[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 3026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET FOR AMERICA'S PRIORITIES

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, it is important that all of us work with 
the President when he presents his budget in April. All of us should be 
committed to three things: A budget that fits America's priorities; 
second, a budget that reduces the largest debt in history; and, three, 
provide fair and responsible tax relief to all American taxpayers.
  Consider this. Washington will take in $28 trillion in the next 10 
years and President Bush's tax cut relief is $1.6 trillion. This is 
about 5.7 percent of the total revenues brought into this government in 
the next 10 years. Surely we can return about 6 percent of this money 
to the taxpayers.
  This is not a massive tax cut, as the Democrats say. In April, as we 
do every year, we bring in the budget. We will vote on it. That is just 
how we do it around here. The economy will be strengthened and jobs 
will be secure with a tax relief program for the American taxpayers. We 
cannot wait. The economy needs this incentive now.

                          ____________________