[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 119 (Thursday, September 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WHERE IS THE BUDGET?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Minge) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, it is now September 10, and we still do not 
have a budget resolution which is available to guide this body or 
Congress in the allocation of our Nation's resources. That budget 
resolution was due April 15. We are now approaching 5 months, 5 months 
overdue, and the question is how can we responsibly make decisions in 
the appropriations process? How can we plan to use what might possibly 
be a surplus, even if we back out what we are borrowing from the Social 
Security trust fund here in this 1997-1998 fiscal year and the next 
fiscal year? How can we responsibly determine what our Nation's 
priorities are when we are proceeding on an ad hoc basis?
  Mr. Speaker, we have proceeded under the Budget Act for many years, 
and to the best of my knowledge this is the first time. Mr. Speaker, 
the question is how can we responsibly proceed when we are almost 5 
months past the due date for a budget resolution?
  I think that this is a tragic situation. It is a situation that cries 
out for action. It cries out for leadership.
  Several of us have been active in what is known as the Blue Dog 
Coalition. We introduced a budget. We attempted to have that budget 
made in order so that it could be debated on this floor so that we 
could vote on this budget. We were denied that opportunity.
  We were told that there was a good budget that was coming to the 
floor. Vote for the good budget. Where is the good budget? It is like 
where is the beef?
  We do not have a conference committee that is appointed that is 
proceeding to reconcile House and Senate budgets. Instead, we are just 
sort of free-lancing. The House does a budget resolution, the Senate 
does a budget resolution, but never the twain shall meet.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge that the leadership, both in this body and the 
body at the other end of the building, promptly act to have a 
conference committee empaneled and direct that conference committee to 
reconcile the differences between the House and the Senate budget 
resolutions so that we indeed do have a road map, so that we are acting 
responsibly.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge at the same time that we recognize that we have a 
number one duty and obligation to not just the seniors in this country, 
but to children, to grandchildren, to plan for how we responsibly 
adjust the Social Security program so it is financially secure for the 
indefinite future.
  We cannot do that unless we have a responsible budget resolution that 
is in place that recognizes the primacy of our obligation to make this 
Social Security trust fund one that is both inviolate and one that is 
secure and financially stable.
  We are being tempted weekly, if not daily, with appropriations bills 
that can do all types of wonderful things for many important causes, 
individuals, communities across our country. We are deeming that the 
1997 budget levels and 1998 budget levels are appropriate for 1999. 
This may be a way to finesse the question of how we deal with the 
budget, but it is not a responsible way to deal with the budget.
  I know that if this were 5 years ago and my friends on the other side 
of the aisle were faced with this condition where the leadership on 
this side of the aisle had not brought a budget resolution home, they 
would rightfully criticize us for being irresponsible in that respect. 
I think that we should have a parallel recognition of the 
responsibility of our leadership in this body to forthrightly make sure 
that we have a budget resolution and, hopefully, if we do that we can 
avoid some of the turmoil that could well occur at the end of this 
month without the guidance of a budget resolution and the prospect of 
continuing resolutions, vetoes of appropriations bills, and worst of 
all, a shutdown of the Federal Government.
  We cannot afford that. I urge that a budget resolution be forthwith 
considered on the floor of this House that has been approved by a 
conference committee.

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