[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 82 (Thursday, June 6, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5934-S5936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that current 
letters from the Governors of California, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, 
Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, 
South Carolina, Virginia, and Wyoming on the need for the balanced 
budget amendment to the Constitution be --I would use the word 
memorialized--in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                State Capitol,

                                     Sacramento, CA, June 4, 1996.
     The President,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: This week, the 104th Congress will make 
     a final attempt to pass the Balanced Budget Amendment. The 
     amendment has already been approved overwhelmingly by the 
     House of Representatives, and it is within two votes of 
     passage in the Senate. I urge you to take this opportunity to 
     endorse the Balanced Budget Amendment and help secure the 
     Democratic votes needed to ensure its passage.
       To Californians alone, certainty of a balanced federal 
     budget is literally worth billions upon billions of dollars. 
     The lower interest rates that would accompany reduced federal 
     borrowing would save our state government more than $3 
     billion per year, enough to provide a $262 tax cut for every 
     household in California. More importantly, balancing the 
     budget by 2002 would prevent each and every citizen in 
     California from assuming more than $4,000 worth of additional 
     federal debt.
       Comparison of federal spending and California state 
     spending over the past five years shows that if Washington 
     had practiced a level of fiscal discipline similar to that we 
     have exercised in Sacramento, the federal government would 
     now be running a surplus rather than a deficit. There is no 
     question that California's constitutional mandate for a 
     balanced budget has provided an essential incentive for 
     achieving this performance.
       Now, California is reaping the benefits of tightly 
     controlled spending, with a resurgent economy driving up 
     state tax revenues. This has set the stage for tax cuts that 
     will let people keep more of their own money, and increased 
     funding for education and other investments in California's 
     future.
       Mr. President, you, more than anyone else, should be 
     supporting the Balanced Budget Amendment to show your honest 
     commitment to reforming federal spending and sparing future 
     generations from a crushing burden of debt. The Balanced 
     Budget Amendment is a promise that transcends elections; a 
     promise that cannot be simply revoked on November 6.
       I challenge you to make public your support for the 
     Balanced Budget Amendment and help secure the two Democratic 
     votes needed to pass it.
           Sincerely,
     Pete Wilson.
                                                                    ____

                                                State of Illinois,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                    Springfield, IL, June 4, 1996.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President of the United States,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear President Clinton: In the next week, the Senate will 
     be voting on the Balanced Budget Amendment. I urge you to 
     contact Senators from your party and ask them to vote for 
     this critical measure. We must change the direction our 
     country is going financially, and this is the first step.
       This is a very bi-partisan issue, as Senator Simon from the 
     State of Illinois has proven. Members from both sides of the 
     aisle have recognized the importance of passing a bill 
     mandating to Congress that this country operates under a 
     balanced budget. The longer we wait to balance the budget, 
     the more we leave a legacy of debt for our children and 
     grandchildren and take away from our ability to address 
     pressing national priorities.
       In the United States, we currently spend 11 times more 
     money on interest on the national debt than we do on 
     education, and twice as much on interest than on all of our 
     poverty programs. We have come to realize in Illinois the 
     importance of a balanced budget and the sacrifices that are 
     needed to achieve that goal. A balanced budget requirement as 
     been part of our state constitution since 1970, and members 
     of both parties have worked hard at maintaining that 
     requirement.
       Mr. President, I can not stress enough the importance of 
     passing the Balanced Budget Amendment. In order to achieve 
     the balanced budgets that you and the Republican leadership 
     have proposed, we need the discipline of a constitutional 
     amendment. Again, I urge you to contact members of your party 
     in the Senate, and request that they vote for the Balanced 
     Budget Amendment. I thank you, in advance, for your 
     consideration on this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Jim Edgar,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                                  State of Kansas,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                         Topeka, KS, June 5, 1996.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President of the United States,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear President Clinton: The next few days will be historic. 
     The announcement by United States Senator Bob Dole to resign 
     from his position as Majority Leader and U.S. Senator is of 
     great historical significance. Before the distinguished 
     Senator departs, you and the members of Congress will have 
     the opportunity to perform a legislative act equally 
     historic--approving legislation to balance the federal 
     budget. As Senator Dole concludes his terms in the United 
     States Senate, this week has been proclaimed Balanced Budget 
     Week in recognition of Senator Dole's efforts to set America 
     back on track toward economic vitality. I encourage you to do 
     everything in your power to promote a balanced budget 
     amendment.
       Since 1932, Kansas has been a cash basis state, which means 
     that pursuant to State law, Kansas cannot debt spend. We are 
     forced to project revenues and balance our budgets 
     accordingly. Sometimes we must reevaluate our priorities and 
     tighten our belts. Other times we must reevaluate the 
     relationship between the State and its citizens by 
     determining in what programs the people of Kansas want their 
     government to engage, and which programs are no longer worthy 
     of the people's financial resources. That kind of common 
     sense approach to budgeting has served Kansas well, and it 
     can go a long way toward resolving the deficit at the federal 
     level. If Kansas can balance its budget each and every year, 
     as do the people of America, so too can the federal 
     government.
       In Kansas, we directed an Administration that has taken the 
     initiative to provide Kansas children with the same 
     opportunities for a sound fiscal future with which we were 
     blessed. The budget we submitted to the state Legislature 
     this year is the first in a generation that spends less than 
     the year before. We have been able to pass along the savings 
     to Kansas taxpayers in the form of meaningful tax relief--in 
     excess of $1.4 billion over five years. We accomplished 
     significant tax relief--reducing the burden on Kansas 
     taxpayers--without neglecting those in

