"Frankly, I think we made a mistake during this whole budget process just this last week in taking the
pressure off the president.  The president only reacts to pressure, and we took that pressure off.  We  
shouldn't have done it."  Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK),  Morning Edition (NPR), January 17, 1996

"I mean we're looking for the debt ceiling again to be leverage, to help encourage the President to come to
the table to talk seriously about a budget that's going to balance with real numbers." Rep. Nick Smith (R-
MI), The Nightly Business Report, January 5, 1996

"But I suggest that is a fundamentally different proposition for Congress to use that kind of a nuclear
weapon in the budget battle. It is not proportionate and I suggest it is not proper... One further word on
blackmail versus legitimate political pressure. I urge my colleagues not to try to use the debt ceiling to
bludgeon the settlement on the budget dispute." Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Congressional Record,
Wednesday, January 10, 1996

"And to have the United States government fault in any way on its obligations must be a terrible thing,
terrible in the distant future, terrible in the immediate future, because, clearly, interest rates would go up."
Sen. John Chafee (R-RI), Morning Edition (NPR), January 17, 1996

The President "will veto a number of things, and we'll put them all on the debt ceiling.  And then he'll
decide how big a crisis he wants."  Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA), The Washington Times, April 3, 1995

"I will not schedule the  debt ceiling  [increase] until we get the agreement to balance the budget.  For the
last 30 years, every time we send conservatives to Washington, they flinch. There is always a new excuse.
We are not going to do that." Rep. Newt Gingrich, The Washington Post, September 23, 1995

"What I think we're going to do is we're going to have what's called targeted appropriations.  We're going
to fund programs that we think are important and not fund the programs that we think are not important."
  Rep. John Kasich Morning Edition (NPR), January 15, 1996

"Why would we want to cancel the tax cut?  So we could pump more money in to entitlement programs?  I
mean that makes no sense."  Rep. John Kasich CNN NEWS, January 14, 1996

"Well, I think we've done a pretty good job here, thanks to the freshmen Republicans.  In addition to the
Senate, we've passed a bill that now requires the members of Congress to live by the laws the rest of the
country does.  We passed the first balanced budget to come through Congress in 25 years.  We've
accomplished a lot."  Sen. Spencer Abraham, CNN NEWS, January 14, 1996

"Well, obviously, our goal is to balance the budget and give people a chance to keep more of what they
earn.  I think if the president gets his way and defers this until the election, if he's elected again I don't
think we'll ever see the budget balanced.  The way the Democratic budget looks, they've put all the
spending cuts at the end and that, I think, will never happen."  Sen. Spencer Abraham, CNN NEWS,
January 14, 1996

"I think we have huge policy differences about whether there should be power in Washington or power
back home--whether there should be middle class tax relief for working families or higher spending."  
Newt Gingrich, The Reuter Business Report, January 16, 1996

"I always respected his ability to be an artful dodger," said the freshman lawmaker. "He has an instinctive
ability to make you believe things are going one way when they're going another." Sonny Bono on Newt
Gingrich, Time, January 15, 1996

''We've been called radical and extreme, but I think we're right out of the heart of America.'' freshman
Representative Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) Business Week, January 8, 1996

" Then on April 3, the Medicare board of trustees issued its annual report. The report warned that
Medicare's hospital trust fund faced bankruptcy by the year 2002, and its financial condition was "very
unfavorable." The report was signed by three Cabinet officials in the Clinton administration.  Haley
Barbour, chairman of the Republican National Committee, took one look at it and declared, "This is  
manna from heaven! ". The Atlanta Journal, November 5, 1995

"Seven is the longest period in which you can maintain the discipline to insist on it happening. Ten allows
you to avoid all the decisions that get you a balanced budget," he said. And what was the basis for those
assertions? "Intuition.  But what do you think big decisions are based on?  I'm just telling you an honest
answer.  What do you think really big decisions are based on?"  Newt Gingrich, The Montgomery
Advertiser, November 29, 1995

