[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H689-H690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from South Dakota [Mr. Thune] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was on the floor talking about 
the

[[Page H690]]

importance of a balanced budget amendment. Much to my chagrin, there 
was an announcement yesterday that probably certainly weakened the 
effort for a balanced budget amendment in the Senate.
  In 1969, if you read the newspaper, you probably would have read 
about Charles Manson. The number one song was Simon and Garfunkle's 
``Mrs. Robinson.'' The Mets won the World Series. I was an 8-year-old 
boy growing up in western South Dakota and had the opportunity to watch 
on a black and white television, Neal Armstrong take one giant step 
forward for mankind by walking on the Moon.
  Little did I know at that time that that was the start of our taking 
one giant step backward fiscally, because 1969 was the last time that 
Congress and our country has been able to balance its budget.
  It occurs to me, it has been my long-held belief that every 
generation of Americans has an appointment with destiny. For my 
grandfather who came to this country from Norway back in 1906, it was 
to help build America. He warked on and helped build the railroad that 
went across our State of South Dakota. Later he went on to be in the 
hardware business.
  For my father, his appointment with destiny was to defend America. As 
a decorated World War II fighter pilot, when the call came for him to 
defend America in World War II, he was there.
  I believe that for this generation of Americans, it is our 
responsibility to preserve America for the next generation. I think we 
are failing in our duty and the obligation we have to make this a 
better place for the next generation of Americans.
  When it comes time to vote on a balanced budget amendment, the issue 
really is about our future and what will we do for our children. A lot 
has been made, there are a lot of distractions and diversions in this 
whole debate about reasons why we do not need a balanced budget 
amendment. But the fact remains that 1969 is the last time that 
Congress has had the political will to submit a balanced budget and to 
do what is right for the future of this country.
  If we look at where we are today and the burden we are passing on, 
the legacy we are handing on to the next generation of Americans, in my 
view it is immoral, it is wrong. We have an opportunity this next week 
to vote to do something that will be meaningful. It is the most 
important vote I think that we will cast for the future of our country.
  I am hopeful that we will see, when the Senate votes on this next 
Tuesday, that there will be some of the people, some of the Democrats 
who are currently opposed to it, perhaps one of the two from my State 
of South Dakota, who will come forward and recognize the importance of 
this important move to the future of this country.
  We cannot afford to continue to mortgage the future for our kids and 
for our grandkids. So as we continue to engage the debate in this town 
and around this country, and as I traveled in my State of South Dakota 
for 9 days last week, I had the opportunity to raise this issue and to 
talk about it and its importance.
  One of the questions that was repeatedly asked was what about Social 
Security, because they had heard a lot of radio ads that had been 
running in my State by opponents of a balanced budget amendment 
attacking me for my vote on it.
  The point I come back to is if we do not do something to balance this 
country's budget, and if we do not impose the discipline necessary to 
do it, not only is Social Security jeopardized, but so is every other 
Government program. The only way we can protect Social Security for the 
long-term and make it a program that is there not only for today's 
seniors but for tomorrow's seniors is to pass a balanced budget 
amendment.
  So, as I heard and listened to the discussion that was held last week 
in my State of South Dakota about this issue, I kept coming back to the 
same point. That is that as a young 8-year-old in western South Dakota 
in 1969, I had no idea of what was about to begin. But for the past 28 
years, we have accumulated and amassed in this country $5.3 trillion in 
debt, or $20,000 for every man, women, and child in America.
  I am calling on, today, hoping that our colleagues on the other side 
of the Capitol, when this vote comes up next week, will look into their 
hearts and see if this is not the right move. It is not only the right 
move, it is the only move if we are to preserve a future for our kids 
and for our grandkids.
  I hope we will have the opportunity in this House, if the Senate goes 
first and votes and will approve a balanced budget amendment, that we 
can do it in the House and make this a better place for the next 
generation.

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