[[Page S5935]]

     need of our help and support. Although this was a daunting 
     and challenging task, the people of Kansas expected nothing 
     less than courageous leadership from their elected officials. 
     Similarly, the people of America expect nothing less from 
     their President.
       The future of America's children depends on your support of 
     a balanced budget amendment. Please do not fail to make the 
     most of the historic possibilities presented in the days 
     ahead.
           Sincerely,
     Bill Graves,
       Governor.
     Sheila Frahm,
       Lt. Governor, U.S. Senator Designate.
                                                                    ____

                                               State of Louisiana,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                        Baton Rouge, June 4, 1996.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President of the United States,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: As I mentioned when you were here last 
     week, Louisiana is a conservative state. That Louisiana's 
     State Constitution requires the Legislature to pass and the 
     Governor to sign a balanced budget is a strong reflection of 
     these conservative values.
       I would like to take this opportunity to request that you 
     join me, a majority of our nation's governors, and eighty-
     three percent of all Americans in supporting a balanced 
     budget amendment to the United States Constitution. A 
     balanced budget requirement has been good for Louisiana, it 
     has been good for your home state of Arkansas, and it would 
     be good for the United States of America.
       It is time for our elected officials in Washington to 
     exercise the same degree of fiscal discipline that their 
     colleagues in statehouses across the country do. I'm afraid 
     that past history makes it all too clear that we will not get 
     a balanced federal budget unless we require one 
     constitutionally.
       For the sake of our children and their children, to put 
     their needs above those of the federal government in 
     Washington, I urge you to announce your support for a 
     balanced budget amendment today.
           Sincerely,
                                        M.J. ``Mike'' Foster, Jr.,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                                State of Michigan,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                        Lansing, MI, June 5, 1996.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President, The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: This week Congress has the opportunity 
     to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment that will truly change 
     the way Washington does business.
       Large deficits and public indebtedness undermine the growth 
     of the economy and impose unnecessary and unfair burdens on 
     our future generations. This may explain why the American 
     people overwhelmingly support a Balanced Budget Amendment. 
     Recent surveys indicate over 80% of those individuals polled 
     support a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced 
     budget, while only 16% said that they oppose this measure.
       The Balanced Budget Amendment will force the federal 
     government to take appropriate action to live within its 
     means just as 49 of the 50 states must do. This action is 
     necessary to prevent further burdens on our children and 
     succeeding generations. A balanced budget plan would add $32 
     billion in disposable income to the U.S. economy, $88 billion 
     in new investment and would yield up to 6.1 million new job 
     opportunities with the confidence and assurance that real 
     work and real wages bring.
       Mr. President, I strongly urge you to join the majority of 
     the nation's Governors and the nation's citizens in 
     supporting the Balanced Budget Amendment. I encourage you to 
     request Members of the Senate to support this measure when it 
     comes up for a vote this week.
       Thank you for your consideration on this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                      John Engler,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                           State of New Hampshire,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                        Concord, NH, June 4, 1996.
     Hon. William Clinton,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: As Governor of New Hampshire, I write 
     to you today in support of the Balanced Budget Amendment to 
     the United States Constitution.
       The time has come to deal with the greatest threat to the 
     well-being of Americans, the ability of our federal 
     government to balance its budget without raising taxes and 
     without sending unfunded mandates to be paid for by the 
     citizens of our State. It must be done and I believe it is of 
     tremendous importance that we do it now.
       As a former Attorney General, one who has studied our 
     nation's Constitution and loves it, I recommend amending it 
     only after considerable reflection. I simply know of no other 
     way to restore belief in our citizens that government can be 
     responsive to the principles and values that made this 
     country great. It is unfortunate that such an amendment is 
     required, but it is clear that it is required.
       New Hampshire does not have a balanced budget amendment, 
     but no Governor has ever submitted an unbalanced budget. In 
     New Hampshire, it is illegal for a department head to deficit 
     spend.
       New Hampshire has balanced budgets for 200 years without an 
     income or sales tax. All governors share common problems and 
     seek common solutions. In New Hampshire, however, balanced 
     budgets are the norm, as they should be in Washington.
       The Balanced Budget Amendment is a bold step, but the 
     American people are ready for bold change. They have grown 
     frustrated with excuses as to why the federal budget cannot 
     be balanced. They have rejected the attitude that our 
     children will somehow be able to pay for financial 
     mismanagement.
       This moment in history can return the United States to a 
     policy of fiscal sanity. I respectfully urge you to move 
     forward and support the Balanced Budget Amendment.
       The American people will be with you.
           Very truly yours,
                                                  Stephen Merrill,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                           Office of the Governor,


                                                State Capitol,

                                       Santa Fe, NM, June 4, 1996.
     President William J. Clinton,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear President Clinton: I am writing to request your 
     support of a balanced budget amendment in 1996. This would 
     initiate an era of sound fiscal policy for the federal 
     government and serve to make our nation stronger and our 
     children's future more secure. To take a stand on this issue 
     and work with Congress is to offer the American people a 
     reason to again believe in the decision making ability of 
     government.
       The national debt, though often discussed in the abstract, 
     is a very real danger. If you do not take measures to ensure 
     a balanced budget amendment, this insidious threat to our 
     nation's future will continue to grow without impediment. We 
     must not let this opportunity go unanswered and I implore you 
     to lead this country into a future secured by solid 
     government policy. We cannot go forward without a balanced 
     budget amendment.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Gary E. Johnson,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                                State of New York,


