[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 184 (Saturday, November 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17464-S17465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           BALANCE THE BUDGET

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, America is watching what we do here today, 
or more importantly, what we fail to do. I think they are watching with 
a much more critical eye than we are willing to give them credit for.
  I say that because it was well over 20 years ago when another Senator 
from Virginia put legislation through this body, passed by law, to 
balance the Federal budget within a very short period of time. That was 
law. That was Federal law, Mr. President.
  This Congress went by it so fast that it was not even the blur of a 
stop sign. Four times following that over the last two decades this 
Congress has passed laws, I tell you, to balance the Federal budget. 
Yet, of course, that never happened.
  We are now nearly $5 trillion in debt. We have a $200 billion 
deficit. This President came forward last night and said, ``Let's set a 
goal. Let's once again have a goal to achieve a federally balanced 
budget.'' Somehow that was worthy.
  I know what the American people are saying at this moment. ``Oh, no, 
you don't, Mr. President. We don't trust you nor do we trust the 
Congress. You no longer have any credibility in the area of spending 
because you have shown you cannot control your appetites.''
  That is why only by 1 vote out of 535 votes this year, 435 votes, did 
we miss sending out an amendment to the Constitution of this country to 
assure the citizens' right to decide on whether they want a balanced 
budget or not.
  I know what folks in my State are saying right now. While they 
recognize the inconvenience of what we do at the moment, and while 
there are Federal employees in my State who are furloughed by phone 
calls pouring in to all of my State offices and my office here, on a 
12-1 ratio, they are saying, ``Don't blink. Don't blink. It is not a 
goal. It is no longer a concept. It is no longer an ideal.''
  They are saying, ``Make it a reality, Mr. President. Balance the 
Federal budget and do it now. Put together what you promised us in last 
year's election that you would do.'' Are we once again going to be the 
traditional politician of Washington and tell the citizens one thing 
and then bow to the pressure to do something else? I say no, absolutely 
no. It is time we send a message to the American people that we mean 
exactly what we told them.
  Mr. President, we have people out of work on the Federal payroll 
today because of you. You are the one who vetoed the bills. You are the 
one who is now saying you will veto the DOD appropriations bill.

  Senator Stevens from Alaska was in here very distressed, as he should 
be, that we have now done our work and tonight a bill that will put 
hundreds of thousands of men and women, both civilian and in uniform, 
back to work--this President says ``No, I will veto it.'' Why? Because 
``It does not meet my goal.''
  Mr. President, check in the Constitution. Read the Constitution. Who 
budgets for our Government? We do. You 

[[Page S 17465]]
execute the budget, Mr. President. That is what the Constitution says.
  I have advocated giving the President more authority. In the balanced 
budget amendment that I helped craft it has been the No. 1 amendment 
here on the floor of the Senate and in the House for well over 5 years. 
We have given the President a right to become a full participant in the 
budget process but he does not have that right now.
  Yes, he can veto. But when he vetoes, it is without question his 
responsibility for the people who are no longer employed by action of 
that veto.
  So we crafted another continuing resolution and he said, ``I will 
veto it. Don't send it down,'' and it has not gone down.
  Last night we passed a balanced budget for 1995.
  This President says he will veto it. Mr. President, this is one 
Senator who is not going to bow to that kind of pressure. I will not 
vote for a goal or a concept or an ideal. And I encourage all of my 
colleagues not to vote that way either. We will vote for a balanced 
budget in 7 years and we will vote for it based on legitimate, legal, 
responsible figures that tell the truth and show the American public 
exactly what we are spending and where we are spending it and where the 
revenue to spend is coming from. That is what this Government and that 
is what this Congress must do, without question or without doubt.
  For, if we do not, the clock continues to tick. A $5 trillion debt, a 
$5.1 trillion, $5.2 trillion, a $5.3 trillion, and on and on and on. 
And the children of tomorrow are going to owe, not $15,000 or $16,000 
or $17,000 of their earnings back to Government for the debt we 
created, it will be $20,000 or $25,000 or $30,000 or $40,000. The 
American people are smarter than that. How possibly can we continue to 
do that?
  That is why we saw the greatest political realignment ever in the 
history of our country occur last November, because finally the 
American people said, ``Enough is enough.'' Mr. President, hear me: I 
will not bow to the goal or the concept or the idea, because I know 
what you want. You have already indicated it. You want billions more to 
spend for programs that are questionable in their nature as to the 
services they provide.
  The American people want a balanced budget. We have now labored 
nearly 11 months to craft a budget and bring it into that concept and 
into those parameters. It has not been just the Republicans that have 
done that; it is Republican and Democrat alike.
  So I hope our leadership will not bend. I hope our leadership will 
listen to their people and listen to the phone calls. Adhere to a 
balanced budget. Adhere to the tough decisions. Say to this President, 
if you will not agree with us, then we will continue our work. We will 
not recess, as I have encouraged our leader not to do, and we will 
bring down the appropriations bills and we will fund a balanced budget.
  I will tell you that is a gun to no one's head. That is simply what 
the American people want. The hand-wringing is over with. We have spent 
30 years playing this game, and I sincerely believe the game is over. 
It is now time to realize we must do what the American people asked us 
to do and do so in a responsible fashion.
  I yield the remainder of my time.

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