[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 71 (Thursday, June 4, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   BUDGET RESOLUTION DOES NOT ADD UP

  (Mr. FAZIO of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, the Senate passed its budget 
resolution over 2 months ago. Under the rules of the House, we should 
have passed a budget resolution at least by the 15th of April. So we 
come to the floor very late today, and one would think at this late 
date, we would be prepared with a tight, consensus budget. In fact, 
that is not the case. We have a $24 billion black hole in this budget 
resolution the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kasich) will present today. We 
double count cuts in food stamp administration, we double count cuts in 
veterans spending. In fact, unless we can find alternatives to using 
these cuts twice, we will pass a fraudulent budget or end up cutting 
these programs for more than any of us intend.
  The New York Times said of this resolution when it came to the Budget 
committee that ``it fails the basic integrity test and that the House 
should vote it down, demanding instead a budget that is real, not 
rigged.'' I agree, Mr. Speaker. We are not ready, even at this late 
date, with the Committee on Appropriations waiting in the wings to deal 
with a budget resolution that just does not add up. Let us protect 
Social Security and not spend any of the surplus until we have found a 
solution to the baby boom bulge and bring the Social Security fund into 
balance.

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