[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E994-E995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BALANCING THE BUDGET IS CRUCIAL TO OUR FUTURE

                                 ______


                          HON. JON CHRISTENSEN

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 1996

  Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, the time has come to decide whether 
Congress should amend the United States Constitution to require an 
annual balanced budget. The Nebraskans I represent overwhelmingly 
support such a measure because they know, like me, that balancing the 
budget is crucial to their families' well-being and future prosperity.
  As you may recall, in the first month of the new Congress the House 
of Representatives passed a balanced budget amendment by a vote of 300 
to 132, thus taking the initial steps of the Republican journey in 
honoring its Contract With America. Although the balanced budget 
amendment overwhelmingly passed the House, it was defeated in the 
Senate when six Democrats who previously had voted in favor of the 
amendment switched their vote to defeat it. This week, the Senate will 
again revisit the balanced budget amendment and again attempt to do 
what is right: begin fixing a system that broke long ago.
  According to the House Budget Committee, next year Americans will pay 
as much interest on the $5 trillion national debt as we will pay for 
our national defense. That statistic alone illustrates the inadequate 
way Washington has been doing business. The policies and practices of 
poor decisionmaking and poor leadership have cost the American families 
dearly, placing a price tag on our current defeat of over $15,000 per 
year for each family. Now the time has come to change course, and focus 
on a new horizon for our families, and for each other.
  The balanced budget amendment will force the Government to play by 
the rules which we, as members of society, have come to expect in our 
ordinary affairs. Shareholders in corporations wouldn't allow it. The 
members of your professional organization wouldn't tolerate it. And 
certainly, you wouldn't plan your family's financial future based on 
it. Yet for the past 200 years we have let the Government make 
decisions without accountability; accountability which undoubtedly 
would not go unanswered by the corporation, by your professional 
organization, or by the members of your family. The time has come to 
require Congress to be accountable for the decisions it's making 
regarding the financial future of our Nation, and our Nation's 
children.
  I pledged to work hard for a balanced budget amendment and did as I 
said I would do by voting in favor of it. I made a promise to the 
people of Nebraska and I delivered. The balanced budget amendment will 
change the way our government does business, forcing Washington do 
behave responsibly by requiring Congress to balance its books.
  In a week representing the end of an era here on Capitol Hill, I 
defer to words of Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole made last month 
regarding his 20-year battle for a constitutional amendment to balance 
the budget:

       Perhaps no policy is more important to the economic future 
     of Americans and the future of our children and the future of 
     our nation than a balanced budget amendment. I know the 
     President urged and probably persuaded

[[Page E995]]

     at least six Democrats to vote ``no,'' but it's not often we 
     get a second chance to do the right thing.

  The time has come to move forward and redirect our policies and 
practices to responsible spending and reasonable growth. Now is the 
time to confront the spending dragon on Capitol Hill, and slay the 
demon like never before. The time has come to show the American people 
that we are not afraid to accept the responsibility of balancing the 
budget and restoring fiscal sanity to this country's government. Now is 
the time. Now more than ever.