[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H95]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    I AM HERE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET

  (Mr. BAKER of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BAKER of California. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago the 1st day of the 
104th Congress began. In short it was the beginning of the end. It was 
the beginning of the end for the Washington business-as-usual crowd, 
and when the balanced budget is signed into law, the American people 
will understand why they held the second Boston tea party here in 
Washington on November 1994.
  Oh, in the past, yes, our leaders in Washington have always backed 
down from making tough decisions necessary to lead this country, and 
they always found a way to protect their spending while adding new 
taxes and new debt to the American people. As a result we have a $5 
trillion debt. We spend $200 billion a year on interest just to keep 
that debt alive.
  That is what these folks are really for. Mr. Speaker, the new 
majority is here to say no. The President said the House Republicans 
are unwilling to compromise. Well, I want to tell my colleagues I am 
here to balance the budget, and I believe that we have compromised for 
26 years. We have added the spending. We have compromised the business 
of big Government. We are not going to do it anymore.

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