[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 111 (Tuesday, September 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Madam Speaker, how much is enough? The buzz in 
Washington is that the President is spoiling for one last fight with 
Congress over the budget. In fact, White House aides have practically 
encouraged suspicion that they would like a government shutdown to 
embarrass Republicans and boost Democratic prospects in the upcoming 
elections. Rumors of a government shutdown are greatly exaggerated. 
Congressional leaders are working in good faith to ensure principled 
compromise with the President on a budget that serves the national 
interest.
  Under our proposal, over $600 billion of publicly held debt would be 
paid down by the end of next year. It would be eliminated by the year 
2013. Of course, reduced debt means lower interest rates on credit 
cards and home mortgages for millions of American families.
  The GOP debt reduction plan would also save an average of $4,064 for 
every American household in lower interest rates over the next 10 
years. Since early last year, Congress has made its spending priorities 
very clear. As a member of the House Committee on the Budget, I helped 
craft a budget for next year in which Federal spending would grow at a 
rate slower than the average family budget. This budget passed the 
House and Senate. It serves as the blueprint for congressional spending 
bills this year.
  The President, on the other hand, will not say just how many billions 
of dollars he wants to spend. He submitted one plan in January, which 
was soundly rejected even by members of his own party. Speaking for 
congressional Democrats during the debate on the President's proposal 
earlier this year, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley), a 
Democratic, confessed on the House floor, and I quote, ``We did not 
propose the President's budget. We do not want any part of the 
President's budget,'' closed quote.

                              {time}  1900

  Indeed. The House Democrats offered four substitute budget plans this 
year. Not one of them was the President's budget plan. It never even 
got a vote.
  Since that time, the President's spending plans have been a moving 
target. He is currently asking for between $20 billion and $30 billion 
more than he asked for in January, though he cannot say how much or 
exactly what he needs it for. If we cannot move forward on lowering and 
simplifying taxes, let us at least not go backwards on spending. A 
balanced budget with the surplus devoted largely to paying down debt 
would make perfect sense under these circumstances.
  Last week, in an effort to reach agreement on total spending, 
congressional leaders went to the White House to propose reserving 90 
percent of next year's surplus for reducing the national debt. This 
compromise would provide some limited room for additional spending, 
while paying down billions more dollars of the Federal debt and keeping 
a lid on Federal spending.
  This should have been an attractive idea to the President. He claimed 
in the last few weeks that fidelity to the national debt caused him to 
veto the bills eliminating the marriage tax penalty and the death tax 
which Congress sent to the White House. But, the President seems 
decidedly cool toward the 90 percent debt reduction plan. Quote: 
``Whether we can do it,'' that is, use 90 percent of the surplus to pay 
down debt ``depends on what the various spending commitments are,'' the 
President said earlier to the New York Times.
  So let us be clear. When presented with a choice of more spending or 
paying down the national debt, the President chose more spending.
  Ultimately, the budget debate comes down to a very simple question: 
how much is enough? I believe that $1.68 trillion should be more than 
enough to fund the legitimate needs of the Federal Government. 
Unfortunately, it is still not clear how much more the President thinks 
is necessary. Congress is committed to working in good faith with the 
President to reach a reasonable budget compromise. The question is, is 
he?

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