[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 17 (Friday, January 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CELEBRATING THE PASSING OF THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  (Mr. HOKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, today is a great day to celebrate the passing 
of the balanced budget amendment. I want to give you two particular 
reasons that we should celebrate.
  First of all is that we yesterday fixed the flaw in the Constitution 
that Thomas Jefferson talked about over 200 years ago in 1787. He said 
``There is one omission that I fear in this Constitution, and that is 
that we have not restricted the ability of the United States Government 
to borrow money.''
  Well, as we restricted it yesterday with a three-fifths requirement 
to raise the ceiling on the debt.
  The second thing I want to particularly celebrate is that this 
passage of the balanced budget amendment is one more step; maybe it is 
a giant step, maybe it is a baby step, but my goodness, it is a step 
toward restoring confidence in the American people's ability to elect 
people that will actually do what they say they will do, and their 
ability to trust their elected representatives. By keeping our 
promises, we are restoring confidence in this institution and 
confidence in America.


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