                                            Executive Chamber,

                                         Albany, NY, June 5, 1996.
     Hon. William Jefferson Clinton,
     President of the United States,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear President Clinton: I urge you, Mr. President, to 
     support and actively work to pass the Balanced Budget 
     Amendment to the Constitution offered by Senator Dole. This 
     amendment calls for a balanced federal budget by the year 
     2002.
       Passing a Balanced Budget Amendment is critical to 
     America's strength as a world leader. Moreover, as elected 
     officials, we have a special obligation to free our children 
     and grandchildren from the mountains of government debt which 
     are mortgaging their future. Approving a Balanced Budget 
     Amendment would not only instill long-needed fiscal 
     discipline in Washington, but also would lower interest 
     rates, increase real disposable income for working families, 
     and help create millions of new jobs.
       Last year, despite virtual unanimous Republican support, 
     the Balanced Budget Amendment failed in the Senate because of 
     overwhelming Democrat opposition. In addition, you vetoed the 
     only balanced budget bill passed by Congress in the last 26 
     years. However, it's not too late to correct the mistakes of 
     the past and put our nation on sounder financial footing.
       Again, I urge you, Mr. President, to support Senator Dole's 
     Balanced Budget Amendment and actively lobby your party 
     members to secure its passage.
           Very truly yours,
                                                 George E. Pataki,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                            State of North Dakota,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                       Bismarck, ND, June 5, 1996.
     The President,
     The White House,
      Washington, DC.
       Mr. President, I am writing today to express my support for 
     the Balanced Budget Amendment.
       All but one state in our United States has a requirement to 
     balance its budget. In my home state of North Dakota, the 
     legislature has made tough, hard, and sometimes unpopular 
     decisions to balance its budget every biennium since 
     statehood. It is only proper that our federal government in 
     Washington take on that same responsibility to protect the 
     future generations of our country.
       The passage of the Congressional balanced budget plan would 
     add $32 billion in real disposable income, $66 billion in new 
     purchases, $88 billion in new investments, and over 100,000 
     new housing starts to the United States Economy while also 
     providing up to 6.1 million new job opportunities.
       In North Dakota the passage would mean a savings of $2,388 
     a year on payments for a 30-year mortgage on a $75,000 house; 
     $1,026 in savings over the life of a 4-year loan on a $15,000 
     automobile; $1,891 in savings over the life of a 10-year 
     student loan of $11,000--all totaled these savings would 
     amount to $74,381 over the duration of the loans.
       All Americans must be assured that their future and the 
     future of their children are secure and that their needs are 
     foremost in the

[[Page S5936]]

     minds of our leaders in Washington. There is no better way to 
     guarantee the citizens of North Dakota the bright future they 
     deserve than to pass the Balanced Budget Amendment.
           Sincerely,
                                                Edward T. Schafer,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                                State of Oklahoma,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                  Oklahoma City, OK, June 4, 1996.
     Hon. Bill Clinton,
     The White House.
       Dear Mr. President: On Friday, May 31, at 4:59 p.m., the 
     Legislature of the State of Oklahoma adjourned its 1996 
     session. Not once during that four-month session was there a 
     moment of discussion about deficit spending. Not one penny 
     was appropriated to pay interest on a state debt. No bill was 
     passed that spent a cent in excess of actual state revenues--
     all because the Constitution of Oklahoma contains an 
     amendment that requires a balanced budget.
       The Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States 
     Constitution will be considered in the Senate this week. I 
     urge you to follow the examples of 49 of our 50 states--
     including Oklahoma and Arkansas--and support this effort to 
     import common sense from the states to Washington.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank Keating,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                          State of South Carolina,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                       Columbia, SC, June 5, 1996.
     The President,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: As the Senate prepares to reconsider 
     the Balanced Budget Amendment, I write to express my strong 
     support of this important legislation. The time has come for 
