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Bob Smith on Budget & Economy


Don’t balance budget on veterans’ shoulders

I have fought to preserve and protect the quality of benefits available to all veterans. While achieving real deficit reduction has, and will, require Congress to make difficult spending choices, I will vigorously oppose any effort to ask veterans to shoulder the burden of balancing the budget. The Senate, with my support, has recommended increasing the Veteran’s Administration’s total budget by more than $1.17 billion over last year’s appropriations level.
Source: (X-ref defense) senate.gov/~smith “Smith on the Issues” Aug 30, 1999

Keep budget balanced; use surpluses to pay down debt

I will present no budget to the Congress that is not in balanced, and will use all budget surpluses to pay down the debt, strengthen our military, and to implement reforms in Social Security to begin the process of allowing individuals to set up their own personal savings accounts.
Source: www.SmithForPresident.org/ “Annoucement Speech” Mar 29, 1999

Supports Balanced Budget Amendment

Sen. Smith supports “amending the US Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget.”
Source: Project Vote Smart NPAT 1996 Jul 2, 1996

Fund more education, enviro, Medicare, & student loans

Sen. Smith would “maintain status” of federal funding for:
  • AIDS Programs
  • Arts funding
  • Housing projects
  • Job training programs
  • NASA
  • Welfare (AFDC).
    Source: Project Vote Smart NPAT 1996 Jul 2, 1996

    Block grants to states for most federal programs

    Source: Project Vote Smart NPAT 1996 Jul 2, 1996

    Voted YES on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts.

    Vote to table [kill] an amendment that would increase the amount of the budget that would be used to reduce the national debt by $75 billion over 5 year. The debt reduction would be offset by reducing the tax cut in the budget framework from $150 billion
    Bill S Con Res 101 ; vote number 2000-55 on Apr 5, 2000

    Voted NO on 1998 GOP budget.

    Approval of the 1998 GOP Budget which would cut spending and taxes.
    Status: CR Agreed to Y)78; N)22
    Reference: H. Con. Res. 84 as amended; Bill H. Con. Res. 84 ; vote number 1997-92 on May 23, 1997

    Voted YES on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment.

    Approval of the balanced-budget constitutional amendment.
    Status: Joint Resolution Defeated Y)66; N)34
    Reference: S. J. Res. 1; Bill S. J. Res. 1 ; vote number 1997-24 on Mar 4, 1997

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