PRESS RELEASE
September 2, 1996

STATEMENT BY JOE LOCKHART
NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY

BOB DOLE'S ECONOMIC FANTASY

Bob Dole's campaign took another step into economic fantasy land tonight. In an interview with "60 minutes," Senator Dole took yet another federal program -- Medicaid -- off the table for reaching the budget cuts he will need to make up for the $550 billion budget hole created by his election-year economic scheme.

To recount the bidding, Senator Dole now has taken Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, veteran's benefits, defense spending and energy labs off the table.

All independent analysts agree it is simply impossible to cut taxes by $550 billion and not make severe cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment -- and still balance the budget. Bob Dole needs to tell the American public the truth about how to pay for his economic scheme -- line-by-line and dime-by-dime.

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