[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Pages 26924-26925]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               THE BUDGET

  Mrs. BOXER. Speaking about a bipartisan spirit, it was unnerving this 
morning to come to the floor and hear some of the partisan attacks I 
heard, mostly aimed at President Bill Clinton, in particular at his 
budget priorities, which Democrats share. At some point in the 
discussion this morning, it approached a near-hysterical level.
  I will talk about what the differences are. I think we can breach 
those differences and resolve our problems.
  Putting 100,000 teachers in the classrooms to reduce class size, 
everyone in America wants us to do that, I believe. We have already put 
30,000 of those teachers in the classrooms, and we are simply asking to 
continue the program. This Republican budget would mean sending pink 
slips to those teachers. That is wrong. We ought to sit down and 
resolve it.
  Secondly, in continuing our efforts to put more police on the 
streets, we have seen a tremendous reduction in the crime rate. We know 
one of the reasons is putting more community police on the streets. 
Surely we can find a compromise with the Republicans on this point.
  Then, paying our U.N. dues. How can we lead the world if we don't at 
least do that, while encouraging and demanding reforms at the United 
Nations? I thought it was resolved. It has not been resolved. Funding 
peace agreements, that has not been resolved. We can't be the world 
leader if we don't do that.
  I think these differences are important.
  There are also environmental riders, giveaways to big special 
interests. They are wrong. We should sit down and resolve them.
  The one that really is extraordinary, with the partisanship that 
surrounds it, is the Social Security issue. Republicans say they have a 
lockbox and the Democrats want to go into Social Security and destroy 
it. In some ways, it is rather laughable. Going back to 1994, House 
majority leader Dick Armey said: I would never have created Social 
Security.
  If we look back at the record, we will find the Republicans voted 
against a retirement benefit for the people of this country when Social 
Security was voted on. They voted against Medicare. Now they are going 
forward with TV commercials telling people they are the party that is 
going to protect a program they didn't even like and didn't even want. 
It doesn't even pass the laugh test.
  Here is the deal. They have a lockbox. They say: We are never going 
to touch it. That is good. However, they forgot to tell you something--
they have the key. They have opened it up, and they have taken $18 
billion out of it already, according to their own Congressional Budget 
Office. That is not Barbara Boxer saying it. It is their own 
Congressional Budget Office that stated they have gone into Social 
Security for $18 billion.
  So why don't we just sit down and talk--talk about the legislative 
graveyard that has been created in the Senate. What is in there? HMO 
reform. People can't get the health care they need and deserve. That is 
in the garbage heap. Sensible gun laws, the juvenile justice bill, that 
is in the graveyard. They put the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 
there; campaign finance reform; judicial appointments; long-term 
protection of Medicare and Social Security; minimum wage is in the 
legislative graveyard. As Senator Mikulski said, these were lost 
opportunities to us. So I feel very strongly that we have more work to 
do. We should sit down with the President and resolve these 
differences.
  Lastly, I hope we can move forward on some of these judgeships. Judge 
Richard Paez and Marsha Berzon were nominated years ago, voted out of 
the committee on a bipartisan vote. Judge Paez has been waiting almost 
4 years to get a vote. Marsha Berzon has been waiting almost 2 years. 
Later, when I get to talk about these nominees in detail, I will tell 
you the strong Republican support they have--Republican Congress 
people, Republican sheriffs, and Republican law enforcement officials 
in the State of California. These are good nominees.
  I have put a hold on a particular nominee the majority leader wants 
for the TVA. I have no problem with that nominee. I voted him out of 
committee. He has been waiting 27 days for a vote, Marsha Berzon has 
been waiting 2 years, and Richard Paez has been waiting almost 4 years.
  I see the majority leader on the floor, and I promised that when he 
arrived I would stop this talking in morning business. So I will do 
that. I urge everyone to come to the table in a bipartisan spirit, do 
the unfinished business, resolve the budget differences, and get moving 
with some of these appointments that have been waiting for years, 
simply for an up-or-down vote.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.

[[Page 26925]]


  Mr. ROTH. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard. The clerk will 
continue to call the roll.
  The legislative clerk continued to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________