[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 163 (Friday, October 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S15380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AN EMERGING CONSENSUS

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, let me congratulate my colleague from 
Pennsylvania. I think it is appropriate, at this very, very historic 
time--and I think we all understand the next 2, 3, 4, 5 weeks may be 
the most important weeks that any of us ever serve in this body, or in 
this Congress, and they may be some of the most important weeks for the 
future of this country--I think it is appropriate, and I think it is 
important we do have a full debate.
  As the Senator from Pennsylvania so eloquently said, you cannot do 
that, really, unless you view different options, unless both sides are 
willing to debate the specific facts. Therefore, I think it is 
appropriate that the President's budget be literally on the table and 
that we look at that and look at the assumptions in there and look to 
see whether or not that budget does what the President says, and that 
is balance the budget.
  There are those of us on this side who do not think it does. We think 
it is based upon assumptions that, frankly, are very optimistic and 
that are not based upon reality and that the savings, so-called savings 
that the President achieves he achieves in that manner, a changing of 
the accounting rules, in a sense, or changing of the assumptions, at 
least. So I think it is important we debate this.
  We have, I believe, made some progress in this country in the tenor 
of the national debate. As I travel throughout my home State of Ohio--
and, I imagine, my colleague from Pennsylvania finds the same thing in 
Pennsylvania--we are seeing emerging a consensus about the problems 
that exist and a consensus that this Congress finally has to do 
something about these problems.
  There are three areas where I think really, today, there is a 
consensus.
  A balanced budget: The American people understand we cannot continue 
to do what we had been doing in the past. They understand that. So the 
real question in this debate is, whose budget is realistic? Whose 
budget will, in fact, bring about a balanced budget, as we believe ours 
will, by the year 2002?
  The second area where there clearly is a consensus is in regard to 
welfare reform. We saw this on the floor a few weeks ago as we looked 
at the overwhelming vote. Over 80 Members of this body of 100 cast a 
vote in favor of the final welfare reform bill that passed. There is a 
consensus in this country about welfare reform.
  Medicare: A year ago, I do not think there was really an 
understanding about the problems that we have, that we face in regard 
to Medicare. Today, while there is a debate about what we should do 
about Medicare, I do not think there is any longer a debate about the 
fact that something has to be done. The Medicare commissioners have 
said clearly that Medicare will, in fact, be bankrupt in a short period 
of time unless we take some very dramatic action.
  So there is consensus on these three issues. As my colleague from 
Pennsylvania says, it is important that we get the facts out and we 
debate these facts on this floor.
  Let me talk for a moment, in light of this, about the bill that is 
going to be coming in front of us. The American people may not have 
heard the term ``reconciliation.'' It is kind of a inside-the-beltway 
term, but it is a term that is going to be used quite often in the next 
several weeks. This particular bill we are going to discuss is going to 
be the vehicle for this Congress to bring about the changes I believe 
people voted for last November. This legislation is bold, it is 
farsighted, and it is absolutely necessary for America's future. 
Furthermore, it is based on sound data. It is based on facts. It is 
based on good budget figures.
  The American people decided last November they wanted a Congress that 
was finally willing to put America back on track towards fiscal 
solvency. I believe the American people are ready for this change. In 
fact, I believe the message of 1994, and frankly the message of 1992, 
was that the American people were demanding this kind of change.
  We cannot ignore the basic truth contained in the report of the 
bipartisan entitlement commission. That commission said, if we do not 
change our present course, by the year 2012, every single penny in the 
Federal budget will be consumed by entitlements and interest on the 
national debt.
  Mr. President, I ask consent to speak for 1 additional minute.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DeWINE. If, in the year 2012, we want Government to have any 
money for discretionary spending--money to run the Army, Navy, Air 
Force, Marines, or the WIC program--it would then mean a tax increase, 
because there would not be any money left, no money left at all, if we 
continue to do what we have been doing.
  In the days ahead, I intend to continue to talk about this issue, to 
talk about the need for this reconciliation bill.
  At this point, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.

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