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504 Cannon House Office
Building · Washington, DC 20515
Contact:
Gabe Neville (202) 225-2411 ·
FAX: (202) 225-2013
·
Internet: www.house.gov/pitts
For
Immediate Release
December 11, 2000
Donīt Squander the Budget
Surplus
By Congressman Joe
Pitts
While
all eyes are on Florida's courtrooms, Congress is still trying
to resolve the final spending bills for Fiscal Year 2001. We are negotiating
with President Clinton, who will leave office in only a few
short weeks. And
he is making demands that just arenīt reasonable. Not only is he
demanding huge increases in spending, he is lobbying for
policies that violate the rights of parents and small business
owners.
One
example is the bill to fund the departments of Labor and
Health and Human Services. The spending level in
this bill was $97 billion in 2000. The President proposed
a spending level of $106 billion for this bill when he
submitted his budget request in February, but now he is asking
for more than $114 billion-a huge, 18 percent increase over
last year.
Washington
should not squander the budget surplus in the waning days of a
lame duck Congress and a lame duck presidency. We must remain
vigilant and keep in mind the best interests of the
taxpayers. I
believe it is more appropriate for us to pass a temporary
spending measure-called a "continuing resolution"-to fund
these programs at the 2000 level and leave the larger issues
to the next Congress and the next President to resolve. With funding decisions
delayed so late already, allowing a new Congress and a new
president to make those decisions seems now to make the most
sense. After all,
it is they who will have to implement whatever programs are
funded.
An
18 percent increase in spending is too much. Thatīs $200 billion in
extra spending over ten years, just for two agencies. The departments of
Labor and Health and Human Services do a lot of good work, and
their programs are important. But tax relief, a
prescription drug plan for seniors, and fixing Medicare are
the nationīs most important priorities. Huge increases
elsewhere might make our top priorities unaffordable.
President
Clinton should reconsider his opposition to a long-term
continuing resolution.
We have used continuing resolutions for the last two
months very effectively.
Allowing the next President and the next Congress to
decide would allow those who have to live with the
consequences to decide for themselves. We would also save
billions of dollars in the process by preventing immediate
increases.
President
Clinton is insisting that Republicans drop provisions in the
bill that would ban schools from providing the morning after
abortion pills to school children. For the President to
be fighting to allow schools to hand out abortion pills to 12-
and 13-year olds in school is lunacy and undermines the rights
of parents to raise their children according to their own
moral dictates.
Heīs
also demanding that school construction money be spent under
Davis-Bacon rules,
essentially ensuring that non-union contractors be excluded
from making bids.
This isnīt right either. It violates the
American principle of free markets and open competition.
If President
Clinton is unwilling to allow the next President and the next
Congress to make these decisions, he should at the very least
conciliate on some of his demands. Giving morning-after
pills to teenage girls and undercutting independent business
owners are out of step with not only the will of Congress but
also the will of the American people. If he cannot bring
himself to forgo these demands, he should allow his successor
to make these decisions instead.
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