[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 129 (Thursday, September 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H8536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE BEST USE OF THE BUDGET SURPLUS

  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, according to my colleagues, Republicans 
want to waste the budget surplus on tax cuts. But let us take a closer 
look.
  The President announced in his State of the Union Address that every 
penny of the surplus is to be dedicated to saving Social Security. But 
what the President said does not appear to be what he is really doing.
  In fact, the President has proposed to spend billions of dollars on 
more government programs and services with dollars from the budget 
surplus. He wants our troops in Bosnia paid with surplus dollars. He 
wants to replenish the IMF and address the Y2K problem with surplus 
dollars. He also wants to address embassy security with surplus 
dollars.
  Mr. Speaker, I thought when the President pledged ``every penny'' of 
the surplus to Social Security he meant it. I guess his pledge really 
depends on his definition of the word ``penny.''
  Republicans want to give the American people a tax cut, and we tell 
them our plan up front. Why cannot the President tell the American 
people the real funding source of his agenda? For those who think 
character does not matter, think again.

                          ____________________