E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 106 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 145 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1999 No. 19 Senate The Senate met at 12 noon and was session until late this afternoon. As and dramatically reducing our public called to order by the President pro previously announced, the Senate will debt. tempore [Mr. THURMOND]. resume consideration of the articles of Mr. President, the Clinton budget is impeachment beginning at 1 p.m. on a historic one. It begins a new era in PRAYER Thursday. budget policymaking and promises to The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John I ask unanimous consent that Sen- shape our Nation’s future for years, for Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: ator DASCHLE or his designee be in con- even decades, to come. Gracious God, we echo the prayer of trol of the time between the hours of 12 The Federal Government at long last the psalmist, ‘‘Show me Your ways, O noon today and 1 p.m. and Senator has put its fiscal house in order. Last Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in COVERDELL or his designee be in con- year was the first year since 1969 that Your truth and teach me, for You are trol of the time from 1 to 2 p.m. I fur- we ran a budget surplus—a unified the God of my salvation; on You I wait ther ask unanimous consent that be- budget surplus, I point out. This year all the day.’’—(Psalm 25:4–5. We know ginning at 2 p.m. Senators be recog- that surplus will be even larger. And from experience that, when we wait on nized to speak in morning business for many analysts see budget surpluses You, we do renew our strength; we are up to 5 minutes each. continuing for years to come. much more creative thinkers; and our The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- Our Government is the smallest that relationships are more kind and caring. out objection, it is so ordered. it has been, on a relative basis, in a It is both comforting and challenging Mr. BURNS. I thank my colleagues quarter century, and we have improved to know that You will be with us all for their attention. our fiscal condition for 7 years in a day long. You will hear everything The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The row—the best record in U.S. history. that is said and see all that is done. able Senator from New Jersey is recog- Much of the credit for this success Therefore, we renew our commitment nized. goes to President Clinton and the con- to excellence. In that spirit, we seek Mr. LAUTENBERG. I thank the gressional Democrats, but I hasten to Your guidance in the ongoing business Chair. point out that much of the impetus of the Senate today and the prepara- f that brought us to the point that we are came because we did this in a bi- tions for the next session of the im- MORNING BUSINESS peachment trial tomorrow. The Sen- partisan fashion. And I speak as the ators need You, dear Lord. Thank You Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, it ranking member of the Budget Com- in advance for answering this prayer is my understanding that now we pro- mittee. The President lent the consid- for Your blessing of each of them ac- ceed directly to morning business. Is erable force of his office and his per- cording to her or his particular need that correct? suasion and worked with both Repub- today and for the unity of the Senate The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. licans and Democrats to get to this as a whole. You are our Lord and Sav- BURNS). That is correct. fairly enviable position to produce a ior. Amen. f balanced budget agreement. So there is plenty of credit to go around for an ac- f THE CLINTON 2000 BUDGET complishment that is well in place. I RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, hope we can resume our work in simi- MAJORITY LEADER on Monday morning just past, Presi- larly bipartisan and cooperative ways The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The dent Clinton submitted his annual because there is so much left to be able Senator from Montana is recog- budget to the Congress, but unlike done. nized. prior submissions, this budget is much In my view, President Clinton’s budg- f more than a plan for a single fiscal et submission provides an excellent year; this is a long-term blueprint for roadmap for that work. The heart of SCHEDULE the 21st century. It prepares for the im- the President’s plan is its allocation of Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, on behalf pending retirement of the baby roughly 90 percent of projected budget of the majority leader, today the Sen- boomers. It ensures that younger surpluses to three key areas: Saving ate will be in a period of morning busi- Americans will enjoy the security of Social Security, strengthening Medi- ness to allow Senators to speak and in- Social Security and Medicare. And it care, and cutting taxes to promote sav- troduce legislation. There are a num- provides a $500 billion tax cut to pro- ings for ordinary Americans. ber of Senators who have indicated a mote savings by ordinary Americans. Social Security now is projected to desire to speak, and therefore Senators Now, importantly, it achieves these be insolvent by 2032. The President’s should expect the Senate to be in full goals while increasing national savings plan would preserve the program until ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1115 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:39 Nov 01, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\1999SENATE\S03FE9.REC S03FE9 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S1116 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 3, 1999 2055. The plan also would extend Medi- our communities by hiring more police President Clinton’s budget reflects care solvency from the year 2008 to officers, cleaning up our environment, the values and priorities of most Amer- 2020. and fighting sprawl. We cannot go into icans, and I hope that many of its pro- In addition, the budget includes a every detail of the budget here today, posals will enjoy bipartisan support. $500 billion tax cut to promote savings but overall I think this is an excellent The American public loves it when we among ordinary Americans in new proposal. It is bold, it is innovative, work in a bipartisan fashion, and I ‘‘USA accounts.’’ That is way more and it has the right priorities for our noted that when we got to the balanced than a tax cut; it is a way to help all future. budget agreement for fiscal year 1997. Americans invest in the private sector Unfortunately, I have been dis- We had all kinds of comments—it is a and share in the benefits of economic appointed that the response to the pleasure not to see any bickering, not growth. President’s budget, like other things to see any sharp diatribes, not to see These priorities—saving Social Secu- that happen in Congress, has so far any acerbic discussions; it is a pleasure rity, strengthening Medicare, and cut- been too partisan. Some Republicans to see Senators working together on ting taxes for retirement—are all de- have accused the President of return- behalf of all Americans. signed to increase savings, and that is ing to an era of big government. This So this focus for this budget is on the essential. After all, while we have a claim is so preposterous it is difficult future: saving Social Security, unified surplus today, our public debt— to take it seriously when we look at strengthening Medicare, providing tax that debt owed outside our Govern- the amounts of moneys being spent on cuts and promoting savings for ordi- ment—is still $3.7 trillion. That is the government and see that, relative to nary Americans. Together these poli- debt owed to the public. We will also the GDP, it is at the lowest point that cies will help ensure a vibrant economy it has been since 1974. This budget, face huge unfunded liabilities when the and a secure future for all Americans. after all, would reserve almost 90 per- baby boomers begin to retire. So I hope my colleagues will support cent of the surpluses for debt reduc- We need to prepare for that future, the President’s approach. I look for- tion. It would be hard to get more fis- and that is why it is important that we ward to doing what I can to work with pay off our debts, reduce interest costs, cally responsible. I respect the views of my Republican them to address the serious fiscal and increase private investment. Fed- issues facing our Nation and to prepare eral Reserve Board Chairman Alan colleagues who have honest disagree- ments with the President. I hope we us for the 21st century, which I think Greenspan testified that that is the can work together on this budget issue. can become the second American cen- best way to promote long-term eco- However, I do want to express my tury. nomic growth. And it is the only way strong opposition to one element of the I yield the floor. to ensure that when the baby boomers Republican’s budget plan, and that is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- retire we will be able to meet our obli- their proposal for cuts across the board ator from Massachusetts.