[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 23 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 SUPPORT THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  (Mr. THOMAS of Wyoming asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. THOMAS of Wyoming. Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to see that 
the other body failed to pass an amendment concerning one of the most 
pressing issues facing the future of our Nation--the growing national 
debt. It troubles me that the majority party continues to sweep this 
issue into a corner and hope it will solve itself as they continue to 
tax and spend. The American people believe the time is long overdue to 
pass the balanced-budget amendment.
  This amendment speaks of pure reason. It is not too much to ask that 
when the Government spends a dollar, the Government actually has that 
dollar to spend. The Government must begin to do its business on a pay-
as-you go basis rather than the borrow-if-you-want-it premise. The 
pundits around town, of course, who go on TV shows or write columns and 
have no responsibility say, ``Oh, it is just a gimmick. It will not 
work.'' It does work. It works in my State. They say that no one has 
the details. Not true. My friend who was just here has the details. 
Furthermore, it provides a constitutional discipline so this Congress 
will, indeed, have the details.
  Our national debt and its ever-increasing interest will continue into 
the future--burdening generations to come with today's ever increasing 
debt. It has become obvious, Mr. Speaker, that the financial choices of 
the past are not working--they only continue to contribute to the 
problem. Congress simply cannot keep doing the same thing and expect 
different results.
  The majority in Congress must regain that sense of responsibility 
that slipped from this body's mindset years ago. The past 25 years have 
shown all of us that Congress will not assume that sense of 
responsibility without the help of this amendment, and so I urge 
everyone of my colleagues to support the balanced budget amendment. 
Listen to the American people--they are right.

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