[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 35 (Monday, March 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. CASS BALLENGER

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 23, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the concurrent resolution 
     (House Concurrent Resolution 290) establishing the 
     congressional budget for the United States Government for 
     fiscal year 2001, revising the congressional budget for the 
     United States Government for fiscal year 2000, and setting 
     forth appropriate budgetary, levels; for each of fiscal years 
     2002 through 2005:

  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, I applaud my colleagues on the House 
Budget Committee for their hard work in crafting a fiscal year 2001 
budget which all Americans can embrace today. Chairman Kasich has shown 
vision and leadership in guiding the Congress out of the Democrat-led 
forty year period of budget deficits and into the Republican era of 
budget surpluses.
  I also would like to give credit to Chairman Kasich for his efforts 
to publish a summary of where the federal government stands now on 
combating government waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. Sadly, this 
document (Reviving The Reform Agenda) shows how much reform is still 
needed in agencies and programs throughout the federal government from 
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to various federal housing programs. 
As a small businessman, I was appalled to read that the most recent 
audits (fiscal year 1998) showed six major agencies could not provide 
financial statements that reliably account for the hundreds of billions 
of dollars they spent. Put another way, these agencies failed to 
produce the kinds of financial records that the government requires of 
every private-sector company that trades its stock publicly. The Budget 
Committee majority staff point out that the General Accounting Office 
(GAO) and the inspectors general (IG) of the various agencies believe 
taxpayers' hard-earned dollars have been wasted and, as a result, 
beneficiaries of too many federal programs have been deprived of the 
funding which Congress intended them to receive.
  I believe it is important to point to Reviving The Reform Agenda in 
defense of Republicans' successful push last year for a 0.38 percent 
across-the-board cut in the fiscal year 2000 spending bills. And, 
today, as our colleagues across the aisle criticize the fiscal year 
2001 Republican budget which will keep spending to about half the rate 
of inflation, we need to highlight the fact that government waste, 
fraud, abuse and mismanagement still exists. Why should we ask our 
constituents to support the Clinton-Gore administration budget which 
calls for spending $1.3 trillion on bigger government over the next 
decade when we are having a hard time managing effectively current 
programs and spending levels?
  It is important to note that the fiscal year 2001 Republican budget 
proposal keeps a lid on runaway federal spending while devoting the 
entire Social Security surplus, totaling $166 billion in fiscal year 
2001, to a lock box to prevent it from being used to finance other 
government programs. And, it proposes a $40 billion reserve fund to be 
used to reform Medicare and provide prescription drug coverage for 
Medicare beneficiaries who need it.
  In addition, the Republican budget proposal contains $150 billion in 
tax relief over five years, including the elimination of the marriage 
penalty. It also contains tax relief for small businesses, phases out 
the estate of ``death'' tax, establishes tax incentives for educational 
assistance and tax relief associated with pending health care reform 
legislation.
  Finally, I am pleased to report that the Republican budget increases 
spending for education, national defense, transportation and veterans 
programs. In response to many of my constituents; concerns, it also 
decreases foreign aid expenditures. I believe this budget does it all. 
I hope my Republican colleagues will continue to spearhead a campaign 
of reform, beginning with the adoption of the fiscally responsible 
Republican budget.

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