[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       CBO NUMBERS--THEN AND NOW

  (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, last year the President announced he would 
put together a budget and I quote, ``using the independent numbers of 
the Congressional Budget Office.''
  He went on to say:

       I did this so that we could argue about priorities with the 
     same set of numbers; I did this so that no one could say I 
     was estimating my way out of difficulty.

  Well that was then, Mr. Speaker. Since then, President Clinton has 
been lobbying hard and heavy to get CBO to say his health care plan is 
not part of the budget, and should not be counted as deficit reduction.
  Well, that was then.
  This is now:
  CBO just this week, as we all know, declared that President Clinton's 
health care plan which aims to take over one-seventh of the Nation's 
economy is--surprise--part of the Government.
  CBO declared that this massive Federal bureaucracy should--surprise--
be part of the Federal budget.
  CBO declared that the Federal bureaucracy which will take over one-
seventh of the Nation's economy will not reduce the deficit but--
surprise--will add $130 billion to the deficit.
  What drove President Clinton to CBO then was the search for 
credibility. If he is to retain any credibility now, then he should 
accept the CBO estimate and announce how he will pay for the $130 
billion shortfall.

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