Sen. Gramm, Nashua, NH. May 15, 1995
Excerpts from speech to the Nashua Association of Life Underwriters
Clarion Hotel, Nashua, NH

...I also want to let businesses keep more of what they earn.  I 
want to cut the capital gains tax rate.  I want to cut marginal tax
rates and move toward a flat tax.  And if Bill Clinto were here
he'd jump up and say, "But don't you know, that if you cut tax
rates, rich people will seize the opportunity and exploit it, by
investing their money.  But they may create jobs and if they're
successful they'll earn profits."  Well welcome to America.
[applause]

Well that's how our system works.  And let me tell ya something. 
You'll never hear me apologize for the American free enterprise
system.  I never apologize for the American free enterprise system. 
Because I'm a product of it.  It created the greatest, freest, and
happiest country in the world.  And I intend to set it free in
America again if I'm elected President.  If America is going to be
saved, it's going to be saved at a profit.  And I intend for
America to be saved....

Now I don't I don't know if I'm unique or not. But I was thinking
every job I ever got, I got because somebody beat me to the bottom
rung of the economic ladder.  Climbed up, saved their money,
invested it wisely, and made it possible for someone like me to get
my bottom foot on the rung of the economic ladder, and start
climbing up.  I want to cut taxes and tax rates. I want more
Americans to have the same kind of opportunities that I've had.
[applause]

...Now I'm going to offer an amendment on the floor of the United
States Senate that reduces government spending further so that
government spending grows by only two point eight percent a year.
So that we can both balance the budget and fulfill the House
contract with America.

I want a five hundred dollar tax credit for every child in America
so that people can spend more of their own money on their own
children.  And we're going to cut government spending to pay for
it.  And we're really transferring spending authority from the
federal government to the parent.  

Now there's some people in Wash, in fact we had the Democratic
National Committee, has their camera here, and they believe, they
believe that government can spend our money better than we can.  I
want to tell you we're gonna kick your [inaudible] [laughter and
applause]

But I believe families can do it better.  We're going to cut the
capital gains rate in half and index it.  We're going to give a tax
credit for adoption.  We're going to let people who keep their own
elderly parents in their own home,  something every American used
to do, we're going to let them deduct for those costs because
they're a dependent of theirs.  We're going to change the
alternative minimum tax.  We're going to try to do something about
inheritance taxes.

You know there's something wrong with America when you spend your
whole life building up a farm or a business and you die and your
children have to sell off that business to give the money to the
government.  I mean, what are we working for, our families or the
government?   And the government taxes us every step of the way. 
My view is its our business and our children ought to get it and
not the government.  We're going to take a little step toward
making that happen.  As President I'm going to take a big step.  
throw it open for some questions.