Mel Watt

Mr. WATT

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of the time. I will let my colleagues and the American people determine what our budget does, but let me summarize it. The CBC budget balances the budget in 5 years, and is the only budget you are going to see on this floor tonight that yields a surplus at the end of 5 years instead of a deficit. The CBC saves $10.5 billion in interest on the national debt over that period. The CBC budget adopts the PAYGO rules which you all have forgotten about. Even with those accomplishments, the CBC budget funds these important programs: $80 billion more on education and job training, $20 billion more on veterans benefits and services, $20 billion more on health care, $6 billion more on community and regional development including the gulf coast, and billions more on research, nutrition, and food programs. And where do we get it from? On that money that comes from people making over $200,000 a year. We think these are higher priorities, and we are honest enough to tell you so.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. WATT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman give us some time?

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Florida for a unanimous consent request because we don't have enough time.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens).

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, would the Chair repeat what he just said?

Mr. WATT. Can I make a parliamentary inquiry as to why that is the case? It is our amendment.

Mr. WATT. Would the Chairman tell me what that means I have left total?

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick).

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, tell us, how much time remains?

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, can you tell us how much time remains?

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) (Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen).

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would just submit to the gentleman that I would rather educate my children than give a tax cut to people on income over $200,000. I hope he agrees with me. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would yield, I would like to answer the question.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 10 seconds to the gentlemen from Virginia.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, if the gentlemen will give us some more time, we have a whole list of speakers over here. But we are going to run out of time before we run out of speakers, I can assure you.

Mr. WATT. I made no such intention. You characterized it that way. I have never characterized it as raising taxes. We are rescinding the tax cuts on income over $200,000. I really appreciate you all continuing to point out to the American people how much that represents when you look at it and to say that we don't have enough rich people in the country to do that.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Chairman, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green). (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)