[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 A STRONG ECONOMY AND CULTURAL DECLINE

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, today there is some excellent news 
regarding the economy. The deficit, because of such a strong economy 
and taxes being paid, may be as low as $45 billion. I am hopeful that 
we can continue to keep that economy going strong by some of the tax 
cuts that are being proposed and are currently being negotiated. I 
think the real story here of what is taking place on balancing this 
budget is the fact that the economy is growing. Growth works, and it 
works well, and it is working well for us here.
  I think it would be a mistake if we did not step forward and do 
whatever we can to continue this economy and this economic expansion 
that has been one of the longest running expansions we have had in 
history to date. That is why some of the tax cuts, particularly the 
progrowth and profamily tax cuts, the capital gains tax cut and the 
$500 per child tax credit are very, very important for us to continue, 
not only to balance the budget and not only to do it before the year 
2002, or do it by the year 2000, but to start to pay off the debt. I 
think it is important we do it.
  I also note that while the economy is doing well and we are getting 
the deficit under control--and those are important things--we certainly 
need some help in our culture overall. We continue to have terribly 
high rates of crime taking place in this society. We had in Washington, 
DC three people in a coffee shop murdered. We continue to have story 
after story, it seems like, on a daily basis of cultural problems that 
we are having just throughout society. Whether it is the number of 
children born out of wedlock, teenage suicide, cultural decline in 
total, violent crime rates or disintegration of the family, we really 
have to step it up in these areas.

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