[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 17, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A VETO OF THE RESCISSION BILL

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I was just reading a wire story here. I find 
it hard to believe that the House and Senate have just completed action 
on a rescission bill which would save about $16.4 billion--actually 
savings around $9 billion, because of the $16.4 billion there is 
additional money for disaster assistance in Oklahoma City and other 
programs. I am a little bit bewildered because the President indicates 
if we send this bill to him--it will be back from the House this week 
and we will take it up next week--that he will veto it. I am puzzled 
because the President has said we ought to reduce spending. So we 
finally get a little reduction in spending and at his first 
opportunity, he says: No, no; I am not going to sign it. I am going to 
veto it. And at the very time he is suggesting that he is not going to 
do anything on the budget, not going to offer any budget of his own. We 
will have a vote on the President's budget. He is just going to be a 
spectator and not participate in trying to reduce the deficit.
  So it seems to me the President had a golden opportunity here to 
exercise some leadership and demonstrate to the American people that he 
wants to reduce Federal spending, but he struck out. He does not want 
to reduce Federal spending.
  So what does he do? He tries to blame Republicans. We have cut too 
many programs or we have done this or done that. It seems to me the 
President ought to carefully review what he said today and indicate to 
the Congress that he will sign this rescission package. It is not easy 
to save money around here. The taxpayers wonder why we do not do more 
and this is a good example. We have been working on this rescission 
bill for weeks and weeks and months, in many cases in a bipartisan way, 
and before it even goes to the President he says he is going to veto 
it.
  So I think he has missed a golden opportunity and I know he will try 
to figure out some way to blame Republicans. But we cut programs that 
were not high priority and in addition we added spending for the 
disaster in Oklahoma City and other programs the President had 
requested.
  So, Mr. President, if you have an opportunity to look at it one more 
time, I suggest maybe you might want to reverse your position. Because 
if you are not willing to even save $9 billion in Federal spending, we 
are talking about many, many, many, many times that much in the budget 
resolution we are going to start debating here tomorrow.
  If this is any indication of the leadership in the White House, it is 
probably a forgone conclusion that the President will veto anything we 
send him on the budget process.
  So I would hope that this is not an indication of the trend. I think 
they have blown a very good opportunity here to demonstrate to the 
American people that if they are serious about cutting spending, 
serious about reining in the Government, serious about cutting back on 
some of the Federal Government which the American people are tired of 
paying for, but unfortunately it appears the President of the United 
States does not want to cut anything--``Don't touch anything, don't do 
this, or don't do that''--he will sit on the sidelines and he will 
watch the Republicans as we try to bring the budget into balance 
between now and the year 2002.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Jeffords). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________