[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 16 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TAX CUTS AND DEBT RELIEF, THE BEST CHOICES FOR USE OF THE BUDGET 
                                SURPLUS

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, after nearly three decades of 
Washington living beyond its means, the Federal budget is projected to 
have a surplus next year of several billions of dollars.
  So Congress has a choice. Actually, we have three choices. We can 
spend the surplus, we can use the surplus to start paying down the 
debt, or we can continue with the tax relief started last year. Guess 
what the liberals want to do with the surplus? You got it, they want to 
spend it. They want to increase the size and power of the Federal 
Government.
  I think that is about the last thing that Washington should do with 
the surplus. The way I look at it, if Congress uses the surplus for tax 
relief, that would be great. If the surplus goes towards reducing the 
debt, that would be great, too. Both would represent a radical change 
from the way Congress has been operating in recent decades, when the 
other side was in the majority.
  Maybe we should take tax cuts and debt relief and go 50/50. The 
Americans want a debate on this. They do not want us to spend the 
money.

                          ____________________