Congressman Cohen Supports a Balanced Budget

Mr. Speaker, this month the Democratic Congress will approve a final budget plan that, unlike the President's budget, will actually be balanced over the next 5 years, and we do it without raising taxes. Now the President likes to claim that his budget proposal achieves balance by 2012 and does not increase taxes, but that's simply not true. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the President's budget will still be running a $9 billion deficit 5 years from now.

The President's broken promises don't stop there. His budget would also cost middle-class families $247 billion in tax increases over the next 5 years under the alternative minimum tax, and $500 billion in taxes on employer-provided health insurance.

Fortunately, Democrats rejected the President's budget. Instead, we restore fiscal integrity to our Nation, protect middle-income families from tax increases and actually reach balance by the year 2012. The American people asked us to take this Nation in a new direction, and our budget answers their call.

And by the way, Mr. Speaker, give peace a chance.