     the federal government to abide by the same rules of fiscal 
     responsibility that every family, business, and state 
     government must follow.
       The federal deficit imposes debilitating costs on both 
     current and future generations. We must start setting 
     priorities and make difficult decisions now for the sake of 
     our children and our children's children. The longer that we 
     avoid our responsibility to the American people, the more we 
     put the prosperity of future generations at risk.
       A balanced budget will result in lower interest rates, 
     which will allow working families to keep more of their hard-
     earned money. With lower interest rates, more families will 
     have the opportunity to own their own home, and businesses 
     will be able to afford the capital investment to grow jobs.
       Unfortunately, despite promises made in Washington, a 
     balanced budget has not become law in decades. In fact, your 
     veto of the first balanced budget in 26 years makes it 
     imperative that the Congress pass a constitutional amendment 
     to balance the federal budget. Your support for this 
     amendment would give the citizens of South Carolina and 
     across the nation the opportunity to vote on the nation's 
     fiscal integrity and the future of our country. Only a 
     constitutional amendment will provide the ironclad discipline 
     needed to restore fiscal responsibility.
       You have historically been in favor of a balanced budget, 
     as evidenced by your recent budget proposal, and as a former 
     governor, you had to balance your own state books every year. 
     By expressing your public support for the Balanced Budget 
     Amendment, you would prove your convictions to the American 
     public, over eighty percent of whom strongly support such an 
     amendment.
       I respectfully ask you to urge the Senate to pass the 
     Balanced Budget Amendment and put America on the path of 
     prosperity and growth for generations to come.
           Sincerely,
                                                 David M. Beasley,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                         Commonwealth of Virginia,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                       Richmond, VA, June 4, 1996.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: The United States Senate is preparing 
     to consider again the Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. 
     Constitution. Often in the past, you have voiced your 
     commitment to balancing the federal budget, and I sincerely 
     hope that you will couple your words with actions and 
     publicly and energetically encourage the Senate to approve 
     the Balanced Budget Amendment now.
       As an original sponsor of the Kyl-Allen Balanced Budget 
     Amendment in the United States House of Representatives, I 
     was most disappointed last year when the Senate failed by one 
     vote to send this constitutional amendment to the States for 
     ratification. The Balanced Budget Amendment is not a unique 
     or unproven concept. As a former governor, you are no doubt 
     aware that virtually every State operates under the 
     discipline of a balanced budget requirement. The fact is, it 
     works. With our requirement for a balanced budget, Virginia 
     is one of only four States with a AAA Bond Rating for our 
     careful and limited use of debt.
       The people of the United States recognize that passage of 
     the Balanced Budget Amendment is an essential discipline for 
     getting the federal government on the path toward fiscal 
     responsibility. It is also important to improving the quality 
     of life for working families in Virginia and across America.
       A family's cost of living is greatly affected by interest 
     rates. The lower interest rates would accompany a balanced 
     budget. Working Americans deserve to be able to keep more of 
     their hard-earned money and put it to work for their 
     families. As borrowing costs drop, housing becomes more 
     affordable as well. A 2% drop in interest rates would save 
     the average homeowner between $1,600 and $1,800 per year in 
     mortgage payments. More affordable housing means more home 
     ownership which is the American Dream. And a healthy housing 
     industry increases job opportunities for electricians, 
     plumbers, carpenters, excavators, forestry products, 
     appliance manufacturers, Realtors, and many more that are 
     associated with the housing industry.
       Our government should be helping, not hindering, more 
     individuals and families to realize the American dream of 
     homeownership. We can begin to do so by making the balanced 
     budget the law of the land in Washington, as it is in our 
     States. Please put the force of your office behind a balanced 
     budget for America--let us in Virginia vote on this important 
     Amendment.
       With kind personal regards, I remain,
           Sincerely,
                                                     George Allen,
     Governor.
                                                                    ____

