No one should believe that this vote is about deficit reduction. By insisting on another $70 billion of tax cuts ... the deficit actually goes up.
He wants an additional $18 billion that is not in the budget. And my question to him is, this is spending you say is needed. How do you intend to pay for it?
There are large cooperatives all across this country. Land O'Lakes is a $12 billion club functioning all across America. There are rural electric co-ops in 47 states. Ace Hardware is a cooperative.
The request for an additional $18 billion for 2002 for defense would just make this situation worse, and I told the secretary of defense I believe they have an affirmative obligation to come up with a way of paying for this,