[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 206 (Thursday, December 21, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H15555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    BASING THE BUDGET ON ITS MERITS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I take this time to comment on the events 
concerning the budget and the controversy that has engulfed the 
Congress and the Nation concerning it.
  First and foremost I must say that I think that the contributions, 
the focus this year and the focus in the past campaign, which was 
largely due to efforts in 1994 on the part of the Clinton, the Bush, 
and the Perot factors to focus on a balanced budget, was a good focus 
for our Nation. I think that that is a desirable goal. In fact I think 
that in 2 years in the programs that were passed have actually moved us 
in that direction, probably not as dramatically as some would want, but 
they have moved us in that direction. But I think that it is very 
important, as we move toward trying to resolve the budget deficits on 
an annual basis, and in the long range we hopefully can get there, and 
I hope and I think that that is possible, I think we have to look also 
at the fact of what happens in terms of the balance of the programs 
that we have. Achieving a balance in terms of no annual deficits is 
important, but we also have to recognize that there is a human deficit 
that could develop and that is developing in our Nation today as we 
look at the disparities in incomes and wages that people earn and the 
unwillingness today in this Congress, largely by the majority party, 
the Republican majority, my friends, that they are not willing to move 
on the minimum wage. I think that we ought to do that, try to address 
that. More importantly, I think we ought to be working to empower 
workers and to give them the skills, and the education and the ability 
in training and skills they need, as I said, so that they can be more 
productive workers, so that they can earn better wages.
  But, Mr. Speaker, as we look at the events that have happened here, 
the controversy that is going on with regards to plans and schemes to 
try and achieve a balanced budget, I would just want to remind my 
colleagues that, having served here through the 1980's, this is not the 
first plan that we have had with good intentions to balance the budget, 
no, not at all. In fact I think, as has been mentioned on the floor by 
both Republicans and Democrats, both President Bush and President 
Reagan had sought and, of course, pledged their fidelity to a balanced 
budget, that they were going to attain it sometime in the future. In 
spite of the fact that that was the goal, and I think many in Congress, 
some in Congress, with regards to the Gramm-Rudman I, Gramm-Rudman II, 
they all had plans to achieve a balanced budget. So I think that they 
had 4-year plans, 5-year plans, but the fact is that what happened is 
that events in the economy overtook those plans. I think sometimes they 
were premised on unrealistic tax and unrealistic policy and program 
changes that did not achieve that, but, too, notwithstanding that, the 
other major factors, I think, are some of the unforeseen things that 
happened in the economy.
  I note that one of the--throughout this week one of the 
accomplishments, or goals, or the basis for the balanced budget and the 
achievement of it is the suggestion that somehow interest rates are 
going to go down, that that is going to be a big accomplishment. Well, 
I would suggest modestly to my friends that the Congress of this 
country does not completely control the economy. We do have a free 
economy and a global basis. We do not control that economy, nor should 
we. I do not think that we should. I think we can have an impact on it. 
Whether it is going to be as dramatic and positive as what my 
colleagues believe I would very much question. So I think that most of 
us that have served in this body understand that we are going to have 
to address this issue of trying to achieve a balance each year. Each 
year we are going to have to take incremental steps.

  Having a plan; well, that is very good. Trying to do this within a 
certain period of time, 4 years, 5 years, 7 years I think is probably 
more realistic than trying to do it all at once where we would cause a 
catastrophic impact on our economy in terms of its performance. But I 
must say that while we strongly disagree, I strongly disagree with many 
of the elements that have been put into the reconciliation bill, which 
is this year's, this 7-year program to in fact try to achieve a 
balance, because I think while it might indeed balance the budget at 
the end of that given the--if the economic predictions were to hold 
out, which I think would not hold out, not because of any bad faith, 
but simply because of the nature of our economy; but I think the 
programs inherent in that, that make the cuts, that make the changes, 
are inherently, are inherently unfair.
  I think the premise of a balanced budget that is going to work, the 
programs that are going to work, is going to have to be shared 
sacrifice. When you start out with half of the reductions taking place 
in Medicare and Medicaid, and start out with putting in a large tax 
cut, distributed in an unusual way to those that have higher incomes, I 
think you start out with a bad premise.
  Now the fact is that--the fact is with regard to that type of 
budget--it simply is not going to do it, it is not fair, it is not 
going to get the support of the President, and it should not receive 
the support of the President.
  So I would hope that this week we--if you cannot solve it on the 
merits, I think it is wrong to try to push this down the thoats of the 
American people based in terms of the annual appropriations bills. You 
have to sell it on the merits. It has failed on the merits, so now we 
are trying something different, and that is trying to cut off the 
appropriations in November, and again now in December and through the 
new year.
  So I would hope my colleagues would consider that and consider my 
words in terms of the decisions they make in the weeks ahead.

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