Mark Neumann: “In both 1990 and especially in 1993, we saw the biggest tax increase in American history. In 1993, people started…”

“In both 1990 and especially in 1993, we saw the biggest tax increase in American history. In 1993, people started looking at these deficit lines and realized we had to do something about the deficit and in clear Washington-style thinking, they concluded what we ought to do is raise taxes on the American people. They said: We have an idea here. To balance the budget we will reach into the back pockets of the American people, take more money out and maybe that somehow will help us to balance the budget. This is the past we are talking about. In the past the way to move to a balanced budget was to raise taxes. In fact, that bill passed this body, the House of Representatives, in 1993, the biggest tax increase in history; that bill passed this body by one single solitary vote. I think it is important to note it went over to the Senate. Not many Members agreed with it over there either. It passed the Senate by one single solitary vote also. So that past kind of Washington thinking that the right way to go to a balanced budget is to raise taxes, to reach into the back pockets of the American people. That thinking is not here anymore but it was sure prevalent in 1993 before we got here.”