[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S126-S127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, first, I thank my distinguished colleague 
from North Dakota for allowing me to speak for a few minutes. We have 
had a little discussion about the snowstorm, which I think is all well 
and good. I want to return to the very serious subject on the 
negotiations relative to the Nation's budget. It has been my privilege 
to associate with the distinguished majority leader, the Senator from 
Kansas [Mr. Dole], and the distinguished majority whip, the Senator 
from Mississippi, and others, who in the last 2 weeks have worked on 
these issues. I must say that I was extremely disappointed yesterday 
that a further resolution of this matter could not have been achieved 
by the President in good-faith negotiations on both sides, as 
characterized by the participants.
  I had hoped that perhaps some of the can-do spirit manifested here in 
the Northeast as we cope individually and collectively with the storm 
could have been infused in those negotiations. But my concern, however, 
is over the hiatus between now and the proposed adjournment resolution, 
which I understand the Senate will soon be taking up. As it relates to 
my particular area of responsibilities, namely the Commonwealth of 
Virginia and particularly the adjoining areas in the greater 
metropolitan area, this geographic area has been severely hit 
economically as a consequence of this shutdown. First and foremost, the 
cost has been what I regard as an unfair burden placed upon the 
shoulders of Government public servants who, in good faith, tried to do 
their work but were furloughed. They were caught in a crossfire, which 
I think was totally unjust. Nevertheless, I and many others worked 
successfully to restore their work status and, indeed, their pay.
  But, Mr. President, there is an entire infrastructure that, likewise, 
has suffered and will receive no restitution as a consequence of this 
shutdown. Hotel, motel, transportation, restaurants, and a vast array 
of the private sector, mostly small businesses, have been affected here 
in the greater metropolitan area, and most severely in northern 
Virginia and throughout the tidewater area of Virginia, by this 
shutdown.
  My concern is whether, during this period of uncertainty, tourists 
and travelers will continue to come to the Nation's Capitol while a 
possible shutdown again hangs in abeyance until Congress returns and 
the negotiators again attempt to resolve this impasse. Take, for 
example, a family planning to come to the Nation's Capitol, having 
invested their hard-earned savings for a trip to see the wonders that 
we have here; are they still going to come?
  I see the distinguished majority whip. I know from working with him 
and the majority leader that none of us wants to see a further 
Government shutdown. I hope that in a short colloquy we might convey as 
best we can, that it is highly unlikely that we would experience 
another shutdown such that it would impede and adversely affect the 
plans of people who normally would be visiting this area.
  Mr. LOTT. If the Senator from Virginia will yield for a comment and 
response. First, I want to say how much I appreciate--and I want to 
make sure that all Members recognize that the distinguished senior 
Senator from Virginia has been very, very diligent over the past weeks 
when the Senate has just been in very brief sessions. When most 
Senators were back in their respective States during the holidays, I 
would turn on C-SPAN and I would see the Senator from Virginia here 
with our distinguished majority leader. The majority leader would 
report on the status of the budget discussions, and the Senator from 
Virginia was always here. He has made his case very well about not only 
the need to get a balanced budget and get a control on Washington, DC, 
but also his concern that the Government be open doing its work, and 
that the Federal employees, and indeed those that are affected by that 
shutdown that we had, the business men and women in Northern Virginia, 
that their positions be recognized. So he certainly has done an 
excellent job in that area.
  With regard to what may be happening, of course, there are a number 
of things that may be happening in the next couple of weeks. I note the 
budget negotiators are senior Members that were there from the 
Congress, meeting with the administration. They have described this as 
a recess. In any negotiation you reach a point where you really do 
sometime need to take a break, get away from each other, assess what 
the numbers are. I assume the Budget Committee members and staff at the 
White House will be assessing the latest offers. So there is a 
possibility that the negotiations to reach an agreement would get back 
going next week.
  I know the majority leader indicated very strongly that, whenever the 
President feels like there is a need for--a reason to get back and have 
discussions, that certainly our majority leader and the Speaker of the 
House and majority leader in the House would honor a request to get 
back together. So there is a possibility that will happen. 

[[Page S127]]

  Another option, of course, is that some agreement could be reached. 
Then, during that week of January 22nd, 23rd, that agreement could 
perhaps be acted on by the Congress, and if there is an agreement 
reached I assume it would be approved relatively quickly--I hope so.
  Another option is, then, when this continuing resolution to keep the 
Government operating until January 26--when we reach that point, I do 
not think there is any intent to have a situation where we would go 
back to a Government shutdown. That time has past. I feel like the 
Congress, House, and Senate, would try to take action that would avoid 
that and I know there would be a coordinated effort, hopefully, with 
the administration.
  Of course there is always the necessity for legislation not only to 
be passed, but in order for it to be enacted, the President has to sign 
it. We have not had very good luck, lately, with the President signing 
measures we have sent to him.
  But the intent, I believe, by the leadership on both sides of the 
aisle, is not to have another situation on January 26 where we would go 
into some sort of Government shutdown.

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