[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 194 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRESS IS READY; WHITE HOUSE DRAGS

                                 ______


                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 1995

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member commends to his colleagues an 
editorial which appeared in the Omaha World-Herald on December 5, 1995.

              [From the Omaha World-Herald, Dec. 5, 1995]

                  Congress Is Ready; White House Drags

       Congress has gone further toward a balanced budget than 
     many people thought possible just a few months ago. It 
     happened in part because of the political courage of 
     Republicans in Congress. They have agreed among themselves on 
     a seven-year plan to balance the budget. They stuck to it 
     even when public opinion polls rewarded President Clinton 
     standing in their way.
       Talks broke down last week. The two sides were trying for 
     an agreement by Dec. 15, to avoid another partial shutdown of 
     the government.
       Each side accused the other of being inflexible. Senate 
     Majority Leader Bob Dole, referring to President Clinton's 
     people, said, ``They owe us a counteroffer.'' A White House 
     spokesman said the Republicans failed to show how they would 
     keep a Nov. 19 agreement to propose a budget that would 
     acknowledge White House concerns about social and 
     environmental programs.
       Republicans displayed flexibility. Senate Budget Committee 
     Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said that ``everything is on 
     the table,'' meaning everything is negotiable, including a 
     seven-year, $245 billion tax cut that the Republicans want 
     and many Democrats oppose. Senator Domenici said that serious 
     talks awaited only a gesture from Clinton, which Domenici 
     said would consist of a proposal that would allow good-faith 
     negotiating to begin.
       Robert Reischauer, a Democrat, said that his party must 
     eventually face the fact that a good many Americans have had 
     it with $170 billion annual deficits and a $5 trillion 
     national debt.
       Reischauer, who served as director of the Congressional 
     Budget Office when the Democrats controlled Congress, said: 
     ``The vast majority of Americans agree with the Republicans 
     when it comes to bottom-line budget policy.,''
       ``They favor a balanced budget or a substantial reduction 
     in the deficit,'' he said. ``The President can't appear to be 
     walking away from that. He can't be seen as defending the 
     status quo.''
       But will that message get through to the White House? 
     Clinton's resistance to a slower rate of increase in Medicare 
     and other domestic programs was rewarded when polls indicated 
     that his position attracted twice as much support as that of 
     the GOP leaders. The determination of the Republicans to 
     persevere has been demonstrated. But if they are willing to 
     put everything on the table in the pursuit of a balanced 
     budget, what's keeping the White House?

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