Mark Neumann: “I would like to set this discussion in proper perspective today. Recently one of the polling companies from here in…”

“I would like to set this discussion in proper perspective today. Recently one of the polling companies from here in Washington, D.C., asked 2,000 American adults, ``Do you think the United States Government should increase faster that the rate of inflation, faster than the family budget; at the same rate as the family budget; or slower than the family budget?'' It was a 90-to-3 answer. Ninety percent of Americans believe that the United States Government should not increase faster than the family budget or faster than the rate of inflation. So we decided we were going to put together a proposal that met the wishes and the demands of the American people. This black line on this chart that I have here shows inflation. That is how fast the family budgets are going up across America. The farthest column, that shows how fast the CAT's budget is increasing spending out here in the government. And I would point out that it is the only proposal that we are considering, the President's, the Senate, the House, the Democrat alternative, it is the only proposal that we are considering out here today that allows government spending to go up at a slower rate than the rate of inflation. Mr. Chairman, 90 percent of the American people believe that the Federal Government should not increase its spending faster than the family budget, and this is the only opportunity we have today to keep that and to meet that wish.”