"They know you can't be rigid on little things if you want to achieve big things," says House Speaker Newt
Gingrich.  "They came here to balance the budget, and they came here to change Washington.  The
details, I think, they've been remarkably mature about."  Time, November 20, 1995

"He has an obligation to put on the table what substantial reforms he is prepared to sign as part of getting
a debt ceiling, and in the absence of that, frankly, we are temporarily at an impasse," Newt Gingrich, St.
Louis Post-Dispatch, January 23, 1996

"John Kasich's willingness to vote for it to the contrary," said Armey, "it's not coming through the House
unless it carries with it something that is a substantial share of our agenda of decreasing the size and the
intrusiveness of government. . . . We have a House that is committed to getting this job done, and we're
going to use every instrument we can to move the ball forward." Dick Armey, The New York Times,
January 22, 1996

"I do think, at some point, that action will be taken on the debt ceiling," Lott said. But he added that
"there may be some things on the debt ceiling other than just pure extension.   "It may not be exactly like
the president wants it, but there are two branches of government here, and we have to have our role in
developing that action." Trent Lott, Orlando Sentinel Tribune, January 22, 1996

"I don't think we can pass a clean- debt limit, " Representative Robert S. Walker, The New York Times,
January 19, 1996

"I don't believe it works politically, and it certainly doesn't work as a responsible financial tactic. A
fiscally responsible Republican Party should never be associated with that kind of a tactic. It's not a
question of blame; it's a question of responsibility." Representative Marge Roukema, The New York
Times, January 19, 1996

"It would be very, very tough. If the president refuses to agree to a balanced budget, we're going to do
everything we can to pass an increase in the  debt limit,  but it will be very hard." Newt Gingrich, The
Detroit News, January 17, 1996

"This is a real problem. But our members feel very deeply that they did not come to Washington to
increase the debt that their children owe. I think the president better come to grips with how big a
challenge he's going to face if we can't get to a budget agreement. But we'll try to get an increase with
certain restrictions on the Secretary of the Treasury, for example, not to raid the civil service retirement
account in the future." Newt Gingrich, The Detroit News, January 17, 1996

"We're going to raise the debt ceiling.  In my opinion, we should. . . . My sense is you don't want to mess
around with defaulting here in the United States."  House Budget Committee Chairman John R. Kasich
(R-Ohio), Los Angeles Times, January 15, 1996

"I'm not aware of any final  debt-limit  decision by the leadership." Tony Blankley, spokesman for Mr.
Gingrich,  The New York Times, January 15, 1996

"I don't see how [administration officials] can expect a clean debt ceiling [bill] in a situation where they're
refusing to negotiate in good faith and they're refusing to reach a serious balanced budget agreement,"
Newt Gingrich,  The Washington Post, January 15, 1996

"We don't want a crisis, so I've told [White House officials that] we have to sit down and talk together
about what they're willing to accept.", Newt Gingrich,  The Washington Post, January 15, 1996

No, I don't think we'll shut the government down again.  I mean, I just don't anticipate that will happen,
and I would anticipate we would do something to approve the debt ceiling."  Rep. John Kasich (R-OH),  
Moneyline, January 15, 1996

"When the president agrees to a seven-year plan that balances the budget, with honest numbers, we will
extend the  debt limit  to match those targets over those seven-years." Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), CNN
Headline News, January 5, 1996

"I am not going to stand here and say you can live on $3.25 an hour or $4.55 an hour." - Bob Dole on the
minimum wage during a 1989 Presidential debate.

