[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12302-S12303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SENATE BUSINESS

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, a few moments ago the distinguished 
assistant Republican leader was on the floor chastising the President, 
chastising Democrats, chastising people that were trying to be helpful 
or influential, and I heard him say more than once, ``Get on with our 
business.''
  Mr. President, this is October 10th and the budget for next year 
should have been completed April 15 of this year. April, May, June, 
July, August, September, October--we still don't have a budget. We are 
running on last year's budget. Somehow or another, this train hasn't 
been running as efficiently and as effectively as some think it should.
  If you haven't had a budget, it makes it difficult to set the levels 
for next year's spending. We are already into the next fiscal year by 
10 days and we only had one appropriations bill on the President's 
desk.
  The distinguished Senator from Oklahoma says let's get on with our 
business; then he says that the President should not be involved in 
negotiations. Mr. President, I have been around here 24 years. I have 
never gone through any negotiations involved with the White House that 
they didn't call me. I have gone to the White House to talk with 
President Reagan; I have gone to the White House to talk with President 
Bush in order to try to find a way to be helpful, and they were trying 
to find a way to persuade me to be helpful. I don't see anything wrong 
with that. And I don't believe the President wants to veto bills. That 
is one reason that everybody agreed to the group--if that is a good 
term, or the Members of the group--so they might be able to work out 
bills that can be signed. I don't see anything wrong with the 
administration playing a part in what they believe is the proper 
course.
  We talk about a budget. Going back to 1993, there wasn't a Republican 
that

[[Page S12303]]

voted for President Clinton's budget at that time. I wonder how those 
now who are saying we have a great surplus can be breaking their arm 
patting themselves on the back for that great vote that they didn't 
cast in 1993.
  The President has every right to be part of the negotiations. I 
wanted to say to my colleague who had to leave, what is wrong with 
wanting more for education? What is wrong with wanting to improve our 
school system? What is wrong with having smaller classes? What is wrong 
with having more teachers? I don't see anything wrong.
  What is wrong with seeing that every child that leaves the third 
grade can read? What is wrong with that? The 21st century will be full 
of technology and we have to have educated children. So what is wrong 
with trying to improve education in this country? Public education 
teaches 90 percent of all of our children. It has to be the best 
educational system we can give them. We need to be able to improve 
education all across this country.
  How in the world can the Senator from Oklahoma say that the Federal 
Government will appoint their teachers? We give money to the States. 
The States, then, make the selection. The States, then, set the 
criteria. The States, then, have the vacancy. The States do that. I 
have never known a Federal Government to hire a teacher in my State. I 
have been Governor. I understand writing a budget. I understand what we 
do. I still understand it. But I don't believe the Federal Education 
Department hires teachers in my State or any State. So we are not 
telling them who to hire and who not to hire.
  That is just a straw man, or whatever, to try to say we don't want 
Big Brother involved. We sure want Big Brother's money, we sure want 
Big Brother to pay it, but we don't want them to have anything to do 
with any kind of guidelines.
  So, when we come out on the floor and chastise the President and the 
administration for wanting to work out pieces of legislation, you talk 
to the farmers in the Midwest, talk to farmers in my State; they have 
had a tough several years. Sure, it may have been less a year ago than 
it is now and times have changed. We have had a bad summer. We have had 
real problems. So why not help our farmers?
  So, Mr. President, I suggest to those who want to come to the floor 
and have press conferences saying that the administration ought to stay 
out of our business and we will pass the legislation, well, where is 
it? Where is the legislation? What have we passed? The Patients' Bill 
of Rights? No; that was killed yesterday. Education? No. Where are the 
bills they were supposed to pass? ``Let us get on with our business,'' 
the Senator from Oklahoma said. Well, let's get on with our business.
  Here we are on Saturday, and we are lucky we are not in on Sunday 
afternoon. We will be here Monday. That is a holiday. They set a sine 
die date of October 9, and we don't even have the appropriations bills 
done. So let's not be too harsh on the administration for wanting to 
try to get it done.
  I regret that I am here. I wish all 13 appropriations bills had been 
on the President's desk and signed before October 1, which begins the 
fiscal year. I remember how hard Senator Robert Byrd, when he was 
chairman of the Appropriations Committee, worked to be sure that all 13 
of the appropriations bills were on the President's desk by September 
30. And they were. That is what we are supposed to do. Those are the 
rules.
  So, Mr. President, I hope that over the weekend we can find some way 
that those who are responsible for the appropriations bills can bring 
them together, that they will find a way that we can say we have worked 
together, that we have used Henry Clay's advice and we have 
compromised. Henry Clay said, ``Compromise is negotiated hurt.'' 
Negotiated hurt. Clay said, ``You have to give up something and it 
hurts, and I have to give up something and it hurts. Once we agree, 
then I am willing to sign a social contract.''
  Clay was saying he was willing to support legislation to move the 
country forward and on another day we will argue the things we had to 
give up. So that is what we are all about here --the Henry Clay era of 
compromise, and the ability to sign a social contract and move forward 
in the best interest of this country. I hope that we can see the light 
at the end of the tunnel by the end of the week. I hope to be here to 
cast a vote in favor of a compromise and agreement that will make this 
country a better country. It is my last one, Mr. President. I would 
like to see as good a piece of legislation in all areas passed, so that 
when we look back on this session, we will have said we did a good job.
  I yield the floor.

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