[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 36 (Monday, February 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1250
                     THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Crapo). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 4, 1995, the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. Tiahrt] is 
recognized during morning business for 2 minutes.
  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Senate will vote on the 
balanced budget amendment and they are one vote short. That is an issue 
that is very much needed by all Americans.
  We must balance the budget. We must provide this discipline to end 
the deficit spending and to shrink Government and reduce the tax 
burden.
  Over the last 25 years we have been unable to exercise the self-
discipline of a balanced budget. So passage of the balanced budget 
amendment means an ending to the liberal welfare state just like 
passage of regulatory reform meant an end to the nanny state.
  The balanced budget amendment is not only important to this 
generation, Mr. Speaker, but it is important to the next generation. We 
are $4.5 trillion in debt. The balanced budget amendment starts a glide 
path that gets us down to the year 2002. It is a 7-year plan.
  My oldest child Jessica is now 14 years old. In 7 years she will be 
21. She will be out of college. She will be paying taxes and 
contributing to society. So it will be up to her generation to pay off 
the debt because we have spent their money. If it takes as long to pay 
off the debt as it took for us to spend it, to raise the debt, than she 
will be nearly 50 years old.
  One vote away. Mr. Speaker, we must have this discipline. Because if 
we do not get this discipline, Americans, I fear, will lose faith in 
this economy and in this system of self-governance, just like Mexico 
recently lost faith in their economy. It caused a near economic 
collapse, and we are still struggling with the solution to that 
problem.
  We just ask that the Senate join with the Republicans in the House 
and all across the Nation who want a balanced budget amendment because 
we are committed to stopping the out-of-control spending and the out-
of-control regulation. We are working hard for real change and for 
keeping our promises.




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