"It would be an absolute disgrace if the United States defaulted for the first time in its over 200 year
history.  Any default will have swift and severe repercussions both domestically and internationally.  It is
our view that it will probably raise general interest rates, costing the United States a significant amount of
money in the absence of Congressional action."  Secretary of the Treasury James Baker, Associated Press,
November 8, 1985

Of course, what we mean by " drop-dead  date" is the date on which the Government would default rather
than be able to honor its financial obligations. We cannot allow this to occur because the financial stability
of this country and indeed the free world depends upon the U.S. Government honoring its obligations.  
Then Rep.Trent Lott (R-MS), Congressional Record, November 13, 1985

"This  default  would mean the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government is not adequate security for
holders of our obligations. If this occurs, obviously it will have a destabilizing effect on financial markets
and certainly result in long-term higher interest costs for the Federal Government as investors seek a
hedge against the risk of similar occurrences in the future.   I hope we can all agree that this result must
be avoided." Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS), Congressional Record, November 12, 1985

"Treasury needs new authority by tomorrow to fulfill the obligations of the Government. Default would
strike a devastating blow to the country's  premier credit rating.   In addition to increasing the debt service
cost to the taxpayers, default would increase interest rates for everyone -- individuals as well as businesses.
 As unpalatable as raising the debt limit might be, the financial security of the Nation must override our
reluctance to vote for House Joint Resolution 280." Rep. Bill Archer (R-TX), Congressional Record,
November 7, 1989

"The issue of default should not be on the table.  To default for the first time in the history of this nation is
not something anyone should take in any tranquil manner." Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan,
Testimony before the Senate Banking Committee

"It is an appropriate topic, I guess, but it's not a very good issue, any more than the war in Vietnam would
be, or World War II or World War I, or the war in Korea - all Democrat wars, all in this century....I
figured up the other day, if we added up the killed and wounded in Democrat wars in this century, it
would be about 1.6 million Americans, enough to fill the city of Detroit." Senator Bob Dole, October 15,
1976, Vice Presidential Debate

Senator Bob Dole is "the tax collector for the welfare state." Newt Gingrich, Washington Post, 11-19-84

"Bob Dole never met a tax he didn't hike...When Bob Dole talks about leadership for the future,
(remember) he's the man who led the fight for five major tax increases in the past five years." Jack Kemp,
The St. Petersburg Times, 2/11/88

"When Bob Dole talks about closing loopholes, you'd better watch your wallet." Jack Kemp, The St.
Petersburg Times, 2/11/88

"One wonders, however, if Bob Dole, one of the negotiators of the 1990 tax increase, can be a credible
leader of the Reagan Coalition...(Dole) would cheerfully walk back into a negotiating room to raise taxes
in return for promised spending cuts."  Grover Norquist, The American Spectator, 1/93

"If (Dole) doesn't recommend a tax increase, Ill eat not only my hat, I'll eat Bob Dole's Hat."  George
Bush Camapign Ad, Associated Press, 5/7/88

Q: Are you going to promise not to cut people's Social Security to meet these promises (in the Contract
With America)?
A: No, I'm not going to make such a promise
House Majority Leader Dick Armey, Crossfire, 9/27/94

"Frankly, among the people I talk to, Newt scares them a little bit."  Senator Robert Bennett, New York
Times Magazine, 3/5/95

''It isn't a New York City problem,'' he said. ''The only endangered species in New York City is probably a
free white human being...the only person there isn't a law protecting today is the  white  Anglo-Saxon
human being.'' Senator Larry Craig, The Rocky Mountain News, 9-3-94

"The nutrition area is one that does not easily lend itself to state responsibility...It is appropriate that the
federal government retain primary responsibility for nutrition programs in order to guarantee some
standardization of benefits." Senator Bob Dole, Washington Post, 3-6-95

 "The values of the  Left cripple human beings,  weaken cities, make it difficult for us to in fact survive as
a country. ... The  Left in America is to blame for most of the current major diseases which have struck
this society." Newt Gingrich, Washington Post, 9-24-89

"Minimum wgae laws tend to cut the bottom rung off the economic ladder.  The plain truth is there should
be no minimum wage, period, in the great land of free enterprise." Senator Phil Gramm, Congressional
Record, 5-17-89

