Mark Neumann: “I rise to address the budget that is currently being discussed in Washington, DC, and maybe to clean up some…”

“I rise to address the budget that is currently being discussed in Washington, DC, and maybe to clean up some misinformation that is floating around out here and provide some very basic elementary facts on what is included in the budget agreement that is currently being worked on and basically been agreed to, short a few final details. Here is all this budget plan does that is currently being proposed. It balances by the year 2002, has declining deficits for each year starting 1998 and going forward, restores Medicare for a decade so our seniors do not have to go to sleep tonight wondering whether Medicare is going to be there tomorrow. It allows families, all Americans to keep more of their own money instead of sending it to Washington, DC. This is done in four ways at least. The $500 per child tax credit is in here. Capital gains will be reduced, we are hoping, to a number below 20 percent. The death tax reform to allow people to not have to pass away and also see the taxman on the same day is in here. Also, we are hoping to provide a college tuition tax credit to help the many people across this Nation who are paying large college tuition bills this year. Further, the budget plan does not adjust the CPI. This was a major concern to our senior citizens because, of course, lowering the CPI would reduce cost-of-living adjustments in the future. So there is no CPI adjustment in here. It was a major concern, and it has been addressed and is no longer part of it.”