[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 25, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H600]]
           THE REPUBLICAN MAGIC MASSAGE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET

  (Mr. BROWN of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the day that Congress votes on the 
balanced budget amendment I am troubled by the fact that the 
Republicans still have not told the American people where the cuts are 
coming from. One thing the Republicans are telling us, however, is that 
they want to change the Consumer Price Index with smoke and mirrors. 
They want to change the way the Consumer Price Index is calculated.
  What does that mean? It means that Social Security benefits will be 
cut by $27 billion, cutting benefits for 42 million senior citizens. 
Republican recalculation of the Consumer Price Index means taxes will 
be increased by $21 billion, raising taxes on 114 million families.
  Wait a second. Are these the two steps Republicans promised not to 
take, cutting Social Security and raising taxes? Republicans again want 
to magically massage budget numbers to balance the budget. Perhaps, Mr. 
Speaker, we can now expect Republicans to name David Copperfield as the 
new CBO Director.
  Mr. Speaker, Republican smoke and mirrors will not fool the American 
public.


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