With the releases of his budget for fiscal 2001 today, Bill Clinton is challenging the Republican Congress to "do more." Mr. Clinton is raising the ante on the fearful Republicans by proposing more than $1.8 trillion in spending for next year, including hundreds of expensive, poll-tested initiatives to benefit every liberal interest group under the sun. But before the congressional leadership takes the bait, they should first ask Clinton, and his hand-picked successor Al Gore, to explain why their administration cannot account for the money they already are spending.

The Clinton administration claims that its $1.84 trillion budget for FY 2001 is a “balanced and fiscally responsible” framework to retire debt, secure Social Security and Medicare, cut taxes, and invest in key priorities. Behind the rhetoric, however, the numbers show that Bill Clinton is proposing a massive increase in the size of government, a trivial amount of tax relief, and a phony scheme to extend the lives of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. If enacted, the president’s FY 2001 budget would mean:

CSE RESPONSE TO THE CLINTON STATE OF THE UNION: NO GORE TAXES!!! CONCORD – In his final State of the Union address last night, President Clinton claimed credit for the economic prosperity being enjoyed by this nation. He then turned around and proposed big government spending and regulatory schemes – all of which would not only take more money out of the pockets of Americans, but also put the brakes on our thriving economy.

On the day of the biggest snowstorm of the year, CSE staff plodded through blizzard-like conditions to keep the important issues in front of the candidates. On Tuesday alone, CSE staff asked: George Bush about international trade, John McCain about Internet taxation, Steve Forbes about tort reform and Bill Bradley about scrapping the code.

I am excited and enthusiastic to be here today. We are on the cusp of a new century and I am in a hall filled with women who are helping shape the new millennium. You have had a tremendous impact on Texas politics as this century comes to a close. You have worked in campaigns across the state and are largely responsible for Texas having all 29 statewide office holders Republicans. You are a powerful group, and I am grateful to be here.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cut the Pork, Don’t Spend Our Tax Cut

Lacking the political courage to cut waste, redundancy and obsolete programs from their spending bills, House Appropriators have resorted to indefensible budget gimmicks in order to "comply" with the discretionary spending limits required by the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. In the past week, Appropriators have declared nearly $10 billion in spending for routine programs – such as the 2000 decennial census and veterans health care – as "emergency" spending, which does not have to be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget (meaning, it is funded with surplus dollars) and does not count against the discretionary spending caps.

Lacking the political courage to cut waste, redundancy and obsolete programs from their spending bills, House Appropriators have resorted to indefensible budget gimmicks in order to "comply" with the discretionary spending limits required by the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. In the past week, Appropriators have declared nearly $10 billion in spending for routine programs – such as the 2000 decennial census and veterans health care – as "emergency" spending, which does not have to be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget (meaning, it is funded with surplus dollars) and does not count against the discretionary spending caps.

Before giving money to federal programs, Congress has a moral obligation to ensure that these programs can account for every tax dollar they spend. This week, when the Senate considers increasing the budget for the Department of Commerce by $2.1 billion ($1.7 billion of which is dedicated to the 2000 Census), lawmakers should take note of a recent General Accounting Office report that most agencies within this department "lack the basic financial and performance information they need to manage their programs and activities and improve their performance."