[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H1568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RESTORING FISCAL SANITY AND PAYGO

  (Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans claim to be 
fiscally responsible; and if that is the case, I encourage them to join 
the Democrats in supporting a policy called pay-as-you-go.
  Democrats strongly support the reinstatement of commonsense pay-as-
you-go budget rules that would require any increase in mandatory 
spending and any decreases in revenue be offset elsewhere in the budget 
so that we don't add to the deficit.
  PAYGO rules were adopted on a bipartisan basis in 1990 and then 
reenacted again in 1997 before Republicans allowed such rules to expire 
in 2002. PAYGO budget rules are widely credited with producing record 
budget surpluses between 1998 and 2001.
  President Bush and congressional Republicans previously supported 
PAYGO rules for both spending and taxes, but now oppose the application 
of such rules to taxes because they would be forced to offset their tax 
legislation. They seem willing to let the deficit spiral out of control 
as long as they continue to give and provide tax breaks to the very 
wealthy.
  It is time that the Republicans start thinking about our Nation's 
future. It is imperative we reject the budget so we can reinstate PAYGO 
rules that will restore fiscal discipline.

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