Chiles Asks Reagan to Cooperate With Democrats on Budget Cuts

Sen. Lawton Chiles (D-Fla.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, on Saturday urged President Reagan and other Republicans to cooperate with Democrats to cut the huge federal budget deficit.

Chiles, in the Democratic response to President Reagan’s weekly radio address, said the Democrats’ plan would eliminate the budget deficit over four years through spending cuts and revenue increases. He criticized the President’s budget plan for relying on asset sales to generate revenue.

A budget plan similar to that of the Senate committee was approved in the House last week over Republican and White House objections.

“This plan’s not perfect, I’m sure, but it’s a good faith attempt to try to get us on a pay-as-you-go basis,” Chiles said.

“The President’s budget plan . . . doesn’t do anything to reduce the real deficit, but it’s kind of like taking some treasure that you’ve already owned and going to hock it to say that that reduces the deficit,” Chiles said Saturday.

“We need the Republicans to join with us in the Senate and we need the President to join with us to lead us really out of this wilderness of borrowing on debt. The country will be in his debt if he does,” he said.

Chiles said the growing budget deficit will damage the U.S. economy unless it is brought under control. He said the United States must learn to stop borrowing money and live within its means.

“Our economy is weak and we’re locking ourselves into a lower standard of living,” Chiles said.