E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 141 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1995 No. 39 Senate (Legislative day of Wednesday, February 22, 1995) The Senate met at 12 noon, on the ex- The motion was agreed to, and at amendment, or no amendment at all. piration of the recess, and was called to 12:02 p.m., the Senate recessed until 2 That is what this debate has been order by the President pro tempore p.m.; whereupon, the Senate reassem- about. [Mr. THURMOND]. bled when called to order by the Pre- Can we improve upon this amend- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Our siding Officer (Mr. ASHCROFT). ment? Can we make sure that it is our prayer will be delivered by Father Paul f best effort? We have made a number of Lavin, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic suggestions that, in our view, would Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT have vastly improved the language DC. TO THE CONSTITUTION that we are about to vote on today. We The Senate resumed consideration of proposed that we lay out just how we PRAYER the joint resolution. achieve our goal before we begin doing The guest Chaplain, the Reverend The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under so, as any other undertaking of this Paul Lavin, offered the following pray- the previous order, the Democratic importance and magnitude would re- er: leader is recognized. quire. The majority said, ``No, we'll do Lord God, by the mouth of Your Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this that later. Trust us. Somehow it will prophet Amos You tell us: debate has now continued for more all work out.'' I hate and despise your feasts, I want than a month. There have been many We proposed changes that deal with no more of your burnt offerings, Let me conflicting statements and some mis- national emergencies. The majority have no more of the din of your chanting, understandings, but no one should mis- said, ``No, we'll do that later.'' no more of the strumming of your harps. interpret this vote. It is not a vote on We proposed changes to put the Fed- But let justice flow like water, and integ- balancing the budget or reducing the eral Government on the same level as rity like an unfailing stream. deficit. Democrats have been commit- other governments as we make impor- Help us understand that our only ted to that for a long time, and our tant budgetary decisions. The majority feast acceptable in Your sight will be record is very, very clear. We dem- said, ``No. We'll probably have to do our assistance to the poor and support onstrated that in 1990 on a very tough that later.'' of the oppressed. Let the practice of vote. And, without any help from Re- We proposed changes to give the Fed- justice be the song of our Nation and publicans, we again demonstrated that eral Government the ability to deal let each of us offer a contrite and hum- in 1993; $600 billion of deficit reduction with recessions. The majority said, ble heart. Then when we lift up our later, we find ourselves here this after- ``No.'' voices in song to You our hearts will be noon. We are prepared to continue that Most importantly, we proposed that clean and You will love our song. commitment for as long as it takes to Social Security not be used to pay off put this debt behind us for good. the debt. We have argued that we have f So no one should be misled by the po- not solved anything if we create one RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY litical rhetoric about our position. We debt to erase another. If we go further LEADER will do what we have already done. We into debt to senior citizens, even more will work to bring down the debt with than we have already, to bring down The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The or without a constitutional amend- the debt to all taxpayers, then what distinguished majority leader is recog- ment. have we accomplished? And, more im- nized. This debate really should not even portantly, perhaps, what have we lost? SCHEDULE have to be about the need for a con- I believe we will have lost our credi- Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, at 2 stitutional amendment. By my count, bility. We will have lost our commit- o'clock, leader time having been re- there are over 70 Senators who favor ment to working people who are count- served, the leaders will each have 10 one. More than two-thirds of this body ing on us this afternoon. We will have minutes, followed by a vote on the bal- favor writing a balanced budget re- lost our only real hope of balancing the anced budget amendment. quirement into the U.S. Constitution, budget correctly. f and I am one of them. So let me make it very clear. The What this debate is all about is what vast majority of Democrats support a RECESS UNTIL 2 P.M. that amendment should say. And what balanced budget. Many support a con- Mr. DOLE. I now move that the Sen- our Republican colleagues have said is stitutional amendment to require one. ate stand in recess until 2 p.m. today. that it has to be this version, this But virtually no Democrat supports · This ``bullet'' symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S 3311 S 3312 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE March 2, 1995 using the Social Security funds that we ices Committee will meet in the Presi- increased, unless three-fifths of the number now have to do so. It is wrong. We all dent's room to report out some nomi- of each House shall provide by law for such know it is wrong. Republicans know it, nations. an increase by a rollcall vote. and Democrats know it. Mr. President, let me just be brief, SECTION 3: Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall transmit to the Congress a Originally, Republicans said it was because I think we have said about all proposed budget for the United States Gov- wrong, but they just did not want to we can say about the balanced budget ernment for that fiscal year, in which total put it in writing. They wanted the cer- amendment. We will vote today. There outlays do not exceed total receipts. tainty of a constitutional amendment have been a couple of matters arise SECTION 4: No bill to increase revenue shall to balance the budget, but they were since Tuesday and I think a few points become law unless approved by a majority of unwilling to provide the same constitu- bear repeating. the whole number of each House by a rollcall tional certainty for Social Security. I have said many times before that vote. Given that unwillingness, a significant the Senate cannot operate if there is SECTION 5: The Congress may waive the number of my colleagues were left with any lack of trust between the majority provisions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect. no choice. In spite of our best efforts to and minority leaders. And I have had The provisions of this article may be waived find a provision that Republicans could such relationships with Senator MITCH- for any fiscal year in which the United accept, we were left with no choice but ELL, Senator BYRD, and with Senator States is engaged in military conflict which to vote against this version of an DASCHLE. causes an imminent and serious military amendment. So this was their choice. The distinguished Democratic leader threat to national security and is so declared This amendment could have passed by did say, however, that he thought by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority more than 70 votes. maybe not having the vote on Tuesday of the whole number of each House, which All we ask is that we not rob the may have damaged that relationship. I becomes law. bank to pay the debt; that we not take believe that is not the case. As the SECTION 6: The Congress shall enforce and implement this article by appropriate legis- Social Security funds away to do some- Democratic leader knows, Senator lation, which may rely on estimates of out- thing that we know we must do. Too HATCH and Senator SIMON spent much lays and receipts. The power of any court to many people have put too much money of Tuesday in discussions, which ulti- order relief pursuant to any case or con- into the bank for anyone to do that mately led to the amendment by the troversy arising under this Article shall not now. That has been our messageÐpro- Senator from Georgia, Senator NUNN. extend to ordering any remedies other than tect current and future Americans who And we even had discussions since that a declaratory judgment or such remedies as are dependent upon Social Security, time. In fact, as late as 5 o'clock last specifically authorized in implementing leg- and we will find the votes to pass this night, there was some kind of a sugges- islation pursuant to this section. amendment. We will do it today. The tion put forward by a number of Demo- SECTION 7: Total receipts shall include all receipts of the United States Government ex- Republicans said, ``No. No, it is this crats who had voted for a balanced cept those derived from borrowing.