[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H311-H312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, kind of a disturbing thing happened this 
week in so many ways that makes me wonder if the folks at the White 
House get it yet.
  The President appointed a very liberal member of the Washington 
political establishment to run the National Democrat Party, and in his 
first press conference he personally told the Washington press corps 
elitists that he was against the balanced-budget amendment because he 
did not want to wait 7 years to balance the budget.
  Well, neither does the American middle-class public. They are tired 
of it. The middle class in America are in a situation where they may 
need a new carpet, they may need a new washing 
[[Page H312]] machine, or they may need a new car, but at the end of 
the month, when you do not have the money, you do not get to buy these 
things. What the middle class said to the U.S. Congress on November 8 
is ``We want you to start living under the same constraints that we do. 
We want you to learn how to say no. We want you to tighten your belt 
and we want you to balance the budget.''
  Under the current course that we are on, the President's budget, as 
estimated by his own budget folks, will add to the national debt $1 
trillion over the next 5 years. That is not what the middle-class 
public wants. They want a balanced budget amendment, and I will say to 
the President's newly appointed Democrat Committee Chairman, ``If you 
don't want the balanced budget amendment, where are you going to cut?'' 
I have heard from so many Members of the other party who say, ``Show us 
your cards. What are you trying to hide?'' as if it is the sole 
responsibility of one party.

                              {time}  1340

  We got into this debt situation not because of Democrat 
irresponsibility, but because of Democrat and Republican 
irresponsibility. This is a bipartisan debt. It is a bipartisan 
problem. And I resent members of the minority party saying ``what are 
you going to do?'' Yes, there are some proposals out there. What are 
your plans? So far all I have heard is attacks, personal and maliciuous 
attacks on Speaker Newt Gingrich. All I have heard are talks about the 
Committee on Ethics that haven't been formed because their party has 
not appointed anyone, and all I have heard is their new frequent flier 
fetish, as if mainstream America at civic clubs raises their hands, and 
right after asking about the national debt, they say ``And what are you 
going to do about the frequent flier problem in America?'' Well, that 
is real big farsighted legislation.
  But I certainly hope that before this debate goes any further, that 
the Democrat Party will come up with substantive ideas to contribute to 
the debate, to say ``Hey, here are some ideas that might balance the 
budget, and, you know, I might not be for a balanced budget amendment, 
but I think we can get there this way,'' instead of just being against 
it.
  You know, just because a party is not in the majority does not mean 
they do not have any responsibility to come up with ideas. The best 
thought, the best concept in America, is when both parties get together 
and work for the better of the country, rather than just the petty 
politics as usual.
  So, Mr. Speaker, as we approach the balanced budget amendment coming 
up in a very few weeks, I hope that all members of both parties will 
come forward and say ``Here are my ideas.'' If I am against the 
balanced budget amendment, I have an alternative. Rather than just 
swinging away at Newt Gingrich and the book deal, rather than just 
attacking frequent flier points, and rather than just getting mad at 
the Committee on Ethics, which their side hasn't appointed yet, let us 
hear some substance, because that is what we are elected to do, Mr. 
Speaker. The middle class of America wants a balanced budget. The 
middle class of America wants less spending. The middle class of 
America wants a smaller government. And I hope that members of the 
Democrat Party will join us in that effort.


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