Remarks at the American College of Cardiology Convention in Orlando, Florida

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, March 26, 2001

My budget also proposes refundable tax credits to make health insurance more affordable for working families. I propose making it easier for small businesses to join together so that they can purchase better and more affordable health coverage for their workers. And we increase funding for community and migrant health centers, so that over the next 5 years we double the number of people served at community centers in rural and low income neighborhoods.

I've also asked Congress to increase funding for medical research, which gives hope to many who struggle with serious disease. My budget for next year requests an additional $2.8 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an important step toward our goal of doubling the budget for the NIH by the year 2003.

We've increased discretionary spending by 4 percent, greater than the rate of inflation. And after we fund important priorities in the ongoing operations o our Government, I believe we ought to pay down national debt. And so my budget pays down a record 2 trillion in debt over the next 10 years. And that sets up a $1 trillion contingency fund for emergencies or additional expenses. After funding priorities, after paying down debt, after setting up a contingency fund, we still have money left over.

And the fundamental question is, what do we do with it? Well, some in Congress want to spend it. They want to increase the size and scope of the Federal Government. That's not my vision. You see, I understand the surplus is not the Government's money; the surplus is the peoples' money. And I believe after meeting priorities, we need to send it back to the people who earned it in the first place. Not only are we not going to send it back; we don't need to take it in the first place.

This debate In Washington has moved beyond whether we should have tax relief, to how much it should be and who should get it. Now, to put it bluntly, some folks in Washington thin all of the doctors in this room make too much money, and you shouldn't get any of your money back. That's a fact. I know you've worked hard to get to where you are. You spent long hours in training and school. You do important, life-saving work. You also pay a lot of taxes. And I think everybody, everyone who pay taxes, from the school teacher to the truck driver to the doctor, should get tax relief.

Be wary of those who talk about targeted tax cuts in Washington, those who want to pick the winners and losers. That's not my vision for Government. I don't believe the Government is to try to pick winners and losers in the Tax Code. The only fair way to do it is to say, "If you pay taxes, you ought to get relief." My plan helps those at the bottom end of the economic scale. It lowers the rate to 10 percent and doubles the child credit. In fact, the greatest percentage benefits in my plan go to those at the lowest end of the economic ladder.

But my plan also drops the top rate from 39.6 to 33 percent, because I believe on principle that nobody in America, nobody in this room, should pay more than a third of his or her income to the Federal Government. I hope you'll join me in making the case to Congress to enact a fiscally responsible budget and provide meaningful tax relief. It is necessary, and we can afford it. Don't be afraid of contacting a Senator of yours or a Member of the Congress. I'm sure they'd like to bear from you. [Laughter]