A: As a member of Congress in 1993, I had the courage to vote for the Clinton budget, which created the first balanced budget since 1968. While it probably cost me my seat, it was the right thing to do. I am appalled by the policies of the last 4 years that plunged this country into its worst fiscal crisis in history. As a U.S. Senator, I would reinstate "pay as you go" rules that require any new spending be paid for by cuts in other programs or through new revenues. I would create a Social Security "lockbox" to stop the raids of the Social Security surplus. I would launch an effort to reduce the costs of government through technological innovations. I would replace the recent Medicare law with a program to reduce prescription drug costs and would revise Bush tax cuts in the areas of estate and corporate taxes.