[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3308-S3309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I will make a motion here in a moment to 
have the Senate stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair.
  I would also indicate, though I did not raise the question last night 
about rule XIX, I think my colleague from West Virginia came close if 
not being in violation of rule XIX, which states: ``No Senator in 
debate shall directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to 
another Senator or to other Senators any conduct remotely unworthy or 
unbecoming a Senator.'' I would ask that--some of the ``tawdry'' 
references, ``sleazy'' references, in my view were uncalled for.
  This is a very important vote. I believe there are 66 votes for the 
amendment, Democrats and Republicans. We need 67. Or we need 66, if 
there are only 99 voting.
  I thought a lot about what procedure to follow after we recessed last 
evening. I thought about the hard work of the Senator from Utah, 
Senator Hatch; the Senator from Illinois, Senator Simon; and other 
Democrats and Republicans who have worked and worked and worked for 
months and months and weeks and weeks and days and days and hours and 
hours in an effort to gain the support of 67 of our colleagues.
  This must be bipartisan; there are only 53 Republicans. As I said 
last night, if you want to take a look at total nonpartisanship, take a 
look at Senator Simon. He is leaving the Senate. He can do most 
anything. If he had any political motives, I assume--you can say, in 
most cases, Members have political motives--but in this case you 
cannot. He feels strongly about the amendment. We feel strongly about 
protecting Social Security. We have made a number of suggestions to 
Members on the other side about protecting Social Security, but it is 
never quite enough, never quite enough, never quite enough.
  I must say, it seems to me to be in the interest--not in our 
interest--in the interest of the American people; 76 to 80 percent of 
the American people support the balanced budget amendment. And they 
could care less whether we voted last night or vote today or tomorrow 
or next week or the next week. They know the country is in danger of 
economic collapse unless we do something.
  The American people are very sophisticated. They listen to radio. 
They read the newspapers. They watch television. They watch C-SPAN. 
This is no time for retreat. This is a time, as far as this Senator is 
concerned, for all of us who believe in the balanced budget amendment 
on both sides of the aisle to try to find one more vote--not in some 
back room deal, as alleged last night by the Senator from West 
Virginia--but by a recognition that if we do nothing--it probably will 
not make any difference to us or our families, but what about the 80 
percent of the American people out there who want us to balance the 
budget? They balance their budgets. They balance their budgets in their 
businesses and in their homes, and they do not understand this 
business-as-usual attitude in Washington.
  We are going to continue to try to find one vote. If we fail on that, 
then I, when the vote is cast, if it ends up 66, I will change my vote 
and I will enter a motion to reconsider. That motion to reconsider is 
not debatable. It can be called up any time by the leader, and I think 
sometime about next September might be appropriate to reconsider this 
whole issue. We do not want to do it too quickly, but maybe let it--
leave it out there a year. Let us see what happens as we get nearer the 
election and the American people are a little agitated at Congress, as 
they should be.
  I just suggest if anyone in this Chamber on either side of the aisle 
can find one more vote--or send someone on vacation, who might be on 
the other side--we need your help. The American people need your help. 
This is not a battle--this is a victory--victory for whom? Not for Bob 
Dole. Not for Paul Simon. Not for Larry Craig. Not for Orrin Hatch. Not 
for Jim Exon. This will be a victory for the people. That is what this 
is all about. Give America back to the people.
  Dust off the 10th amendment. Unless the power is reserved to the 
Federal Government, give it back to the States and give it back to the 
people.
  We are going to continue every way we can to make this happen.
  Mr. President, I move the Senate stand in recess subject to the call 
of the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I object.
  [[Page S3309]] The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the 
minority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I only object so as to respond, if I 
could, using the remainder of my leader time. How much time do I have 
available?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has 3 minutes.
  Mr. DOLE. That is all right. Whatever you need.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President let me respond to the distinguished 
minority leader. I do not know that I have learned all the rules of 
this place as well as he has, but I thought that a deal was a deal.
  I thought in good faith that when we negotiated an agreement which 
required unanimous consent that a deal was a deal and that our word was 
our bond. The word that I was given over a week ago was that we would 
have a vote last night. The vote was not going to be if we had so many 
votes we keep the deal. The vote was we are going to keep our deal. We 
will have a vote, and that will be the end of it.
  I recognize the right of any Senator to change his vote and make a 
motion to reconsider. That is always within the prerogative of any 
Senator. And the majority leader is certainly within his rights to do 
that. But to say today that we are going to change the rules and that 
we are going to nullify an agreement that we had in good faith last 
week makes me wonder whether or not we will ever get another agreement 
during this Congress. It makes me wonder whether in good faith we can 
negotiate and come to some arrangement with regard to the consideration 
of any bill in the future.
  So this portends some very serious ramifications, and I hope that we 
all recognize it. I thought we had a deal. I thought we had an 
agreement. I thought we were going to go to a vote. If we are not going 
to go to a vote, if we are going to delay that vote and bring it up 
some other time, I think it is imperative that we have the notice of 
the majority leader in advance so all Members can be forewarned.
  But I must say that I am deeply disappointed and that this kind of 
instant rulemaking is unacceptable.
  I yield the floor and reserve my right to consider the proposal by 
the majority leader again.
  Mr. DOLE. I thank the Senator from South Dakota.

                          ____________________