Robert Dole

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I indicated earlier the President was about to sign legislative and Treasury. I am now informed he has signed the legislative appropriations bill and the Treasury, post office appropriations bill. So that brings it to a total of six that have been signed, two or three that are still in conference, and one still has not passed the Senate because of objections on the other side, the Labor-HHS bill.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. We are still working on the agreement. We are very hopeful. So I think unless there is somebody wishing to speak, I would ask we stand--does the Senator from Virginia wish to be recognized?

Mr. DOLE. Then would the Senator then go into recess subject to call.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. I just say for the information of all of my colleagues, the amendment I just sent to the desk would extend the full continuing resolution for 1 day. The Senate will now call up the comprehensive continuing resolution the Senate passed Thursday and modify that resolution with the so- called compromise language and pass that joint resolution. It is my understanding that the House of Representatives will pass the 1-day CR tonight and the comprehensive continuing resolution tomorrow. I will be happy to yield to the Democratic leader. Does the Democratic leader want me to send up the other one? [[Page S 17487]]

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that third reading and final passage be vitiated with respect to House Joint Resolution 122.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the joint resolution.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, before I yield to the Senator from Oregon, Senator Hatfield, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, let me also thank Senator Lott who has been on the telephone the last hour or two checking with Members who had problems. Also, Senator Gorton who helped us with some editorial comment and corrected a few things which were not quite accurate. Senator Mack and Senator Cochran were there yesterday afternoon and again today helping us bring this together. And, of course, Senator Warner has been on the floor and in the meetings. We appreciate that very much. Coming from Virginia he has a number of concerns about Federal employees. As I said earlier, the Senator from New Mexico deserves great credit. I think it is fair to say it indicates again if we can reach out we can come together. I think we preserved a very important principle: a balanced budget in 7 years. That was very important to Members on this side and I think to a number of Members on the other side. Also, obviously the Presiding Officer has been in the thick of this from the start. We appreciate the President pro tempore's discussions, and a number of other colleagues, Senator McCain, who is not on the floor, and Senator Pressler, who was there for a few hours this afternoon. We had a lot of people come and go and a lot of input. I yield now to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. DOLE. I send an amendment to the desk modifying the text of the joint resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today it stand in adjournment until the hour of 2:30, p.m., Sunday, November 19, that following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, no resolutions come over under the rule, the call of the calendar be dispensed with, and the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and there then be the period for morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, we do have a continuing resolution that has been passed by the House and the Senate which we will be pleased to send to the President if there is some indication the President will sign it. I think he has indicated to the contrary. So we will not, at least at this moment, send it to the President. We did send, again for the information of all of our colleagues, three appropriations bills to the President today: Defense appropriations, a very important bill. If he would sign that bill, I am told by Senator Stevens from Alaska, chairman of that subcommittee, 183,000 people could go back to work. That is a big, big bill. That is about a fourth of those presently furloughed. So I hope the President will take a careful look at the defense appropriations bill. In addition, the White House has now received the legislative appropriations bill and the Treasury-Post Office appropriations bill. I understand that the President may sign those two pieces of legislation which, again, will take off some of the strain. [[Page S 17468]] But I want to make the point, this is not just about people being furloughed. This is about a fundamental difference on how we achieve a balanced budget and whether we achieve it in 7 years, as the Republican Congress feels we can, or whether it is 8 years, 9 years, 10 years or maybe 7 years, if the President would agree. So I hope we can continue to work. Most of us will be happy to meet later this evening if there is any opportunity to work out a successful agreement.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, let me indicate, for the information of all Senators, that we have presented the Democratic leader with a counteroffer on how we can end this impasse as far as the partial shutdown of the Government is concerned. I know that Senator Domenici, chairman of the Budget Committee, and Congressman Kasich, chairman of the House Budget Committee, will be calling Leon Panetta, the President's Chief of Staff--may have called him by now or will be calling soon. Hopefully, they can meet with Mr. Panetta tomorrow, early afternoon, about 1 o'clock. So it seems to me, in the event something should occur, that we should be at least prepared to act on it in the U.S. Senate. Sunday sessions are extraordinary, but in this circumstance I think it is very appropriate. So we will come in at 2:30 in the afternoon. I hope we can resolve this matter tomorrow. The House also would be available, I think within a few hours, I am told by the Speaker, to assemble enough House Members to take action in the event that it is necessary tomorrow. So, if we can, I would say to my colleagues, whose staff may be listening, or just for their information, if there should be a rollcall vote, we will give everybody adequate time to be here. So I would not be concerned about that. If we should reach an agreement, I hope that we could do it on a voice vote because some of our Members would have to come long distances. Of course, if we should reach agreement tomorrow, we will not be in session next week. So we will convene tomorrow, hopefully to work out, or continue to work out, some agreement on the continuing resolution. I yield the floor to the Senator from Virginia. Mr. WARNER addressed the Chair.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. First, I want to thank all my colleagues for what has been happening over the past several months as far as putting together the Balanced Budget Act of 1995 is concerned. It was a massive undertaking. People said we could never do it, never make the hard decisions, but we did. We kept our word with the American people. And we have, I think, a product we can be proud of. It may not be perfect--probably there are some things we can change, correct, modify--but it is a fundamental change in the direction this country has been headed for the past, at least, two or three decades. I know the President has indicated he is going to veto it. And if he does--as I assume he will--I hope he also will say he is seriously concerned about the problems we raise and try to correct them, that he will sit down with us in serious negotiations and have some budget that we can all hold up and all take credit for that will balance the budget in the 7 years, reform welfare as we know it, preserve and strengthen Medicare, provide tax cuts for families with children, and also tax cuts to stimulate the economy, a capital gains rate reduction, estate tax relief. There are hundreds of provisions in this bill. I particularly, again, want to thank my colleague, Senator Domenici, from New Mexico, and members of the Budget Committee for their outstanding work. And I failed to mention Senator Roth, the new chairman of the Finance Committee. About 80 percent of this heavy lifting was done by the Finance Committee under the chairmanship of Senator Bill Roth from Delaware. He did an outstanding job. All the tax cuts, the Medicare and Medicaid provisions, all these very controversial areas were under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee. Certainly Senator Roth deserves our commendation too.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, we hope to continue to negotiate today and perhaps have some agreement on a continuing resolution by day's end, maybe not, but we will try. We have just sent the President the Defense appropriations bill. If he signs that, about 182,000 people will go back to work. That is almost one-quarter of the total. We hope he will look at that carefully, particularly in light of the fact that he may be sending American troops to Bosnia. It would seem to me he would want to sign the Defense appropriations bill. I hope he does not send American troops to Bosnia without first coming to Congress, but in the event he does, either event, I think the appropriations bill is important. I would like to announce, but I am not quite able to, that there will be no votes today. We will check on both sides of the aisle to see if we can reach an agreement on a continuing resolution and if anyone would require a rollcall vote. If not, then we could say no votes today. So, we will begin that process on both sides of the aisle. As soon as we have word, we will get back and make that announcement. I know some Members probably have other plans for the day. What that would mean, if we had no votes, if we did reach an agreement, we could simply pass a continuing resolution by a voice vote, vitiate the final action taken on the CR we had a day or two ago, amend it, send it to the House and ask them to concur with the Senate amendment. So we could do that by voice vote. [[Page S 17423]] I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Right now.

