[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE SURPLUS SHOULD BE SPENT IN PAYING DOWN THE NATIONAL DEBT

  (Mr. METCALF asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. METCALF. Madam Speaker, there is a lot of talk about the surplus. 
Everybody has ideas on how to spend the surplus. Fortunately, saving 
social security is high on every list, as well as tax cuts.
  There is another necessity, paying down the national debt. We do not 
hear much about paying down the national debt. It is a lot more fun to 
spend money. But the interest on the present debt is $300 billion a 
year. As we pay down the debt, interest payments will decrease, which 
means more money for the real needs of government.
  Let us put paying down the debt high on our priority list.

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