Grassley blasts Clinton’s budget

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has joined the chorus of republicans blasting President Clinton’s one-point-eight trillion dollar budget which was unveiled Monday. Grassley says Clinton made a grand announcement during his State of the Union address three years ago about cutting spending and cutting taxes.Grassley serves as the second-most senior member of the Senate Budget Committee. He says Clinton is bringing back the era of big government, which he promised to eliminate, by creating more new programs that’ll be paid for with tax dollars.Grassley says any budget surplus should be applied to the national debt, tax relief and to saving Medicare & Social Security — not to new government programs and spending. Grassley held a hearing on Medicare this morning, saying he wants to jump-start Congressional discussion. He says one aspect of a bill being considered would provide prescription drug coverage.39-million Americans rely on Medicare as their health care insurer. Grassley is chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging.