[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 69 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                      POLITICS IS A FUNNY BUSINESS

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, politics is a funny business. Not too long 
ago, we were told that we could not balance the budget and cut taxes 
for working Americans. Well, the surprising thing is that most 
Americans never believed that nonsense. Most Americans knew that 
Washington could get by on less and that American families ought to get 
by on more. Business as usual here in Washington meant that every year 
the taxes went up, the Federal Government got bigger and people grew 
more and more frustrated.
  What did the politicians in Washington have to show for these tax and 
spend habits? A national debt of over $5 trillion. It has been a long 
time coming, but finally the American people have said enough, enough 
to irresponsible spending, enough to the tax policies that are holding 
America back. This balanced budget agreement is a far cry from what 
needs to be done to stop Washington from its wasteful spending ways, 
but at least it will bring the budget into balance by the year 2000, 
and it will make Washington spend a little less so that American 
families can spend a little more. It is about time.

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