I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. The political trend that's pained me most over the past few years has been the inability of Congressional Republicans to stick to the promises of 1994. I've given examples before. Now, Investor's Business Daily is the latest to run the numbers.
When Republicans took over the house in 1995, they forced agencies to cut their budgets. That lasted exactly one year.
Between 1996 and 2000, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Department budgets rose by almost 30 percent.
Veterans Administration and Department of Housing and Urban Development budgets declined 10 percent between 1994 and 1996, then increased 10 percent by 2000.
Spending at the Department of Agriculture remained relatively stable until 1998, but then increased a staggering 47 percent.
Overall, discretionary spending for fiscal 2000 rose to $586 billion, a 5 percent increase. Budget discussions for 2001 are centered around $600 billion in spending.
With Republicans like this, who needs Democrats?
Those are my ideas, and at the NCPA we know ideas can change the world. I'm Pete du Pont. Next time, Roth MSAs.