Paul Ryan: “Last year our friends on the other side of the aisle declared that they were going to "clean up the swamp" and get rid…”

“Last year our friends on the other side of the aisle declared that they were going to "clean up the swamp" and get rid of the budget and its rampant waste, fraud, and abuse. In December of 2005, Speaker Pelosi proudly said, "The budget is a statement of national priorities and our values as a Nation." Well, sadly, the Democrat values represented in this budget are waste, fraud, and abuse. It is very sad. But for my district, Mr. Chairman, this budget represents an average tax increase per taxpayer of $2,631 per year. Additional loss of income in a number of studies, because rising taxes will curb economic growth, an additional loss of $1,600. This budget is harmful to American values and American families. I asked my Democrat colleagues to justify this for me. Why must we raise taxes by this rate? And yet nothing. I would be happy to yield to my colleagues to answer that question, why rising taxes are good for the American people. I hear nothing. I am willing to yield, but they have nothing. And what for? Waste, fraud, and abuse. Rising taxes. A government that is so large, and yet nothing is done to reform. There are thousands of ways that we can eliminate this rampant growth of government. There are 91 programs that the administration targeted for elimination; 85 of them continue to be funded.”