[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 23104]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                              {time}  1015

 FISCAL DISCIPLINE IS FORGOTTEN WHENEVER DEMOCRATS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY 
                          TO INCREASE SPENDING

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, why is it the Democrats want 
to bust the budget caps that they themselves agreed to while at the 
same time they are opposed to giving tax relief to the taxpayers? On 
the one hand, they argue that we must relax our fiscal discipline and 
expand government. On the other hand, they argue that we must maintain 
fiscal discipline and therefore cannot have tax relief.
  Leaving aside the many good arguments for tax fairness that the 
Republican tax relief proposal contains, let us consider what the 
Democrats are saying. New Washington spending, fine. Tax relief for the 
taxpayers, no way. Fiscal discipline is forgotten whenever Democrats 
have an opportunity to increase spending, but they are fiscal 
discipline's best friend whenever tax relief is on the table.
  What is wrong with this picture? It is very simple. It is known as 
liberalism; never known, it must be said, for the rigor of its logic. 
Is there a liberal in the House that will step forward and defend their 
position?

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