[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 31 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           BALANCE THE BUDGET

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, today there will be a lot of rhetoric, and I 
hope civil rhetoric, from the other side of the aisle about the 
President's budget. My Republican colleagues will go as far as to 
demand that the President submit another budget.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people know that the Constitution says, and 
I quote, ``All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House 
of Representatives.'' It is our duty, it has been our obligation, and 
will continue to be this House's responsibility to approve all 
appropriation bills, including the budget.
  Republicans are now demanding that the President resubmit his budget. 
This is a complete reversal of their approach of the last Congress. The 
American people certainly remember how the Republican majority 
virtually shredded the President's proposals in pursuit of a radical 
agenda.
  I call upon my friends to seize the moment, steer the proper course, 
and use the President's proposal as an historic opportunity to balance 
the budget. The President wants this done, Democrats want this done, 
and the American public wants it done.
  I believe that beneath their current political rhetoric the majority 
wants a balanced budget as well.

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