[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 41 (Monday, March 29, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

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                               speech of

                         HON. RANDY NEUGEBAUER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 2004

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the concurrent resolution 
     (H. Con. Res. 393) establishing the congressional budget for 
     the United States Government for fiscal year 2005 and setting 
     forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2004 and 
     2006 through 2009:

  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, Congress does not have an income 
problem. What we have is a spending problem. We don't need to increase 
taxes, as the alternative budgets propose. What we need to do is hold 
down spending in order to start reducing this deficit.
  My constituents are simply taxed-out. I can't go back to them and say 
that instead of allowing the tax relief approved in 2001 and 2003 to 
continue, we plan to let their taxes go back up so that Congress can 
spend more.
  Which priorities come first? The priorities of families out there 
working hard and small businesses striving to expand and create jobs or 
the priorities of those who want more government spending? I believe 
the priorities of our families and small businesses come first, but 
others just don't seem to get it.
  As a small business owner, I know how important tax relief is to the 
growth of small business, the economy and for job creation. We're on 
the right track with economic growth and job creation, and we need to 
continue down that path. Passing a budget alternative that increases 
taxes moves our country and the economy in the wrong direction. We need 
to continue to grow the American economy--not the American government.
  The Republican budget gets our spending under control, cutting the 
deficit in half over four years without reducing our national defense, 
homeland security or veterans care. It acknowledges that out of the 
trillions of dollars in Federal spending, there is waste and abuse we 
can cut without diminishing effective and useful programs and benefits. 
Our budget sets sound priorities and gives us the means to follow 
through on them.
  As we consider these budget alternatives today, the bottom line is 
that all of the Democratic alternatives raise taxes in order to grow 
spending. The Republican budget does not raise taxes and reduces 
spending. It's not hard to guess which alternative my constituents 
prefer.

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