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| CLINTON VETOES TAX PLAN | |
 September 23, 1999 
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President Clinton vetoed the $800 billion Republican tax plan in a Rose Garden ceremony today. After this background report, Reps. David Bonior and J.C. Watts discuss where Congress's tax debate will go from here. |
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SPOKESMAN: Ladies and gentleman, the President of the United States.
PRESIDENT CLINTON: The bill is too big, too bloated, places too great a burden on America's economy. It would force drastic cuts in education, health care and other vital areas. It would cripple our ability to pay down the debt. It would not add a day to the Social Security Trust Fund. It would not add a day to the Medicare Trust Fund or modernize Medicare with prescription drug coverage -- nearly a trillion dollars in tax cuts, but not one dollar for Medicare. I will veto this bill because it is wrong for Medicare, wrong for Social Security, wrong for education and wrong for the economy. |
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| A long-anticipated veto | ||||||||||||||||||||
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KWAME HOLMAN: Today however...after the veto...the mood of Republican leaders on Capitol Hill was more somber.
KWAME HOLMAN: President Clinton expressed similar sentiments. PRESIDENT CLINTON: Let's do first things first; pay down the debt, save Social Security, save and modernize Medicare, invest in education. If we can work together to meet these objectives, we can also work together to pass tax relief we can afford, affordable middle-class tax relief that reflects the priorities of both parties and the values of the American people. That would be a good bill I would happily sign. |
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KWAME
HOLMAN: President Clinton chose to make his veto of the Republicans'
$792 billion tax cut bill a Rose Garden event. He was confident his
decision was in line with feelings expressed by most Americans. 
KWAME
HOLMAN: The President's veto was long anticipated. He warned congressional
Republicans, as they debated the tax cut plan back in July, that he
would not agree to it. Republicans went ahead, nonetheless, passing
the plan by a thin, mostly party-line margin. But they delayed sending
the bill to the President until last week, hoping to stir more public
support for it.
SEN.
CONNIE MACK, (R-FL): High taxes are an infringement on the liberty of
our families. That's why we want to give tax relief -- because we believe
in less taxing, less spending, less government, and more freedom. (Applause)
SEN.
TRENT LOTT: This was a broad tax relief package that would provide relief
to married families, to women to go back into the workplace, for education
in America, for low income Americans. It is a good bill. And I regret
the president has stolen this tax cut from working American families.
REP.
DENNIS HASTERT, Speaker of the House: I'll tell you, this Congress is
not going to throw in the towel on tax relief for the American people.
We will have another tax bill in this Congress. Now I'm not sure when.
It may be later and not sooner. But we will not give up on tax relief
for the American people.
