Providing for Consideration of Conference Report on S. Con. Res. 95, Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2005

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. CON. RES. 95, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005 -- (House of Representatives - May 19, 2004)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 649 and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, remember that old commercial, when E.F. Hutton talks, people listen? Well, I hope no one on Wall Street is listening today, and I certainly hope that Alan Greenspan is not listening or watching because this Republican budget is $8 trillion of debt. Yes, Members heard me correctly.

If this budget passes for the third time in as many years on a Republican rule, we are not bringing down the national debt. What we did so successfully under the years of Clinton and Rubin, we are undoing during this administration's time. No, our vote today increases yet again the debt of this Nation. How we could have gone from $5 trillion in budget surpluses under Clinton-Rubin to $8 trillion in debt ought to be shocking to all.

Surpluses as far as the eye could see, we were suggesting just a few years ago. Today, $2 trillion in revenue cuts; and now 4 years later, surpluses are but a memory, and we have debt as far as the eye can see.

Well, here is the simple strategy: we will have two wars with three tax cuts. A billion dollars a week for Iraq, do not worry about it, we need a tax cut.

A billion dollars a month in Afghanistan. Do not worry about it. We need a tax cut.

Troops to Haiti? Let us have a tax cut.

That is government by declaration. Things are always getting better even though we do not see any evidence of that. And then we hear from the party that built its base in American history on fiscal responsibility, increased spending and cut taxes. The evidence is there for all to see.

Then we are told on this floor that they inherited a recession. Everybody in America knows they inherited the best economy in the history of America, all due, I believe, to what at that time was bipartisan relationships in this House. They are nonexistent now. These Members on the other side come to the floor day after day and insist on tax cuts while fighting two wars at the same time.

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