[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 16, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  SUPPORT THE REAL BALANCED-BUDGET ACT

  (Ms. MARGOLIES-MEZVINSKY asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. MARGOLIES-MEZVINSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to propose a 
resolution that will force this body to put its money where its mouth 
is.
  Odds are we will soon vote on the balanced budget amendment. And it 
may pass; as we all know that it failed in the other body and our votes 
on it this year will therefore be irrelevant.
  It is odd that a gimmick like the balanced budget amendment may be 
able to garner enough votes for final passage, but a real step toward 
reducing our deficit like the Penny-Kasich amendment, which would have 
cut spending $90 billion over the next 5 years, failed.
  By debating the balanced budget amendment, and by supporting it 
knowing that our votes are meaningless, we deceive the American people 
into thinking that we are actually doing something about the deficit 
when the sad truth is we are not.
  Today I introduce the real balanced budget act, or the put your money 
where your mouth is act. It will force us to actually balance the 
budget 2 years in a row before we can talk about any constitutional 
amendment. It will ensure that we make substantive cuts and not just 
great-sounding, but empty, speeches.
  Because it is not your money you need to put where your mouth is. It 
is the money of the American people and, more importantly, the money of 
our children and our grandchildren.
  Support the real balanced budget act. Put your money where your mouth 
is.

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