Weekly Radio Report: The Tax Bill &amp; Federal Spending

Transcription (Scripto)

Read Full Text Only (TXT)

Extent (Dublin Core)

5 Minutes, 24 Seconds

File Name (Dublin Core)

c031_025

Title (Dublin Core)

Weekly Radio Report: The Tax Bill & Federal Spending

Description (Dublin Core)

In this weekly report Congressman Bob Dole discusses the President’s proposed tax cut and his feeling that this measure should not be enacted without a commitment to reduce federal spending to the same degree. He also discusses public works projects, raising the debt ceiling, and why the national deficit matters, despite some arguments to the contrary.

Date (Dublin Core)

1963-10-25

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1963-10-25

Congress (Dublin Core)

88th (1963-1965)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this value Budget deficits

See all items with this value Budget process

See all items with this value Public works--Law and legislation--United States

Policy Area (Curation)

Taxation

Creator (Dublin Core)

Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021

Record Type (Dublin Core)

radio programs

Rights (Dublin Core)

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Language (Dublin Core)

eng

Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)

https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=84&q=

Physical Collection (Dublin Core)

Collection 031, Box 1

Institution (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Archival Collection (Dublin Core)

Dole Audio Reels Collection, 1960-1979

Full Text (Extract Text)

This is Congressman Bob Dole with my weekly radio report from Washington. First of all, I wish to thank this station for carrying our program as a public service broadcast. And secondly, as in the past, we certainly invite your comments, and your suggestions, and of course, your criticisms.

Thought I might point out today that we've had considerable discussion on the tax bill; of course, the tax bill was passed by the House. I voted against the tax measure because, like many other Members of Congress, I cannot see how we can have a cut in taxes — despite the fact it may be highly desirable, the fact that I may want it personally, or that you may want it — unless we have a comparable reduction in federal spending. I think at the time, the President and the Administration were very concerned about this, and the President stated, and I quote, “We are pledged to a course of true fiscal responsibility leading to a balanced budget.” This statement was made by the President in his plea for a tax cut. He also stated — and this is stated in Section 1 of the tax bill — “...to further the objective of obtaining a balanced budget in the near future, Congress, by this action, recognizes the importance of taking all reasonable means to restrain government spending.” So, I think we can start off with a basic premise that both Congress — it was in the bill, it was in black and white in the bill — and the President — on his television program prior to passage of the bill by the House — have indicated that we must stop some of the federal spending — whether it’s in Kansas, whether it’s New York, whether it’s in Vietnam, or whether it's in Germany, or wherever it may be in the world — because we're spending money, literally, at every stop and every place in the world. Our money and your money.

I think we've had some reaction that the President's decision now to push for an extra $900 million for the Accelerated Public Works Program, thus ignoring the promises he made and the promises made on the Floor by other Members, could very well wreck the tax bill in the Senate because many members of the Democrat Party and many members the Republican Party feel very seriously that we cannot have a tax cut without comparable reductions in spending. Right now, the tax bill is in the Finance Committee on the Senate side and they're having hearings. Senator Harry Byrd — a great American — is Chairman of the Finance Committee, and we may expect some 150 to 200 witnesses to appear before his committee. But I do feel that Senate approval of the tax bill leans heavily upon curtailment of federal spending. One Republican Congressman noted this to be true, and certainly the request of another $900 million for an Accelerated Public Works Program could hardly be termed ‘a reduction in federal spending.’ And as I said before, there are many Members of both parties who feel we must curtail federal spending. It’s impossible to spend and spend and spend, [while at] the same time talk about tax reductions, and talk about balanced budgets or talk about balance of payments or anything else.

Now, this Accelerated Public Works Program is one year old. We've already authorized some $950 million, but to date only $250 million has been spent. And with only this much spent of the prior authorization, we have the Administration coming back now asking for another $900 million. And, in fact, the House Public Works Committee has been holding hearings on this request and on this proposal. I don't know of a single project in Kansas which would benefit from this, and frankly, I feel that these projects should be subject to the same scrutiny — they should be subject to the same hearings and the same close look as any other project. I don't believe in rushing into any expensive public works program without having all the facts and to find out whether or not it's justified. Whereas I have said before, economy starts at home and must start at home if we are to ever balance the budget and ever reduce the national debt.

Now there [is] talk now that the debt ceiling will be increased again this year to $315 billion; it has been increased once. It was increased twice last year, and if it's increased again, it'll be the second increase this year. As I've asked before, where do we stop? People write and say, ‘Well don't worry about it, don't be so critical because we only owe it to ourselves.’ Well this may make a very convincing argument when you're asking — [corrects himself] writing asking me, or for someone else in Congress to vote for some particular measure, but it does appear to me that we have some obligation — despite the desirability of some of the programs, from an emotional standpoint or from a personal standpoint — to stop spending. And this seems to be the attitude of more and more Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and I predicted in the next two or three weeks and in the coming months and next year, we'll see a turn toward a more conservative attitude by members of both parties.

Again, this is Congressman Bob Dole, and I certainly would appreciate your writing. Just address your letter: House Office Building, Room 244, Washington, D.C. Thanks for listening.

Weekly Radio Report: The Tax Bill & Federal Spending

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