Tom Daschle

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. If I am recognized, I will be happy to yield to the Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. DASCHLE. You can take the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE. I understand the majority leader's concern. There is absolutely no interest in filibustering this bill. We would agree to time agreements on each of these amendments, as I have indicated. I will enter into those time agreements whenever it is appropriate. We already have a time agreement on the first amendment, and we will do so on the second and third as well.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me respond to that.

Mr. DASCHLE. As I understand it, the Senator from South Carolina has asked for the opportunity to offer an amendment, and he would be willing to commit to a relatively short timeframe. So I think it would be three amendments.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I would be willing to enter into that agreement, as long as we have the understanding it is either a tabling motion or up or down; that it is not subject to second degree.

Mr. DASCHLE. My answer to the Senator from Minnesota is yes, I am aware of that, and that is the reason we are offering this amendment. Mr. President, I yield the floor. Mr. SPECTER addressed the Chair.

Mr. DASCHLE. I yield for a brief question from the Senator from Minnesota.

Mr. DASCHLE. The Senator is accurate. That is the case. As the resolution has been presented, not only does it address the issue of whether or not we ought to be confined by numbers which have been demonstrated to be extraordinarily erroneous over the last 2 years, but we are also compelled to vote for dramatic, draconian, extreme cuts in current funding levels. Mr. President, I do not want to abuse my floor privileges. I know others have sought recognition.

Mr. DASCHLE. I will be happy to yield for a question from the Senator from Michigan.

Mr. DASCHLE. The Senator is correct.

Mr. DASCHLE. I was aware of that, and the Senator is right to point it out.

Mr. DASCHLE. The Senator is correct.

Mr. DASCHLE. The Senator from Maryland is absolutely correct.

Mr. DASCHLE. Exactly.

Mr. DASCHLE. I will be happy to yield to the Senator from Maryland.

Mr. DASCHLE. I am sorry the distinguished Senator from Mississippi was not listening to my remarks, because I thought I made it very clear. I will be happy to clarify one more time. We support a balanced budget by a date certain. Many of us could even support a 7-year balanced budget under the right set of circumstances, but we have to know what the house looks like from the inside, not just the outside. And while we are looking at the house, I think it is important that the services of Government continue to be provided. That is what this does. It allows us to have a good debate about a balanced budget, with all of its ramifications, including Medicare and tax cuts, something you heard us talk about a lot, all of that beginning tomorrow, but it allows the Government to continue to run, as we expect it to run, through December 22.

Mr. DASCHLE. I yield again to the Senator.

Mr. DASCHLE. We can make a--absolutely. We would certainly make a commitment. The question is, does it have to be written in as a language specific to CBO as part of the CR, the continuing resolution?

Mr. DASCHLE. As I said, I describe this as a clean resolution, a resolution that allows us to debate the question of a balanced budget on a time certain, beginning tomorrow during the reconciliation, when we should. This simply says, let us pass a resolution through December 22 at the level of funding we established in the previous continuing resolution.

Mr. DASCHLE. No. No. I apologize.

Mr. DASCHLE. My amendment modifies their resolution to take out any other references, to take out balanced budgets, to any of the other intentions----

Mr. DASCHLE. Yes, he would. He would sign it.

Mr. DASCHLE. The Senator is correct.

Mr. DASCHLE. I would recommend--I am not sure I understand the question completely. But if the Senator is asking, would I recommend to the President to sign a clean resolution taking us through December 22, my answer is, of course, yes. I would hope he would sign it.