[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 211 (Friday, December 29, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           AGREE ON A BUDGET

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, continuing with the remarks I made 
earlier to Senator Dole, urging him to follow up on what he was talking 
about doing, going to the President and urging the President to sign at 
least three of these bills--I hope that happens. I have before me the 
Interior bill and the President's veto message, and there is no reason 
the President should veto this bill. He has vetoed it. It has caused a 
lot of dislocation. It has put a lot of people out of work, not only 
hurt the Federal employees, but it has also hurt a lot of constituents. 
They have not had the opportunity to visit parks and museums. I think 
that is really unfortunate, when I looked at the reason why he vetoed 
the bill.
  So I urge the President to agree with Senator Dole and Speaker 
Gingrich and sign this bill--maybe making a couple of changes. We can 
make those changes. We can agree, if the two leaders, in meeting with 
the President, agree on a couple of changes, modifications. I know he 
wants a little more money for a couple of items in the bill. But by and 
large, I think it was vetoed for the wrong reason. This could be 
signed, thousands of people could go back to work, and our constituents 
would have access to parks and museums all across the country. So I 
hope that happens.
  The other couple of bills that the President could sign and hopefully 
will sign soon, Commerce, State, Justice, and VA/HUD--again, let us 
agree to make whatever compromises are necessary, compromises in a 
couple of areas. The differences are not that great. But the bill 
should be signed. Those employees should go back to work and 
constituents, veterans and others, could receive the services they 
expect and are entitled to.
  But the most important thing that needs to really happen is that we 
need to come to a resolution and agree on a budget. My friend and 
colleague from North Dakota said it has been months and we have been 
behind on reconciliation, it has taken too long --though Congress has 
tried to do a lot of things. It tried to reform welfare. Unfortunately, 
the President vetoed that package. It tried to balance the budget. We 
have never done that before. I have been here 15 years, we have never 
passed a balanced budget. We have never curtailed the growth of 
entitlement programs. We are trying to do that now.
  Unfortunately, we have not had any real support or help from the 
White House, from the administration. Yes, it is a congressional 
initiative, and it is easier said than done, but most of the time, 
Congress and politicians make rhetoric, saying we want to balance the 
budget, but they do not follow through. Congress, now, is very intent, 
very sincere, very earnest in saying we want to balance the budget and 
we want to do it with real numbers.

  We thought, 6 weeks ago, President Clinton had agreed and made that 
commitment that he would do so as well. In the last 6 weeks since the 
November 15 agreement to have the CBO budget in 7 years, the President 
has yet to submit one. I compliment my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle who have signed on to a budget that is balanced using real, 
honest numbers. At least a dozen Democrats have signed on. So we, at 
least, have a package. You can work and negotiate because you are both 
dealing with the same numbers. They go to a goal of a balanced budget.
  Unfortunately, President Clinton has not. Maybe today he will. But 
the press reports are that he still refuses to submit a balanced 
budget, so we will have a budget that we can compare. Maybe he is just 
going to throw rocks at the budget we have. Maybe he is going to throw 
rocks at the budget the Democrats have. I do not know. But I am 
hopeful. I want to be optimistic. I think it is awfully important for 
the future of this country, for the future generations, that we do 
start, begin to live within our means.
  So I urge the President to work with Majority Leader Dole and Speaker 
Gingrich today, work to find an agreeable compromise to where no one 
individual or party is a winner but the American people will be 
winners; so the White House can claim victory, the Congress can claim 
victory, but the real victors, the real winners in this entire process 
will be the American people and future generations. That would be 
something worth fighting for. It would be something worth working for. 
That would be a victory, I think, that all people could claim some 
credit for.
  I hope that will happen. I do think it is possible. It is possible if 
the President wants to make it happen. Hopefully he will.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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