[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 21 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        A BUDGET DEAL IS A DEAL

  (Mr. GUTKNECHT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, back home we say a deal is a deal and a 
bargain is a bargain. A farmer back in Minnesota described our deficit 
dilemma best when he said the problem is not that we are not sending 
enough money into Washington; the problem is that Washington spends it 
faster than we can send it in. In other words, ``It is spending, 
stupid.''
  When I came to Washington, the Congressional Budget Office was 
predicting $200 billion deficits for as far as the eye could see, well 
into the next millennium. Well, since I came to Washington, we have 
eliminated over 300 programs, reformed welfare and dramatically cut the 
growth of spending here in Washington. As a result, the Federal budget 
is balanced today.
  Last August we set tough spending caps. Now the President wants to 
renege.
  This is what the President is recommending. The blue line represents 
what we agreed to spend in our spending caps. Now the President wants 
to exceed those by $69 billion.
  Mr. Speaker, a deal is a deal. Keep faith with the caps. Let us pay 
down some of the debt, and slow down the Washington spending machine.

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