[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 10 (Thursday, January 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             LET US JUDGE THE PRESIDENT BY PAST PERFORMANCE

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, in his State of the Union Address, 
President Clinton painted a rosy picture of our Nation's economy. He 
takes credit for reducing the deficit and a drop in crime rate.
  What he did not tell you is that since President Clinton took office, 
our national debt has increased by $800 billion, causing the debt to 
rise from $4.1 to $4.9 trillion. In addition, under the Clinton 
balanced budget proposal, our deficit would also increase from $172 
billion in 1996 to $223 billion in 2002.
  As for the economy, which he claims is moving in the right direction, 
the economic growth is questionable. From 1982 until 1990, it a 
averaged about 4 percent a year. Under Clinton's watch, it only 
increased by 1.9 percent in the last year.
  If there has been a drop in the crime rate, it can be attributed to 
our Governors implementing tough truth-in-sentencing and three-strikes-
and-you're-out.
  Mr. President, it is time to stop all the rhetoric and get down to 
business. We need a balanced budget and we need to lower our national 
debt.

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