[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 150 (Tuesday, December 20, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: December 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       TRIBUTE TO SENATOR SASSER

 Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, my good friend, Jim Sasser, with 
whom I have served for 18 years will not be with us in the new 
Congress. I regret this not only for the good of the Senate, but for 
the country itself. In 20 years in the Senate I rarely have seen 
anybody who can match his abilities as a legislator, nor his 
conscientious service as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
  I recall during the early 1980's when the Budget Committee was 
willing to close a blind eye to the danger of Reaganomics and instead 
answered the popular Siren call of huge tax cuts, huge defense 
buildups, with a promise of a balanced budget. Instead because the 
Budget Committee did not stand up and do its part, our country saw our 
national debt nearly quadruple in one decade. Our children, and our 
children's children, will pay for this folly.
  By contract, Senator Sasser showed great strength and courage as 
Budget chairman, refusing to accept half-baked measures to bring down 
the budget deficit, and instead made us all stand up and face the tough 
votes. As a result, we have seen the deficit come down now 2 years in a 
row, with a third on track. Much of the ability in the past couple of 
years to actually see a lowering of the deficit is due to the courage 
and leadership of Jim Sasser. I applaud him and I will miss 
him.

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