[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 184 (Saturday, November 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17422-S17423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE BALANCED BUDGET ACT OF 1995

  Mr. DOLE. First, I want to thank all my colleagues for what has been 
happening over the past several months as far as putting together the 
Balanced Budget Act of 1995 is concerned. It was a massive undertaking. 
People said we could never do it, never make the hard decisions, but we 
did. We kept our word with the American people. And we have, I think, a 
product we can be proud of.
  It may not be perfect--probably there are some things we can change, 
correct, modify--but it is a fundamental change in the direction this 
country has been headed for the past, at least, two or three decades. I 
know the President has indicated he is going to veto it. And if he 
does--as I assume he will--I hope he also will say he is seriously 
concerned about the problems we raise and try to correct them, that he 
will sit down with us in serious negotiations and have some budget that 
we can all hold up and all take credit for that will balance the budget 
in the 7 years, reform welfare as we know it, preserve and strengthen 
Medicare, provide tax cuts for families with children, and also tax 
cuts to stimulate the economy, a capital gains rate reduction, estate 
tax relief. There are hundreds of provisions in this bill.
  I particularly, again, want to thank my colleague, Senator Domenici, 
from New Mexico, and members of the Budget Committee for their 
outstanding work. And I failed to mention Senator Roth, the new 
chairman of the Finance Committee. About 80 percent of this heavy 
lifting was done by the Finance Committee under the chairmanship of 
Senator Bill Roth from Delaware. He did an outstanding job. All the tax 
cuts, the Medicare and Medicaid provisions, all these very 
controversial areas were under the jurisdiction of the Finance 
Committee. Certainly Senator Roth deserves our commendation too.


                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, we hope to continue to negotiate today and 
perhaps have some agreement on a continuing resolution by day's end, 
maybe not, but we will try. We have just sent the President the Defense 
appropriations bill. If he signs that, about 182,000 people will go 
back to work. That is almost one-quarter of the total.
  We hope he will look at that carefully, particularly in light of the 
fact that he may be sending American troops to Bosnia. It would seem to 
me he would want to sign the Defense appropriations bill. I hope he 
does not send American troops to Bosnia without first coming to 
Congress, but in the event he does, either event, I think the 
appropriations bill is important.
  I would like to announce, but I am not quite able to, that there will 
be no votes today. We will check on both sides of the aisle to see if 
we can reach an agreement on a continuing resolution and if anyone 
would require a rollcall vote. If not, then we could say no votes 
today. So, we will begin that process on both sides of the aisle. As 
soon as we have word, we will get back and make that announcement. I 
know some Members probably have other plans for the day.
  What that would mean, if we had no votes, if we did reach an 
agreement, we could simply pass a continuing resolution by a voice 
vote, vitiate the final action taken on the CR we had a day or two ago, 
amend it, send it to the House and ask them to concur with the Senate 
amendment. So we could do that by voice vote. 

[[Page S 17423]]

  I yield the floor.
  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. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Inhofe). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, what is the status of business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in morning business. Each Senator is 
allowed to talk for 10 minutes.

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