[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17578-17579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                           THE CLINTON BUDGET

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I asked for the 5 minutes because I want 
to discuss a timely matter in response to my good friend, Senator John 
McCain, who made a national radio address of 5 minutes to the Nation in 
which he criticized the President very strongly for the President's 
budget plans.
  It is wonderful to see that John is back and strong, healthy and 
feisty, and I am looking forward to testifying before his committee on 
the issue of violence among children. But I have to say, although I 
completely respect his opinion, I think his analysis of where we are in 
the budget debate is so upside down and inside out, I felt compelled to 
take to the floor today to respond.
  Senator McCain said in his radio address:

       Our President supports excessive spending that most 
     Americans oppose.

  That is a direct quote. He said the President would:

       . . . wreck the economic progress we have made during these 
     good years.

  That is very strong language.
  I must say respectfully to my friend from Arizona, why have we had 
``these good years'' about which he talks? Clearly, it is because this 
administration has given us policies that work. We only need to look 
back to 1992, the Bush-Quayle years. We had the worst recession since 
the Great Depression. I remember it so well because it is when I ran 
for the Senate. We had horrific deficits as far as the eye could see, 
almost $300 billion. We had crime rising; we had hope falling. We had 
unemployment skyrocketing, and there was malaise in the country.
  The Clinton-Gore budget in 1993 changed all of that by ushering in a 
new era of economic growth. It was a combination of discipline on the 
deficit and policies that would invest in our people--economic 
discipline on the one hand, saying to the people in the very high 
brackets: You have to pay your fair share, and investing in our people, 
in education, in the environment, and in infrastructure.
  It does not mean everything is perfect, as Al Gore is saying. He is 
not

[[Page 17579]]

satisfied. None of us should be satisfied. There is more work to do, 
and we need to do better.
  But let's look at the record since Al Gore has been Vice President: 
Average economic growth, 3.8 percent a year under Clinton-Gore, 
compared to 1.7 percent under Bush-Quayle; unemployment in 1992, a 
staggering 7.5 percent. In my home State, it was double digits. I will 
never forget the fear among the people. Today the unemployment rate is 
4 percent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair advises the Senator that her time 
has expired.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 3 additional 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. BOXER. Home ownership is the highest ever. The $290 billion 
deficit has turned into a $232 billion surplus. Poverty is the lowest 
in 20 years. Real wage growth is up 6.5 percent. Under the Reagan-Bush 
years, there was a decline in the real wage growth of 4.3 percent. 
There are 22 million new jobs, the most jobs created in history under a 
single administration.
  Now we have the other party saying the President is wrong on his 
budget ideas. It is their right to say that. But the American people 
are wise. When you oppose every policy that led to this economic 
growth, they are going to question you at this particular point in the 
debate.
  Instead of having a radio address where you slam this administration 
after these great years of growth, why not hold out your hand? Why not 
hold out your hand to the other side? People are tired of this 
partisanship.
  Let's keep these successful policies going. As Vice President Gore 
has said, let us do even better. Let's not be satisfied; let's make 
those deep investments in education and the environment. Let's do even 
better on paying down the debt. Let us give middle-class tax cuts, not 
tax cuts to the superwealthy that are going to wreck this economic 
recovery. Let us save Social Security and Medicare. The other side 
wants to do it. Let's join hands.
  Let's join hands on a real Patients' Bill of Rights and on a real 
prescription drug benefit as part of Medicare--and not send our seniors 
off to the HMOs which really do not have the patients' benefits at 
heart. Let's do it together before the end of this session. Let's do it 
now. Let's join hands now rather than throw insults over the radio.
  My friends, we have a golden opportunity. I think we have shown we 
can work together. Let's stop the partisanship. Let's join hands. Let's 
finish this year on a high note, go home, and feel good that we have 
done these things. Let's keep up the policies of the past 8 years 
because they have worked. But let's do even better.
  I thank my friend for giving me this time. I thank the Presiding 
Officer for his indulgence.
  I yield the floor.

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