[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3553-3554]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             THIS RECESSION

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I would like to take this time to bring 
us up-to-date on where we stand with this recession, nationally and in 
my home State, and also to alert the American people to something.
  In 1993, when Bill Clinton got elected, this country was in a lot of 
trouble. We had terrible deficits--we had a terrible trade deficit, we 
had debt. President Clinton and the Democratic Congress came in, and we 
said we have to get our country back on track. The President put 
together a budget. I wish to remind people that budget did not get one 
Republican vote. I wish to read to you what Senator Lott, on August 6, 
1993, said about that Clinton budget.
  As we all know, that Clinton budget got us on the path of deficit 
reduction and an actual surplus in our fiscal year budget. It set us on 
the path of debt reduction. As a matter of fact, we were far along on 
that path. We expected to have no debt whatsoever. When George Bush got 
in office, the Republicans took over and the deficits soared and the 
debt soared.
  I wish to read what Senator Lott said in 1993. Remember, it was a 
very similar situation in terms of a budgetary crisis, a fiscal crisis. 
When Bill Clinton's budget passed--and we helped him get it passed--we 
set off on a path of economic recovery that was unmatched. Listen to 
this. This is Senator Trent Lott, August 6, 1993, in opposition to the 
Democrats' economic plan:

       This is a pork alert: Pork alert. This bill is 1,800 pages. 
     We will not know until next April 15, probably, all the stuff 
     that's in here. Are we talking about a little money? . . . 
     No, we are talking about big sums.

  He says:

       So when you stand up and say Republicans have not been 
     involved, let me assure you, we should have been involved. We 
     would have liked to have been involved. But we would like to 
     concentrate on spending cuts at first. And then talk about 
     other things like economic growth incentive activities, that 
     we would like to see considered in this process.

  The Republicans who have been in charge for a very long time have 
been the party of ``no'': Do it my way or it is the highway. Only I can 
write the perfect bill.
  I have said, and I say this respectfully to my friends, I could write 
a perfect bill--for me. I can assure you the people of California would 
like my bill better than the bill that is before us. Each of us can 
stand and write the perfect bill.
  So we have a choice. We can allow this new President to have the 
opportunity to do what he said he would do during the campaign, which 
is to ensure that this National Government becomes part of the 
solution.
  Believe me, I defend my Republican friends' right to say no, no, no. 
They have every right to do it. They have absolutely every right to do 
it. What I feel a little sad about is they feel they have to 
filibuster; each and every time we have to get 60 votes--60 votes--60 
votes--because they know very much it becomes a hardship. But that is 
what they are doing.
  I ask unanimous consent to have this and another quote printed in the 
Record.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mrs. BOXER. In 1993, when they opposed the Democrats' economic plan, 
back then, that plan that set us off on economic recovery and economic 
prosperity, they said almost the same exact words: We are not involved, 
it is pork, it is this, it is that, it is a big bill. They held up the 
bill.
  It is all the same. It is not the GOP; it is the SOP, the ``same old 
party.'' Right now we can't be the same old party.
  Democrats can't be the same old party, Republicans can't be the same 
old party.
  We need to join together. I hope more of my colleagues on the other 
side will join us. I thank the three who have, and I look forward to 
working with them as we move out into the future.

                               Exhibit 1

                              1993 Quotes

       Last, the American people should know unequivocally this 
     plan does not reduce our long-term deficit. What I am 
     suggesting is, if you like these taxes, wait around because 
     the deficit starts back up in 1998 even with all of these 
     taxes and more will be needed. And I ask where are we going 
     to get the spending cuts and the money to bring it under 
     control? My guess is more taxes year after year.--Senator 
     Packwood August 6, 1993
       This is a pork alert: Pork alert. This bill is 1,800 pages. 
     We will not know until next April 15, probably, all the stuff 
     that has been slid in here. Are we talking about, oh, just a

[[Page 3554]]

     little bit of money? A few million here and there? No; we are 
     talking about big sums.
       So when you stand up and say the Republicans have not been 
     involved, let me assure you, we should have been involved. We 
     would have liked to have been involved. But we would like to 
     concentrate on spending cuts at first. And then we can talk 
     about other things, like economic growth incentives, that we 
     would like to see considered in this process.--Senator Lott 
     August 6, 1993

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