[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PRESIDENT'S BUDGET BRINGS BACK DEFICIT SPENDING

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                            HON. RON PACKARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 1998

  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, last week the Congressional Budget Office 
(CBO) released an analysis that shows that the President's FY1999 
Budget submission would result in a $5 billion deficit, even with the 
$130 billion in new taxes his plan proposes. President Clinton's Budget 
not only comes as a disappointment, it blows a hole in the agreement he 
made with Congress last year and breaks the promise he made to American 
taxpayers.
  As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I admit that these 
figures do not come as a shock. Considering that the President's 
proposal includes 85 new programs, costing at least $150 billion over 
the next five years, we shouldn't be surprised that the numbers in his 
budget don't add up. Mr. Speaker, the President's budget puts us right 
back on the path to deficit spending. To top it off, this plan raises 
taxes to the highest level since 1945. That is totally unacceptable.
  The CBO analysis projects that by 2000, the deficit would return to 
$5 billion under the President's plan. If no changes were made to the 
Balanced Budget pact agreed to last summer, however, the CBO reported 
that there would be a higher surplus each year through 2003.
  Mr. Speaker, this is one more indication that Bill Clinton is not 
sympathetic to the American taxpayer. It took a Republican Congress to 
create and pass the Balanced Budget Agreement, and it's going to take a 
Republican Congress to protect it. Bill Clinton has only given lip 
service to balancing the budget, but is apparently not willing to be a 
partner in that effort.

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