[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 92 (Wednesday, June 7, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S7881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        VETO OF RESCISSIONS BILL

  Mr. DOLE. Madam President, I will just say that on the rescissions 
veto by the President today, it is highly regrettable President Clinton 
chose a bill cutting spending for the first veto. The $16.4 billion 
rescissions bill would have provided for $9 billion--$9 billion, a lot 
of money in real savings--an important downpayment in getting our 
country's financial house in order.
  The President made a serious mistake in judgment in vetoing this 
measure. It would have provided funding to the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency for disaster relief, to Oklahoma for reconstruction, 
and debt relief for Jordan to support the peace process, money for 
California.
  Speaker Gingrich and I have previously said we met the administration 
more than halfway. The President asked for Jordan debt relief, we met 
his request. The President asked for FEMA funds for disaster relief in 
40 States, and we met his request. The President threatened to veto if 
striker replacement language was included in the bill, we took it out. 
We left AIDS funding, breast cancer screening, childhood immunization, 
Head Start, and other programs untouched, and still we came up with $9 
billion in net real savings.
  We, in the Congress, held up our end of the bargain, but President 
Clinton missed a valuable opportunity--a golden opportunity--to join us 
cutting spending.
  Now, with three-quarters of the fiscal year almost gone, we are 
losing the opportunity to enact real savings this year. In the face of 
the budget deficit that mortgages our children's future, we in the 
Congress will proceed to pass a budget that puts us on the path to 
balance by the year 2002. We owe it to our children, and we owe it to 
our grandchildren.
  For the sake of generations to come, it is time for the President to 
stop being an obstacle in the road and join us in our responsibility to 
secure our Nation's economic future.


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