[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 25, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY IN BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  (Mr. BECERRA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, while some Republicans talk about buckling 
knees, President Clinton's stance last night was bold and firm: Cut the 
deficit and balance the budget, but not on the backs of our senior 
citizens and children.
  The Republicans' so-called balanced budget amendment requires $1.2 
trillion in cuts. But get this, they will not tell us how they are 
going to get there. We do know one thing for sure: Republicans will not 
exempt Social Security and Medicare. In fact, during a recent hearing 
on the balanced budget amendment in the Committee on the Judiciary, 
every Republican but one voted against an amendment to protect Social 
Security from the budget ax.
  I understand that Speaker Gingrich has said in an interview recently 
that Social Security is off the table. If this is so, then why are his 
Republican colleagues voting against such an amendment and why in the 
past has Speaker Gingrich himself said that ``everything is on the 
table''? Everything includes Social Security.
  Mr. Speaker, the President's words rang very true last night when he 
said the elderly have made us what we are. And unlike the Republicans, 
the President's words were very clear and unequivocal when he said ``My 
budget cuts a lot, but it protects education, veterans, Social 
Security, and Medicare.''
  Mr. Speaker, rather than just talk about balancing the budget, I 
challenge the Republicans to bring their real budget cleaver out from 
underneath the table.

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