Democrats, the deficit, and all they want to achieve

Christian Science Monitor ^ | 14 December 2006 | Peter Grier

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Lower interest rates on student loans. More special forces for the military. Expanded prescription drug benefits for senior citizens. Greater federal support for renewable energy and alternative fuels.

Congressional Democrats have a long list of priorities they'd like to enact when they assume the power of the majority in January. After all, they've been wandering in the political wilderness for 12 years. They've had lots of time to scribble down stuff under the heading "to do."

But faced with record federal deficits and the expense of the war in Iraq, Democrats have also vowed to be more fiscally responsible than their Republican predecessors. Handling this impending collision could be one of the first big tests for the party's House and Senate leadership teams.

"Maybe [incoming Speaker of the House Nancy] Pelosi can really curb the tendency of Democrats to spend money, but there is a lot of pent-up desire," said Ron Haskins, codirector of the Brookings Institution's Center on Children and Families, at a recent seminar.

As yet, Democrats have hung no price tag on their forthcoming agenda. Many of the high-priority items they have pledged to enact in the first 100 hours of the new Congress, such as an increase in the minimum wage, wouldn't cost Washington lots of money.

In addition, incoming Speaker Pelosi said in a statement last month that the party is committed to "no new deficit spending." She said Democrats intend to restore pay-as-you-go rules, which require increases in the federal budget to be offset by either tax hikes or cuts in spending elsewhere.

[ballplayer]

Right and if Bill Clinton had these numbers they would be counting Social security surpluses as they did to .The only difference the media would have been wetting their pants and proclaiming the greatest economy in history 24 hours a day instead of the BS you are spouting