[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3080-H3081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       LET US MOVE AMERICA TOWARD A BALANCED BUDGET IN A FAIR WAY

  (Mr. SANDERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page H3081]]

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, the good news is that Congress has made 
real progress in reducing the deficit in the last 4 years from $290 
billion down to $65 billion. That is good. The bad news is that the 
budget agreement voted upon last night gives huge tax breaks to the 
wealthiest people in this country, the people who do not need it, and 
at the same time lowers the quality of health care for our senior 
citizens by cutting Medicare over a 5-year period by $115 billion. That 
is wrong.
  Mr. Speaker, we must move this country toward a balanced budget, but 
in a way which is fair, in a way which helps the middle class and the 
working families of this country, and not just the wealthy.
  While targeted tax breaks for the middle class are appropriate, it 
makes no sense that over half of the proposed tax cuts go to the 
highest earning 5 percent. Not only is that wrong, but it is bad 
economics. With huge tax breaks for people who do not need them, we run 
the danger of going through the 1980's all over again and seeing the 
deficit explode.
  Let us move this country toward a balanced budget, but let us do it 
in a way that is fair.

                          ____________________