[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 31, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 VOTING ON THE ISSUES AMERICANS DEMAND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gillmor). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 4, 1995, the gentlewoman from Washington [Mrs. Smith] 
is recognized during morning business for 2 minutes.
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time in 
America's history. The Congress has been moving quickly on the 
contract. It has been interesting, as just a regular person out in the 
world until this point, I have always had the perception that Congress 
talked and did not do.
  We have watched this Congress step up and make major congressional 
reforms from its very first day. And just last week we did what voters 
have been asking for as long as I can remember any political debate. We 
passed a balanced budget amendment. And we required that Government 
operate in the Black for the first time by 2002.
  We have to have a balanced budget. This was a major part of the 
commitment that we made to the people in the contract. Again, we took 
another step to keep our commitments, something that seemed to be again 
to me as an outsider looking in something Congress did not do in the 
past that was on Thursday.
  On Friday we took a much-needed second step. I, along with other 
freshmen and leadership, announced plans to introduce a second 
constitutional amendment, one that would restrict Congress' ability to 
raise taxes. This is what the Barton amendment would have done if it 
had passed last week. Unfortunately, not enough lawmakers would vote 
for it.
  Seven percent of the Republicans voted for it. It needed a 
supermajority vote, and only 16 percent of the Democrats would vote for 
it.
  I want to tell my colleagues I do not think what the people want has 
changed just because we refused to do it last week. The American public 
wants a balanced budget amendment. They also want the peace of mind 
that Congress is not going to pass a balanced budget on the backs of 
the taxpayers, reaching into their back pocket again for all of the 
wonderful things that we think should be done for them.
  They want us to make the tough fiscal decisions, clean house, get rid 
of inefficiencies, downsize, and yes, even the unspeakable, get rid of 
some of the agencies that are just bureaucracy.
  For that, we are going to have this amendment up for a vote next 
April 15, and I think by then the American public can make sure that 
that happens, if constituents put pressure on their legislators.

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