During my first administration federal spending rose faster on an annual basis than in any year since World War II. With these record spending increases there is no reason why federal spending can’t be cut this year by two percent; with another two percent to follow next year.

Your representatives in Washington should not spend one dollar that they can’t honestly tell you, face to face, that they need for their spending program more than you need it for you own personal spending needs.

We in Washington need to recognize that the wealth of America belongs to the people who earned it, not to government.

I read about one Iraqi man whose father was imprisoned and then murdered by Saddam Hussein 14 years ago. Since his father’s disappearance this man and his two brothers all got married, but out of respect for their father, none of them had a wedding party. This past Sunday, after the vote in Iraq, they all had their wedding party. There’s a Senator in this chamber tonight who needs to tell this man and his brothers that we shouldn’t over hype the election.

Our current tax system punishes achievement and rewards lethargy. It doesn’t take a great mental capacity to see that there’s something wrong with this system. It needs changing. Either work with me for reform, or shut up and step aside.

How can we claim that the people of America are free when they lack something so basic as school choice. The teachers unions and the education establishment need to set their selfish interests aside for the betterment of our children.

Democrats have said that I need to forget about privatizing Social Security. They say it will not happen. Democrats have used Social Security to frighten our senior citizens in every election for the past 50 years. Year after year it’s the same thing. Vote for Republicans and they’ll take your Social Security away, yet Social Security remains. Democrats know that if you own your own account they can no longer threaten you with its loss. Fighting Social Security reform is all about protecting Democrats long-standing scare tactics.