Seal of the United States of America
Congressional Record
PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

House of Representatives

March 8, 2001
 
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3, ECONOMIC
 GROWTH AND TAX RELIEF ACT OF 2001
 
Mr. Speaker, I support the largest tax cut possible, but I want to see a budget first. The law requires it, and as a small business owner, I demand it. We need to pay down the debt. It is out of control, nearly $6 trillion. 

    The American people deserve to know that our government is spending over $1 billion a day simply paying interest on the debt, some $360 billion every single year. 
Mr. Speaker, I want to see in a budget how we pay down that debt. I want to see in a budget how we save Social Security, how we modernize Medicare to include medicine for our seniors. I want us to recognize and admit to the American people that while we had a surplus yesterday or last year, it is only $8 billion, when you take all the trust fund monies, the Social Security, the Medicare, military retiree, Federal employee retiree trust funds out of the equation. 

     Mr. Speaker, $8 billion only pays 6 days of interest on the national debt. I want a tax cut. I want a budget first. I want to save Social Security. I want to pay down the debt. 


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