[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22426]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      DEMOCRATS WANT TO SPEND MORE--REPUBLICANS WANT TO SPEND LESS

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, as we move to the end of the closure for 
our budget this year, on almost every single bill, on almost every 
single amendment to every bill, this dispute between the Republicans 
and the Democrats comes down to the same thing. The Democrats want to 
spend more and more around here. Republicans want to spend less and 
provide accountability.
  In fact, any attempt by Republicans to limit spending is met by 
outrage, accusations by the Democrats that Republicans are mean-
spirited.
  Yet, for 40 years while they were in the majority there was hardly a 
Government program they did not support, a Government program they did 
not expand, or a Government program they did not dream about building. 
Yet, now Democrats are actually trying to portray themselves as a party 
of fiscal responsibility.
  Please spare us, the American people, this rhetoric. Republicans were 
elected in 1994, and they forced the President to sign a balanced 
budget despite loud protests from the left that it would require savage 
cuts. The Republicans believe in fiscal accountability, and they are 
trying hard to value the taxpayers' money.

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