[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DEBT REDUCTION

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, in order to be a leader, one has to have 
credibility. If you do not have a record of accomplishment on an issue, 
people simply will not listen.
  It is worth pointing out that for almost four consecutive decades, 
Congress was run by our Democratic friends, and never, not once, did 
they ever balance the Federal budget. Never once did they pay back a 
dime on the public debt.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not pointing this out to be partisan. I am pointing 
it out because now it is those same Democrats who are claiming 
President Bush's tax relief package will keep us from paying down the 
debt.
  Look at the Republican record: Almost immediately after taking 
control of Congress, Republicans started balancing the budget, paying 
down our public debt. Four years in a row, we balanced the budget. Four 
years in a row, we paid down on the public debt.
  We already paid near half a trillion dollars. We are paying down the 
public debt; and in 10 years, we will have paid off every dime 
available to be paid.
  If we stick with the President's plan, there will be enough for tax 
relief, Social Security, education and paying off our public debt.

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