[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 30 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      BUDGET FIRST, TAX CUT LATER

  (Mr. TURNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, the House will take up and consider a major 
tax cut today without ever having first adopted a budget to see if the 
tax cut will fit within that budget. No American family, no business 
would engage in major spending without first adopting a budget.
  The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the Congress to adopt a 
budget resolution before votes on tax cuts. The 33 members of the Blue 
Dog coalition in the House will lead the fight today for a budget 
first, asking this House to commit to the letter and the spirit of the 
Budget Act.
  Democrats want the largest tax cut we can afford, but we do not know 
how much we can afford until we first have a budget debate and 
determine what the budget resolution of this Congress provides for. 
Then we will know how big a tax cut we can afford.

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