''On the floor we fight hard; we're both  free, white  and 21, as we say in North Carolina.'' Senator Jesse
Helms, New York Times, 6-28-81
   "He is Oklahoma's Newt Gingrich, meaner than a junkyard dog," says. "If I had to pick a guy for the
king of mean, he's it." Frosty Troy, editor of the Oklahoma Observer on Senator James Inhofe, USA
Today, 11-10-94

"We're alienating people. We ought to have that welfare reform bill up on the floor. How can we get a
mother with two children off welfare if she's only going to get a job that pays $ 4.25 an hour? We ought to
pass the minimum wage. Get it done." Senator Al D'Amato, The Denver Post, 5-12-96

"If you become so doctrinaire, like Dick Armey saying they're going to cut the gasoline tax and make up
the revenue by cutting education - Go after the secretary of Energy flying all over the world. But why cut $
5 billion out of education?  Senator Al D'Amato, New York Times, 5-12-96

Gingrich of Georgia and Armey of Texas had "a Southern, anti-union attitude that appeals to the
mentality of  hillbillies  at revival meetings." Rep. Peter King, New York Times, 5-12-96

"Now let me talk about Medicare...we don't get rid of it in round one because we don't think that would be
politically smart and we don't think that's the right way to go through a transition.  But we believe it's
going to wither on the vine because we think people are going to voluntarily leave it -- voluntarily." Newt
Gingrich, Speech to Blue-Cross/Blue Shield 10/24/95

"I was there, fighting the fight, voting against Medicare -- 1 of 12 -- because we knew it wouldn't work in
1965."  Senator Bob Dole at the American Conservative Union 10/24/95

"Mr. Chairman, the  earned income tax credit, or EITC,  was enacted in 1975 to offset payroll taxes for
low-income families with children and provide an incentive for work.  The credit was first expanded in
1990, and it was again expanded dramatically in 1993 as part of President Clinton's tax bill.
Unfortunately, what began as small work "bonus" has ballooned into a massive wealth redistribution
program." Sen. Don Nickles, Testimony before Gov't Affairs Committee, 4/5/95

"In fact, Mr. Chairman, the  EITC  is not a tax cut.  It is the federal government's fastest growing and
most fraud-prone welfare program." Sen. Don Nickles, Testimony before Gov't Affairs Committee, 4/5/95

"To suggest, as The Post news story did, that our effort reflects a desire to `abolish detailed federal  
nursing home standards  that specifically prohibit residents from being unnecessarily tied down or
drugged' is a trivialization of the debate that borders on a cheap shot." Thomas Bliley, Washington Post
10/11/95

Congress intended to end ''an eight-year experiment with federalization of nursing home
standards...Washington-run nursing home regulation has been a bureaucratic nightmare: confusing,
expensive and counterproductive.'' Houston Chronicle, 10/7/95, Rep. Thomas J. Bliley Jr., R-Va.,
chairman of the Commerce Committee

"Dick Gephardt and Bill Clinton proposed cutting Medicare $390 billion in Gephardt's healthcare reform
bill. No Republican ever proposed anything  close to that magnitude." Haley Barbour, Late Edition, 11-6-
94

"I don't care what the price is.  I don't care if we have no executive office and no bonds for 60 days.  Not
this time."  Newt Gingrich, Washington Post, 9-22-95

"If we close down, people will listen."  Rep. John Kasich, Washington Post, 7-25-95

"Overspending is an absolute myth.  The root problem goes back to the 1981 frenzy of excessive and
imprudent tax-cutting that shattered the Nation's fiscal stability.  A noisy faction of Republicans has
willfully denied this giant mistake and their own culpability for it.  Instead they have incessantly poisoned
the political debate with a mindless stream of anti-tax venom.  If Newt Gingrich and his playmates had
the parental supervision they deserve, they would be sent to the nearest corner wherein to lodge their
Pinocchio-sized noses until this adult task of raising taxes is finished."  David Stockman, Reagan Budget
Director, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 6-13--93