[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15620]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              REPUBLICANS GIVETH AND DEMOCRATS TAKETH AWAY

  (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, while traveling in Iowa recently, the 
minority leader said, in reference to the very, very large tax cut in 
1993 that raised income taxes, gasoline taxes, and taxes on Social 
Security benefits, he said, I will do it again. He went on to say that 
the biggest tax increase in U.S. history was the right thing to do.
  My colleagues, the message is clear, Republicans giveth and Democrats 
taketh away. Americans are just now receiving their tax refund checks, 
and Democrats are already trying to yank it back so they can spend more 
here on wasteful programs in Washington, D.C.
  It is not terribly surprising that Democrats want to raise taxes, but 
one would think that they would let the American people get the check 
first. An enormous tax increase would be the wrong thing, the worst 
thing for our fragile economy at this time.
  Mr. Speaker, now it appears the minority leader is back-peddling from 
the statement he made earlier. We need to find ways to get money back 
to the people, not to the Federal Government.

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