                                                 State of Wyoming,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                       Cheyenne, WY, June 5, 1996.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President of the United States,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: Next week the 104th Congress will have 
     it's final opportunity this year to pass a Balanced Budget 
     Amendment. Once allowed to become law, this Amendment will 
     truly change the way our country does business.
       It is time for our elected officials in Washington to 
     exercise the same degree of fiscal responsibility that state 
     governments have adopted. I am concerned that if Washington 
     continues with the current financial practices, future 
     generations will have a financial burden beyond repair. 
     History has made it all too clear that we will not balance 
     the federal budget unless required by the constitution.
       The United States spends 11 times more money to pay for 
     interest accrued on the national debt than we do on 
     education, and twice as much on interest than on all of our 
     entitlement programs. In 1993 the state of Wyoming recognized 
     a need for the Governor to submit the budget under estimated 
     revenues. It is important to realize the need for a balanced 
     budget, and to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve that 
     goal. Now is the time for action!
       In Wyoming, our constitution requires a balanced budget 
     each biennium. The people of Wyoming cannot understand why 
     such a requirement at the federal level is even questioned. 
     Your support for the Balanced Budget Amendment would do much 
     to bring accountability back to the federal government. I 
     trust we in Wyoming can count on your support.
       I can not stress enough the importance of passing the 
     Balanced Budget Amendment. In order to achieve the balanced 
     budget that you have proposed, the people of the United 
     States deserve the discipline of a constitutional amendment. 
     I urge you to contact members of your party in the Senate, 
     and request that they vote for the Balanced Budget Amendment!
           Sincerely,
                                                     Jim Geringer,
     Governor.

                          ____________________