Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 143 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1997 No. 15 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Monday, February 10, 1997, at 2 p.m. Senate FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1997 The Senate met at 11 a.m., and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING I was particularly pleased that he called to order by the Honorable TIM PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE said in spite of our fears we should HUTCHINSON, a Senator from the State The PRESIDING OFFICER. The stand up and do what is right. We are grateful to have you here and of Arkansas. clerk will please read a communication are grateful for your prayer over this to the Senate from the President pro body. We appreciate the service which tempore [Mr. THURMOND]. PRAYER you give to your congregation and to The assistant legislative clerk read the people throughout this country. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today's the following letter: Thank you so much. ENATE prayer will be offered by the guest U.S. S , SCHEDULE Chaplain, Rev. Jack Michael Loo, of PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, on behalf the Church of the Master, in Mission Washington, DC, February 7, 1997. To the Senate: of the majority leader, I will announce Viejo, CA. Under the provisions of rule I, section 3, of the schedule. Almighty Living God, You have the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Today the Senate will be resuming given us the gift of another day and appoint the Honorable TIM HUTCHINSON, a consideration of Senate Joint Resolu- Senator from the State of Arkansas, to per- tion 1, the constitutional amendment have filled it with Your holy presence. form the duties of the Chair. requiring a balanced budget. The ma- We commit ourselves to honor You STROM THURMOND, jority leader announced that there will with the living of each hour. But no President pro tempore. be no rollcall votes during today's ses- matter how noble our resolve, we con- Mr. HUTCHINSON thereupon as- sion. Under the order the time between fess our weaknesses and our frailties sumed the Chair as Acting President now and 1 o'clock will be equally di- and declare our deep need of Your pro tempore. vided in the usual form. I will remind strength. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- all Senators that by consent we will re- Strengthen our love for people so pore. The Senator from Utah. sume debate on Senator DURBIN's pend- ing amendment at 3:30 on Monday. that every action we take on their be- f half is driven by the same compassion There will be 2 hours for debate at that time. Senators should be aware that that drives Your heart. Increase our THE GUEST CHAPLAIN there will be a rollcall vote on or in re- faith so that no difficulty or discour- Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, we are lation to the Durbin amendment begin- agement keeps us from believing in pleased to welcome the Reverend Jack ning at 5:30 on Monday, February 10. what is right and Your ability to ac- Michael Loo as guest Chaplain today. On Monday, Senator WELLSTONE is ex- complish it through us. For the past 4 years, Reverend Loo pected to offer at least two amend- Deepen our wisdom so that every has been senior pastor of the Church of ments to Senate Joint Resolution 1. confusing situation and perplexing the Master in Mission Viejo, CA. Prior However, any votes ordered on those issue gets tamed by Your enlighten- to that, he served as executive pastor amendments will occur during Tues- ment and knowledge. Mobilize our of the First Presbyterian Church of day's session. courage so that once we see what must Hollywood, where Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, f our Chaplain, was senior pastor prior be done, nothing, not even our own to becoming Senate Chaplain. BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT fears, will keep us from doing it. We want to express our personal TO THE CONSTITUTION This day may we know that we are gratitude and thanks to Reverend Loo The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Your people and You are our God. In for opening our session today with his pore. Under the previous order, the the name of our Lord. Amen. excellent prayer. Senate will now resume consideration · This ``bullet'' symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1119 S1120 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE February 7, 1997 of Senate Joint Resolution 1 which the entitlement programs. This is what we I might say, Mr. President, there has clerk will report. are going to have to face. We are going only been one balanced budget in the The assistant legislative clerk read to have to face the growing financing last 36 years. If we had 36 up here, it as follows: and deficit problems we see looming in would be much higher, the 36 individ- A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 1) proposing the next century. This may sound far ual budgets that have not been bal- an amendment to the Constitution of the away, but it is only a few short years anced. And there have been only eight United States to require a balanced budget. before we see the next century begin. balanced budgets in the past 66 years. The Senate resumed consideration of We cannot be lulled into a false sense Just think about itÐ58 years of unbal- the joint resolution. of security because we have not anced budgets. Only eight balanced Pending: reached the crisis yet. budgets since 1930. Durbin amendment No. 2, to allow for the I had hoped that the President would This sad history of budgetary failure waiver of the article in the event of an eco- take a leadership position and tackle is not a Democratic problem or a Re- nomic recession or serious economic emer- these difficult programs. Unfortu- publican problem. It is an American gency with a majority in both Houses of Con- gress. nately, the budget contains only short- problem. Those of us who are proposing term fixes. We see no sign of the struc- a constitutional amendment to require Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, yesterday tural reforms that are absolutely need- balanced budgets do not do so as Re- the President of the United States sub- ed. We see more signs of business as publicans or Democrats; we do so as mitted his budget. I have to say that usual. Americans, Americans concerned about the President has come a long way. He By the way, while the President says America and the future of our children now says that he agrees that the budg- that his budget balances the budget, and our grandchildren. et needs to be balanced by the year the Congressional Budget OfficeÐ Let me just give you a few illustra- 2002. This budget is a legitimate depar- which he has touted himself as being tions of how bad our debt problem has ture point from which to move in de- accurate through the years and which become. The national debt, as we all veloping a final budget package. certainly has not been what I consider know, is now over $5.3 trillionÐ$5.3 I was disappointed, however, to see a conservative Congressional Budget trillion. That is a debt for each and that the President's 5-year cost of Gov- Office for all the time I have been every American of more than $20,000. ernment is almost identical to what he hereÐthe Congressional Budget Office CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, proposed a year ago. This does not look says that his budget will not be bal- projects that in the year 2002, total like the era of ``big government is anced in the year 2002; and that the Ad- Federal debt will exceed $6.8 trillion. over.'' It is not even shrinking accord- ministration is using economic as- That means roughly $24,000 of debt for ing to this budget. Even more disturb- sumptions that just are not realistic. every person, every man, woman and ing, the budget deficit over the next 5 I want to applaud the President for child in America, with annual interest years is nearly $200 billion higher than providing some tax relief in the budget. costs projected to be over $3,100 per what was proposed just a year ago. And It is a solid first step in giving some taxpayer. That is just what we have to the deficit does not even decline until tax relief to the American people. But pay on the interest against the Federal the year 1999. The bulk of the spending it is only a baby step, and really a ten- debt, $3,100 for each taxpayer a year by cuts contained in his budget occur tative one at that, because all of the the year 2002. after the President leaves office. tax increasesÐand there are plenty of The national debt has increased more So he has left all of the hard deci- them in this budget that he submitted than $4 trillion since the Senate last sions to the years 2002 and 2001. Sev- yesterdayÐare permanent. The spend- passed a balanced budget amendment enty-five percent of any fiscal respon- ing programs are permanent. But, the in 1982. We passed it in the Senate. Tip sibility has to occur in the 2 years tax cuts are temporary and are likely O'Neill and the liberals in the House after he leaves office.