[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 24219-24220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          MAKING TOUGH CHOICES

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in 2 weeks the American people are going 
to face one of the toughest choices they have had perhaps in modern 
memory.
  This Presidential race is not just a choice between two individuals 
and whether, frankly, one has a better image on television, or more 
experience, or a better speaking voice. It comes down to basic 
questions of values envisioned for this country. There are two 
contrasting views to be chosen. I can recall 4 years ago coming to the 
Senate when the Republicans all lined up and said that our economy was 
in such terrible shape, and the Federal budget was in such bad shape, 
we would have to amend the Constitution with a balanced budget 
amendment because of our deficits. They were so desperate they wanted 
to give the power to the Federal courts to stop Congress from spending.
  Four years later, look at the difference. We are not talking about 
deficits; we are talking about how to spend the surplus, and we are 
talking about an economy which, for 8 years, has been cooking, creating 
22 million new jobs. There is more home ownership than at any time in 
our history. Welfare rolls are coming down and crime rates are coming 
down. Opportunities for businesses, for minorities, for women are 
unparalleled in our history. When you look at advanced placement 
courses in schools, we have more Hispanics and African Americans 
enrolling in them than ever before in our history.
  America is moving forward, and I am glad to say we have been part of 
it in Congress. We can't take credit for it anymore than the President 
can or Alan Greenspan can. It is a joint effort of families and 
businesses across America. But make no mistake, the right policy in 
Washington set the stage for this to happen. When President Clinton 
said, ``I am going to make a meaningful effort to reduce the national 
deficits,'' frankly, we didn't get a single Republican vote to support 
us. Not one.

[[Page 24220]]

Vice President Gore came to the floor of the Senate and cast the tie-
breaking vote, and we started on a path in 1993 that led to where we 
are today. There are some people who think this is automatic in 
America, that prosperity is a matter of standing aside and watching it 
happen.
  I know better. I have been in the Congress long enough to know that 
the wrong policies in the White House can jeopardize economic 
prosperity. Do you remember the early days of the Reagan years when 
they came up with an idea called ``supply side economics'' and the 
appropriately named ``Laffer curve''? We followed that crazy notion 
long enough to find ourselves deep in red ink, with the biggest 
deficits in history, the largest national debt and America on the 
ropes. Thank goodness we have broken away from that.
  Should we experiment again? George W. Bush suggests he wants a $1.6 
trillion tax cut going primarily to wealthy people in America. Can we 
run that risk? The highest 1 percent of wage earners who will see over 
40 percent of the George W. Bush tax cut are people who are making more 
than $300,000 a year. I can't understand why a person who has an income 
of $25,000 a month needs a $2,000 a month tax cut. But that is what 
Governor Bush has proposed. He says it is only fair and right; these 
are taxpayers, too. Think of Bill Gates. He has been very successful 
with Microsoft. He is worth billions of dollars. According to George W. 
Bush, he needs a tax cut. I don't think so.
  George W. Bush should take into consideration that the net worth of 
Bill Gates is greater than the combined net worth of 106 million 
Americans. He doesn't need our help. The people who need our help, 
frankly, are families struggling to pay for college expenses. We on the 
Democratic side believe that we need tax cuts targeted to help families 
in a real way so they can deduct college tuition and fees up to $12,000 
a year to help kids get through college and have a better life.
  We also believe we ought to help families who are going to work 
trying to find something to do with their children. Day care is an 
important issue for so many families. We want to increase the tax 
credit for day care and also give a tax credit for stay-at-home moms 
who are willing to make the economic sacrifice for their children.
  Finally, when it comes to long-term care, so many of us have seen 
aging parents and grandparents who need a helping hand. I have seen 
families making extra sacrifices for those parents. Our tax program 
would give a targeted tax cut to help those families.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona is recognized.

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