[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 21013-21014]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                DEBT REDUCTION STILL BEING HELD HOSTAGE

  (Mr. HERGER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, today is day 23 of the debt reduction held 
hostage by the Clinton-Gore administration. It has been 23 days since 
Congress proposed to lock away 100 percent of the Social Security and 
Medicare surpluses and dedicate at least 90 percent

[[Page 21014]]

of the total budget surplus for debt reduction, but still no answer 
from the Clinton-Gore administration.
  There will be an estimated $268 billion surplus this fiscal year 
alone. Our question is simple: Should it be used to pay off our public 
debt, or should it be spent on ongoing Federal programs? Republicans 
are for using the surplus to pay off public debt.
  Where do President Clinton and Vice President Gore stand?
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the President and the Vice President to put debt 
reduction ahead of spending and agree to our 90-10 debt reduction 
proposal.

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