U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee


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October 19, 1999

Democrats Echo Hollow Budget Charges
Clinton is Both "the Pot" and "the Kettle"
on Budget Issue
Over the weekend the Clinton-Gore Administration intensified its orchestrated campaign of deceit on the budget. Having lost a vote on the ill-conceived Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), President Clinton has turned a matter of personal pique into partisan politics. Witness: White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and White House Economic Adviser Gene Sperling both were sent out on Sunday talk shows expressly to attack congressional Republicans on the budget.
The Clinton-Gore Administration has spent seven years following a strategy of "the pot calling the kettle black" -- attempting to sully others with its misdeeds. However, in the case of the budget, the charges are so far from the truth as to make the Administration both "the pot" and "the kettle." As the points below make clear, Clinton and his henchmen are not only guilty of everything they themselves charge on the budget -- they are the only party so guilty.
Budget Facts

Clinton's budget contained spending increases of $1 trillion and tax increases of $95 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). That budget received just 2 votes in the Senate (2-97), and just 2 votes in the House (2-426).

Congressional Republicans have compromised -- it's Clinton who has not.

Republicans wanted a large middle-class tax cut that returned the non-Social Security surplus. President Clinton vetoed it.

Americans won't get a middle-class tax cut because Clinton wouldn't sign it; Clinton won't get large spending and tax increases because Congress won't pass them.

So while Republicans have not been able to deliver on the tax cut, they will deliver on protecting the Social Security surplus, not raising taxes, paying down the debt, and not shutting down the government.

Republicans do more for education than does Clinton. The congressional GOP budget had $27.5 billion more for elementary and secondary education than did Clinton's. His budget provided no increase after 2001 (the year he leaves office).

The GOP budget assumed a $2.4-billion increase in discretionary education funding next year (twice Clinton's request) and $31 billion more over the next five years.

The vetoed GOP tax cut provided over $500 billion in middle-class family tax relief that could be used for education and another $11 billion specifically aimed at education.

White House Charges versus the Truth

White House Charge The Truth

1)Touching Social Security Clinton is the one who's raided the Social Security surplus ($29 billion over 10 years, says CBO). The GOP's budget didn't and Congress's final spending bills won't.

2) Gimmicks There is no budget device in Congress's spending bills that Clinton himself hasn't used. He has used these devices -- emergency designations, and advance appropriations ($19 billion in budget authority) -- in his own budget this year and in past ones. Congress is also using his numbers in some cases. So how can they be called gimmicks?

3) Across-the-Board = Deep Cuts Outlays are what count. Clinton is trying to inflate the calculation using budget authority rather than outlays. An outlay reduction of $600 billion discretionary budget would mean 1% across-the-board; even without DOD, an across-the-board would mean less than 2% in outlay reduction.

4) Congressional Delay All 13 bills are expected to be passed before the current continuing resolution ("C.R.") expires. Only twice in the last 20 years have all bills passed by October 1. Democrats have chosen to delay Congress's work -- Democrats have filibustered 5 appropriation bills so far this year.

5) Veto Threats on Other Bills Clinton won't sign 3 waiting bills; 3 final bills are coming this week. Clinton has vetoed 2, threatens to veto at least 4 more (counting DC again) and won't sign the ones on his desk -- Who is causing a delay?

6) Government Shutdown Clinton will have all the bills this week, his party in Congress has delayed our work all year, and Clinton now refuses to sign more bills -- because of his loss on the CTBT ratification vote. Who wants a shutdown now?

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*White House Charge*	*The Truth*
1)Touching Social Security	Clinton is the one who's raided the Social Security surplus ($29 billion over 10 years, says CBO). The GOP's budget didn't and Congress's final spending bills won't.
2) Gimmicks	There is no budget device in Congress's spending bills that Clinton himself hasn't used. He has used these devices -- emergency designations, and advance appropriations ($19 billion in budget authority) -- in his own budget this year and in past ones. Congress is also using his numbers in some cases. So how can they be called gimmicks?
3) Across-the-Board = Deep Cuts	Outlays are what count. Clinton is trying to inflate the calculation using budget authority rather than outlays. An outlay reduction of $600 billion discretionary budget would mean 1% across-the-board; even without DOD, an across-the-board would mean less than 2% in outlay reduction.
4) Congressional Delay	All 13 bills are expected to be passed before the current continuing resolution ("C.R.") expires. Only twice in the last 20 years have all bills passed by October 1. Democrats have chosen to delay Congress's work -- Democrats have filibustered 5 appropriation bills so far this year.
5) Veto Threats on Other Bills	Clinton won't sign 3 waiting bills; 3 final bills are coming this week. Clinton has vetoed 2, threatens to veto at least 4 more (counting DC again) and won't sign the ones on his desk -- Who is causing a delay?
6) Government Shutdown	Clinton will have all the bills this week, his party in Congress has delayed our work all year, and Clinton now refuses to sign more bills -- because of his loss on the CTBT ratification vote. Who wants a shutdown now?