[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 211 (Friday, December 29, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S19314-S19315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, first, I want to repeat what I said earlier 
today. I commend the distinguished majority leader and the 
distinguished Democratic leader for their efforts. And I commend the 
President of the United States. I have talked with the distinguished 
majority leader about this, and without going into that discussion, I 
have discussed it also with the distinguished Democratic leader, and I 
have discussed the budget discussions with the President. I am 
absolutely convinced that all three want to find our way out of this. I 
am also convinced that the Republican leader, the Democratic leader, 
and the President want to have a balanced budget by the year 2002.
  Obviously, as I said earlier today, there will not be a budget that 
has everything President Clinton wants in it and there will not be a 
budget that has everything the distinguished majority leader wants in 
it or the distinguished Democratic leader wants in it or everything I 
might want in it. But we can reach agreement.
  I am concerned that some in the other body seem to think of this as 
some kind of a holy crusade where they must have every single item they 
can think of, irrespective of the damage it does to the majority of 
House and Senate Members of both parties. That is not what was 
considered by the Founders of this country. It is not the reason we 
have different parties. It is not the reason why we have two bodies of 
the Congress and a President.

  It is difficult for other countries around the world to look at this, 
the most powerful Nation on Earth, the largest economy on Earth, a 
democracy which is held up as a shining example around the world, to 
see us paralyzed in this way. It is not the way it was intended to be. 
It is not the way it should be.
  So I suggest that perhaps it is time to stop the gimmicks of holding 
up tin foil keys or saying we will be here and work this out, and then 
immediately afterward hopping on an airplane at taxpayers' expense to 
go home for Christmas vacation, and to do what the distinguished 
majority leader and the distinguished Democratic leader and the 
President are doing, sit down and try to work this out.
  But I hope, Mr. President, and I believe I am joined by most Members 
of this body in this hope, that we let those Americans who are out of 
work in the Federal Government, who have a vital role to play in making 
the greatest, most powerful Nation on Earth operate, let them go back 
to work.
  Every one of us joined in sorrow when so many of those Federal 
workers in the home State of the distinguished Presiding Officer died. 
We did not ask whether they were Republicans or Democrats, liberals or 
conservatives, we just knew that brave Americans who support our 
country and help our country operate died in the terrible terrorist 
blast.
  But we have a lot of other Americans too who come with pride to work 
for their country. And that pride has to be shaken. And their whole 
question of being has to be shaken. I hope we can put them back to 
work. And I hope that we can show the rest of the country and the rest 
of the world how a great nation operates in a democracy.
  Certainly that does not mean that I will agree with everything that 
the distinguished majority leader might propose in this budget, nor he 
with me, nor perhaps either one of us with all the things that the 
President might propose. But I have been here for 21 years, the 
distinguished majority leader has been here for 27 years, and had 
served with distinction in the other body prior to that. He and I have 
been on many committees of conference. We have been in many leadership 
meetings where we have debated proposals. We know that nobody ever 
walks out a winner on every single point that they came in wanting.

  But I think it is safe to say he and I many times have been in 
meetings, sometimes contentious, sometimes not, but ultimately 
everybody wanted to do what was best for the country. So I wish him 
well. I wish Senator Daschle 

[[Page S19315]]
well. I wish the President well. I wish everybody else who is involved 
in these negotiations well because this country needs it. This has gone 
beyond party or person. It is what the country needs. I yield the 
floor.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I will not extend this but just to thank the 
Senator, my colleague, my friend from Vermont, and to indicate I think 
there is this sense, at least in our meeting today, that everybody is 
going to have to give. It is not all going to be one way or the other. 
So I think there is that recognition by parties on both sides.
  Obviously, it has to continue. We would like to have everything. They 
would like to have everything. But the American people, what they 
really want is a 7-year balanced budget using CBO numbers or the same 
numbers. They may not understand congressional numbers, White House 
numbers, but they understand using the same numbers. So I hope we can 
accomplish that. I would not bet the farm on it yet.
  In any event, many of us would like to be other places--like Iowa or 
New Hampshire--today, but we are working on a balanced budget. I hope 
people there will understand that.

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