[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 7, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 1996 BUDGET

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, the issue of constitutional amendment 
for a balanced budget that has been before us for a week and probably 
will be before this body for several more days before we make a final 
decision has had the debate on that issue intertwined pretty much with 
the present budget situation and even lately with the budget that the 
President has presented to this specific Congress.
  The President's budget of yesterday reflects an abdication of 
leadership. It fails not only to put the budget on a glidepath toward 
balance, it also fails to seek even the President's own goal and 
promise to the American people. That promise, if you remember, Mr. 
President, was as stated in the 1992 campaign that the deficit would be 
cut in half by the 1996 election. That will not be the case under the 
budget that the President has presented to Congress.
  So I am overcome by the farcical vision of how this budget must have 
been sent up here to Capitol Hill. Members of the President's team 
lined up on Pennsylvania Avenue and punted. They punted copies of that 
budget up here one by one.
  On January 24, after the President's State of the Union Address, I 
had occasion to remark when I was asked about his address that it 
seemed that the President was very willing to accept the leadership of 
Congress and to follow our agenda because he recognized the outcome of 
the election. That election gave Republicans the responsibility to 
lead. Today, through his actions, the President confirmed my suspicion 
and submitted a budget that says, ``Let Congress make the tough 
choices. Let Congress lead.''
  According to reports, several of the President's high-level advisers 
counseled that, since the administration has failed to get credit from 
previous deficit reductions, there is little wisdom in trying to cut 
more. I hope that this is not the case. For, if it were true, there 
would be no clearer signal of the absence of leadership from this 
administration.
  Just last month administration officials were boasting about their 
achievements on the deficit front. They were bemoaning the fact that 
the message of what they supposedly have cut and accomplished on the 
deficit scene was not getting out.
  So why are they now abandoning what they consider a virtuous policy 
instead of working to get that message out, if they want to be viewed 
with any sort of credibility? Because in my estimation, in abandoning 
their goal of more deficits, the administration has also abandoned its 
promise to the American people and, as a consequence, the President has 
lost all moral authority to lead.
  Clearly, this President has chosen to play defense; that is, after 
the punting of the budget to us, they are now saying ``You''--meaning 
Republicans--``call the plays, now. It is your turn with the ball and 
let us see if you can do any better.'' We have heard that for a long 
period of time and just this morning on the floor of this body.
  I believe that Congress can do better. For the sake of our children 
and grandchildren, we can and must do better. The President has 
followed the lead of the American people who spoke in November. Thus he 
has passed the mantle of leadership on to us.
  With that leadership, the Republican Congress has already delivered 
on making Congress more accountable to the public and State 
governments, and now we will work toward making Congress more 
accountable to our children and grandchildren.

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