[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23080]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  FLAWED REPUBLICAN BUDGET PRIORITIES

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, it is obvious what the Republican 
talking points are today. If the Democrats were in charge, how we would 
increase spending and increase the debt. Well, guess what, Democrats 
were in charge and what happened, we ended up, after President Clinton 
left, with $5 trillion in surpluses, surpluses as far as the eye could 
see.
  We had not the deficit, but actually a surplus in the yearly budget 
of $236 billion. And what has happened since? Madam Speaker, we are $8 
trillion in debt. From $5 trillion surplus to $8 trillion in debt.
  What happened to all those projected surpluses every year? Oh, the 
Republicans said that by 2005 we would have a $269 billion surplus in 
the budget. Forget it, it is $319 billion in debt.
  So what are we talking about when we say fiscal responsibility? And 
how are they going to do it now, never mind the $200 billion for the 
war in Iraq, let us not charge for building Baghdad, let us cut 
spending so we can offset rebuilding Biloxi.

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