... representing the lowest amount of red ink since an imbalance of $159 billion in 2002. House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, D-S.C., said the new deficit estimate confirms "the dismal legacy of the Bush administration: Under its policies ...

... Monday, igniting a bitter political fight over the dwindling surplus. "Houston, we've got a problem," said Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. He used the famous Apollo 13 line to underscore the ...

... they're betting on is the economy will keep steaming full speed ahead and keep us out of this problem," said Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. "But you can't base budgets on what may happen in the ...

... erase the surplus and push the budget back into deficit. "It doesn't leave room for much of anything else," Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, told reporters about Bush's tax-cutting plans ...

... suggested the report often uses "worst case" assumptions. "This report raises serious security concerns," said Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., a panel member. "But some of the losses that are hypothesized in the report have yet to be established ...

... inflation. "Before we get swept away by these projections, we have to closely examine the premises," said Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. Because of likely political gridlock over many tax ...

... They're whistling past the graveyard, they're putting the best face they can on a bad situation," said Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. "They want to cushion the impact as much as possible ...

... of a reversal like that, they'd offer a process or plan to right the budget. There is none," complained Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, lead Democrat on the House Budget Committee. Also weighing in were presidential contenders like ...

... of plenty is to make the hard choices that favor the future over the easy choices that comfort the present," Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina said in the Democratic response. "Our budget will meet that test." Bush's trip includes stops ...

... been included at Democratic initiative. ''Count the victories. Count the ideas that are our ideas,'' said Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, senior Democrat on the Budget Committee. Not surprisingly, Republicans saw it otherwise, and ...