my grandparents, and I was able to build on that success and growth. Most American families evolve like that. But because we continue to mortgage the future of the country, because we continue to drive up the Federal debt, we don't provide for future generations. Because we continue to borrow 50 cents of every dollar that Americans save, that money does not go to build new homes for families, new jobs to employ moms and dads, new farms that feed families, or generate new economic growth that provides for a prosperous America.”