A large part of the surplus is in the Social Security fund. Not surprisingly, the scent of money has sparked the imaginations of Members of Congress who have proposed a stack of ideas that would spend the surplus several times over.
Republicans tend to focus on tax cuts and national debt reduction.
Democrats want more spending for Medicare, K-12 teachers and environmental protection. Since 1995 and the budget fiasco that closed down the federal government, Clinton has held the winning hand, forcing Republicans to relent to demands for increased spending.