[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H376-H377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE THE PRESIDENT TO SUBMIT A 
                            BALANCED BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goodlatte). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bentsen] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, many have argued that we must amend our 
Constitution to stop us from spending more than we take in. But few, if 
any, have actually submitted a balanced budget.
  I believe in a balanced budget, but I also believe in full and fair 
disclosure.
  Today I am introducing a bill, H.R. 567, which would require the 
President to submit, and the Congress to consider, a balanced budget. 
Unlike bills which will be considered by the House next week, my bill 
would actually mandate the submission and the consideration of a 
balanced budget. The so-called balanced-budget amendment to the 
Constitution would not mandate such consideration and, in fact, provide 
a loophole that you could drive a beer truck through.
  Both the Barton and Stenholm amendments would allow the Congress to 
waive the amendment in order to either raise taxes or sell debt to fund 
the deficit.
  Neither amendment would take effect until 2002.
  My bill would go into effect immediately for the next budget for 
fiscal year 1997.
  How many billions might we save if we could achieve a balanced budget 
by fiscal year 1997 instead of 2002?
  Finally, and most importantly, my bill would allow for the American 
people to enter into the debate on a balanced budget. Unlike others, my 
bill would provide for the presentation to the American people of the 
actual numbers, the cuts, to a balanced budget. The other bills only 
tell us to balance the budget and give us a waiver to avoid it. It does 
not tell us what an actual balanced budget looks like, and I do not 
believe that is prudent.
  When the proponents of a balanced-budget amendment state the cuts 
necessary would ``make your knees buckle,'' then the people deserve to 
know what they are.
  The President should submit a balanced budget. The American people 
should examine that budget, and the Congress should debate and vote on 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I am including at this point in the Record a copy of the 
bill which I am introducing, as follows:

                                H.R. --

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

           TITLE I--AMENDMENT TO TITLE 31, UNITED STATES CODE

     SEC. 101. SUBMISSION OF BALANCED BUDGET BY THE PRESIDENT.

       Section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
     inserting at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(g)(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), any budget 
     submitted to Congress pursuant to subsection (a) for the 
     ensuing fiscal year shall not be in deficit.
       ``(2) For any fiscal year with respect to which the 
     President determines that it is infeasible to submit a budget 
     in compliance with paragraph (1), the President shall submit 
     on the same day two budgets, one of which shall be in 
     compliance with paragraph (1), together with written reasons 
in support of that determination.''.
[[Page H377]]
        TITLE II--AMENDMENT TO CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974

     SEC. 201. REPORTING OF BALANCED BUDGET BY COMMITTEES ON THE 
                   BUDGET OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND 
                   SENATE.

       Section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
     amended by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(j) Reporting of Balanced Budgets.--
       ``(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for a fiscal year referred to in 
     subsection (a) as reported by the Committee on the Budget of 
     each House shall not be in deficit.
       ``(2) For any fiscal year with respect to which the 
     Committee on the Budget of either House determines that it is 
     infeasible to report a concurrent resolution on the budget in 
     compliance with paragraph (1) and includes written reasons in 
     support of that determination in its report accompanying a 
     concurrent resolution on the budget, the committee shall 
     report two concurrent resolutions on the budget, one of which 
     shall be in compliance with paragraph (1).
       ``(3) Each concurrent resolution on the budget reported by 
     the Committee on the Budget of either House shall contain 
     reconciliation directives described in section 310 necessary 
     to effectuate the provisions and requirements of such 
     resolution.''.

     SEC. 202. PROCEDURE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

       Section 305(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
     amended by inserting at the end the following:
       ``(8)(A) If the Committee on Rules of the House of 
     Representatives reports any rule or order providing for the 
     consideration of any concurrent resolution on the budget for 
     a fiscal year, then it shall also, within the same rule or 
     order, provide for--
       ``(i) the consideration of the text of any concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for that fiscal year reported by the 
     Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives 
     pursuant to section 301(j); and
       ``(ii) the consideration of the text of each concurrent 
     resolution on the budget as introduced by the Majority Leader 
     pursuant to subparagraph (B);

     and such rule or order shall assure that a separate vote 
     occurs on each such budget.
       ``(B) The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives 
     shall introduce a concurrent resolution on the budget 
     reflecting, without substantive revision, each budget 
     submitted by the President pursuant to section 1105(g) of 
     title 31, United States Code, as soon as practical after its 
     submission.''.

     SEC. 203. PROCEDURE IN THE SENATE.

       Section 305(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 
     amended by inserting at the end the following:
       ``(7) Notwithstanding any other rule, it shall always be in 
     order in the Senate to consider an amendment to a concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for a fiscal year comprising the 
     text of any budget submitted by the President for that fiscal 
     year as described in section 1105(g)(1) of title 31, United 
     States Code, and, whenever applicable, an amendment 
     comprising the text of any other budget submitted by the 
     President for that fiscal year as described in section 
     1105(g)(2) of title 31, United States Code.''.

                       TITLE III--EFFECTIVE DATE

     SEC. 301. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This Act and the amendments made by it shall become 
     effective for fiscal year 1997 budget submitted by the 
     President as required by section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
     States Code.

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