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Skriven 2007-03-31 23:31:44 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (070331) for Sat, 2007 Mar 31
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release March 31, 2007

President's Radio Address

˙˙President's Radio Address
˙ Audio ˙˙En Espa_

˙˙˙˙˙ Defense ˙˙˙˙˙ Budget Management

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In recent days, the House and Senate each
passed emergency war spending bills that undercut our troops in the field.
Each of the Democrats' bills would substitute the judgment of politicians
in Washington for that of our generals on the ground. Each bill would
impose restrictive conditions on our military commanders. Each bill would
also set an arbitrary deadline for surrender and withdrawal in Iraq, and I
believe that would have disastrous consequences for our safety here at
home.

The Democrats loaded up their bills with billions of dollars in domestic
spending completely unrelated to the war, including $3.5 million for
visitors to tour the Capitol, $6.4 million for the House of
Representatives' Salaries and Expenses Account, and $74 million for secure
peanut storage. I like peanuts as much as the next guy, but I believe the
security of our troops should come before the security of our peanut crop.
For all these reasons, that is why I made it clear to the Democrats in
Congress, I will veto the bill.

Archives

Radio Address: 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Radio Interviews: 2006 2005 2004 Democrats in the House and the Senate also
recently passed their annual budget resolutions. Their budgets would raise
your taxes and raise government spending in Washington. And their budgets
fail to address the most serious challenge to our Nation's fiscal health:
the unsustainable growth in entitlement programs, like Social Security and
Medicare.

Overall, the Democrats would raise taxes by a total of nearly $400 billion
over the next five years. To put this in perspective, this would be the
largest tax increase in our Nation's history, even larger than the tax
increase the Democrats passed the last time they controlled Congress.

Let me explain what it will mean for your annual tax bill if the Democrats
get their way. If you have children, the Democrats would raise your taxes
by $500 for each child. If you're a family of four making $60,000 a year,
the Democrats would raise your taxes by more than $1,800. If you're a
single mother with two children working to make ends meet, the Democrats
would raise your taxes by more than $1,000. If you are a small business
owner working to meet a payroll, the Democrats would raise your taxes by
almost $4,000. And more than five million low-income Americans who
currently pay no income taxes because of our tax relief would once again
have to pay. Whether you have a family, work for a living, own a business,
or are simply struggling to get by on a low income, the Democrats want to
raise your taxes.

The Democrats plan to spend all those extra tax dollars. In the Senate,
Democrats have passed a budget that would spend $145 billion more than I
have requested over the next five years. In the House, Democrats have
passed a budget that would spend even more -- $213 billion above my
request.

With their budgets, the Democrats have revealed their true intentions.
During the last campaign, Democrats said that under their "pay as you go"
approach, they would pay for their new spending. Now we see what they meant
by that. The Democrats have chosen a "tax as you go" approach that requires
you to cut your spending to pay higher taxes. And Democrats will use these
higher taxes to spend more of your money on their special interest
projects.

Our Nation cannot afford such reckless taxing and spending. Under my
Administration, we have kept your taxes low and restrained government
spending in Washington. Now, America's economy is leading the world, with
an economic expansion that has produced 42 months of uninterrupted job
growth and created more than 7.5 million new jobs. The fastest way to stop
this growth in its tracks would be to allow the Democrats in Congress to
impose higher taxes on you so they can spend more of your money.

I believe there's a better way to balance our Federal budget. Last month, I
sent Congress a plan that would eliminate the Federal deficit in five
years, without raising your taxes. In the months ahead, I will work with
Republicans and responsible Democrats in Congress to pass a disciplined
budget and to stop the Democratic leadership from taking our Nation back to
tax-and-spend policies of the past. By setting clear spending priorities
and keeping taxes low, we can keep our economy growing, support our troops
in the war on terror, and ensure our children and grandchildren inherit a
more prosperous and hopeful America.

Thank you for listening.

END
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