[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 14, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17009-S17010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, we will have morning business until the hour 
of 12:30 today, and then we will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 for the 
weekly policy conferences.
  At 2:15, we will begin 2 hours of debate on the conference report to 
accompany S. 395, the Alaska Power Administration bill. There will be a 
rollcall vote on that conference report, and at that time we may be 
able to announce additional items to take up. If not, we will stand in 
recess subject to the call of the Chair, in hopes that we can work out 
some agreement on a continuing resolution.
  I might say, at this very moment, there is a meeting in Senator 
Domenici's office with a number of representatives of the President and 
the chairman of the House Budget Committee, Congressman Kasich, 
Congressman Sabo, Senator Exon, and Senator Domenici. We will see what 
happens or what the results of that meeting may be.
  Hopefully, we can come to some resolution so that we can pass a 
continuing resolution and end what has been described as a shutdown of 
Government. I think, on the other hand, we should keep in mind that, as 
pointed out today in the Washington Post, the issue here is not 
Medicare, Medicaid, welfare reform, the issue is a balanced budget--
balanced budget. That is what this confrontation and conflict is all 
about.
  Will we balance the budget by the year 2002? Will we keep our word to 
the American people? Will we get sidetracked with all these little 
sideshows going on about Medicare part B, not an issue.
  Keep in mind, the taxpayers are picking up the 68.5 percent of 
everybody's premium--the people working in the kitchens, working 
everywhere, are putting money in the general revenues to pay part B 
Medicare premiums for people who have $100,000 a year income, or $1 
million, and the President is trying to defend that. It is very hard to 
defend.
  So it is not about Medicare. Medicare is a very sensitive word. We 
want to strengthen Medicare and preserve it. But this debate and this 
conflict between the White House and the Congress is about a balanced 
budget amendment, and about whether or not we will keep our word to the 
American people to balance the budget by the year 2002.
  All the rhetoric, and everything else that has been spoken about on 
the Senate floor, may resonate well with some people. But most 
Americans are worried about the future. They are worried about their 
children's children. They are worried about what future they will have, 
and they know that unless this Congress--all of us--are willing to make 
tough decisions and balance the budget, we can talk back and forth 
about all these words that frighten people and all the rhetoric, and we 
can call people terrorists or refer to Republican leaders as guilty of 
terrorism and extremism and all these things. That is not going to 
change a thing. Right now, we are doing the heavy lifting on this side 
of the aisle. It is easy when you do nothing but criticize. We are 
trying to balance the budget. We are going to get it done, and I am 
very optimistic.
  I believe the American people see this happening, and we hope to pass 
the balanced budget act of 1995 either late Thursday night or early 
Friday morning of this week--this week. We will send it to the 
President, and he will make a choice.
  Hopefully, he will sign it, because in that reconciliation package, 
called a Balanced Budget Act of 1995, will be a long-term extension of 
the debt ceiling. 

[[Page S 17010]]
 We will also take care of the continuing resolution problem.
  I am optimistic. I hope if we work on this in a bipartisan, 
nonpartisan way today, we can come together with some agreement.
  We left the White House last night and we agreed we would be very 
positive in our statements to the media. I must say some of us were and 
some of us were not. I was a little disappointed in comments from some 
of my Democratic colleagues after we said, very honestly, we had a very 
candid meeting, we had a very candid discussion and were trying to work 
something out.
  We have made some progress, and I think we have. We will see what 
happens after the meeting with Chief of Staff Panetta, Senator 
Domenici, and others, and hopefully we will be able to announce to our 
colleagues sometime tonight or sometime this afternoon or late evening 
that we have reached some agreement and we can pass a temporary 
continuing resolution.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the call of the 
quorum be rescinded.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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