[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 27, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E2199]]



                               THE BUDGET

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAX SANDLIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 27, 1999

  Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, a battle over the budget has engulfed 
Congress. I am saddened by the extent to which the Republican 
leadership has allowed partisan politics to pollute this distinguished 
body and shift the budget debate from substance to sound-bites.
  With only seven of thirteen spending bills signed into law, the 
budget for fiscal year 2000 is far from complete. Moreover, Congress 
has been forced to fund the government through temporary stop-gap 
spending measures in order to avoid a shutdown of national parks, 
monuments, agencies, and the federal government. Yet rather than sit 
down and negotiate with the administration and the Democrats in the 
House and Senate, Republicans have chosen to take the path of 
confrontation rather than compromise.
  The cause is misplaced priorities, and the effect is a bad budget. 
Republicans made a choice to fund their own priorities, while 
completely ignoring the priorities of the American people, Democratic 
members, and the administration. In the process of drafting spending 
bills for fiscal year 2000, they shut out the minority and proceeded to 
go their own way. Now they point fingers when their irresponsible bills 
are vetoed because they fail to sufficiently fund the priorities of the 
American people: Programs essential to education, defense, and senior 
citizens.
  Left out of their spending proposals are key Democratic initiatives 
such as funding for 100,000 new teachers and smaller classes, funding 
for the COPS program which provides grants to local communities for 
hiring more police officers, and funding for a Medicare prescription 
drug benefit. These programs have been completely left out of the 
Republican budget. Yet when Democrats fight for funding for these key 
initiatives, we are falsely accused of proposing more spending. The 
truth is, we do not want more spending. Rather, we advocate different 
spending. Instead of giving priority to a member pay raise and member 
earmarked projects, let's fund the initiatives that count. Sadly, 
Republicans have ignored our pleas and instead chosen to resort to 
name-calling and groundless accusations.
  One of our primary initiatives must be to protect Social Security. I 
propose taking it completely off-budget. Social Security funds must be 
used only for Social Security. However, the Congressional Budget 
Office, the Republican-appointed budget score-keepers, confirm that the 
Republicans are already on their way to spending at least $25 billion 
of the Social Security trust fund.
  Adding insult to injury, Republicans have tried to cover up their 
irresponsible spending and penchant for dipping into Social Security 
through numerous gimmicks and accounting tricks designed to fool the 
American people into believing their false claims of good fiscal 
policy. These gimmicks range from declaring the 2000 census, something 
which happens every ten years as required by the Constitution, as 
emergency spending. This spending dips directly into Social Security. 
In addition to emergency designations, Republicans have also proposed 
adopting a thirteen-month fiscal year, tried to withhold payment of tax 
credits to the working poor and ``forward-fund'' certain programs, 
thereby attempting to count this year's spending in next year's budget. 
These gimmicks are dishonest and unacceptable to the American people.
  When the administration sent its budget recommendation to Congress 
almost one year ago, Congress rejected it and promised the American 
people we would pass an even better budget that protected important 
programs without dipping into the Social Security trust fund. Rather 
than fulfill this promise to the people, Republicans have opted for a 
political showdown. The result is a completely unnecessary, wholly 
manufactured crisis over the budget.
  Republicans have chosen rhetoric over responsibility and taken the 
partisan path towards a 1.4 percent across-the-board budget cut which 
will have costly ramifications on critical programs. Specifically, 
education for the disadvantaged would be cut by $109 million, literacy 
programs would be cut by $3.6 million, and Head Start would be unable 
to provide services to 6,700 children. Child immunization programs 
would be cut by approximately $6.7 million, and vitally needed 
assistance to farmers would be slashed by $124 million.
  Agricultural income assistance would be cut by $90 million, and crop 
and livestock loss payments would be cut by $22 million. In addition, 
national security would suffer dearly as $3.9 billion would be cut from 
the defense budget. Military pay and readiness would suffer the most. 
The men and women in the military who risk their lives for our safety 
and security would suffer a 2.8 percent cut in personnel.
  While this battle rages on over the politics of the budget, the 
American people suffer. As Republicans focus the energy of the Congress 
on their budget end game, the Patients Bill of Rights, relief for 
farmers and veterans' benefits face a dismal future. While Republicans 
devise more gimmicks to cover their tracks, Congress neglects a long 
overdue increase in the minimum wage, making schools safer for our 
children, and passing much-deserved tax relief for families, small 
businesses, and farmers.
  In a tragic example of irresponsible governance, the majority party 
has chosen to fund its own priorities at the cost of Social Security 
and drastic budget cuts in education, law enforcement, agriculture, and 
national security. It's time for Republicans to sit down at the 
negotiating table and put an end to the budget bickering. It's time for 
responsible government. Let's choose principle over politics, and let's 
pass a budget that doesn't short-change the American people.

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