Mr. DOLE. Sure.

Mr. DOLE. As far as I know, if there is no objection by the managers, it can be done right now.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I can indicate to our colleagues what the program is for today. We have a consent agreement that the time, as of 5 minutes ago, the 10-hour statutory time on the conference report on the Balanced Budget Act of 1995 started to run. We will not receive that from the House until about 3 o'clock. In any event, the time has started running, and if we use all the time, we will vote about sometime after 11 o'clock tonight. If we do not use all the time, obviously, we will vote at an earlier time. Anybody who would like to debate this particular subject, now is a good time to start. If there is no indication of debate, why, we can be in recess subject to call of the Chair, whatever. And on tomorrow, it will be HUD-VA, if available, and there may be another CR tomorrow coming from the House, which will be a narrow CR dealing with Social Security, veterans, and Medicare, those three topics. But we have to have consent over here before we can bring that up. If we put in a lot of amendments, we will not get it passed. These are subjects the President mentioned in his statement yesterday. That will probably come over tomorrow. I am somewhat doubtful the HUD-VA is going to make it. I do not think they will finish in the House in time. That is sort of where we are. I hope we can have some resolution of the continuing resolution. I understand there are different people talking to different people about different things. [Laughter.] I do not know whether they are going to get it resolved or not. Mr. President, I ask the minority leader if he has anything to add?

Mr. DOLE. The time will be under the control of the Senator from New Mexico and the Senator from Nebraska, or their designees.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I recognize the importance of this issue to South Dakota, Alaska, and other States with significant native American populations. I have had a number of recent conversations with my colleagues from South Dakota and Alaska. I also heard from the Governor of South Dakota. They have made me aware of the impact this issue may have upon their States. The Senators from South Dakota and Alaska have my assurance that I will continue working with them to find a solution to this complex issue.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I think probably the most extreme thing that has happened in the last 2 or 3 years is [[Page S 17329]] the $265 billion tax increase passed by this Congress without a single Republican vote. You talk about extremism--that is a good example, particularly when the initiator confesses that he raised taxes too much, the President of the United States. I believe we have a good package here. We have had a lot of work, and I want to thank, first of all, Senator Domenici and the entire Budget Committee, but everyone else on this side of the aisle who have been working the past several weeks to bring us to this moment. I really believe, and I am sitting here thinking I have cast a lot of votes in the U.S. Senate. I think this is probably the most important one that I will cast, knowing it is not bipartisan. I would like to have it bipartisan. But it is a very important vote. It is a fundamental change in America. It is a fundamental change in direction in this country. I think it is probably the most important vote I have cast in my years in the Senate. I have never been so certain that we are doing something right--yes, right--for our children, as the Senator from New Mexico pointed out, for our grandchildren, and for everybody else. It is right for States. Yes, we are giving some power back to the Governors. We are following the admonition of the 10th amendment of the Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, 28 words in length, that says, in effect, if the power is not reserved to the Federal Government it belongs to the States and to the people. We believe when the people gave us a majority last November, they wanted us to give power back to the States and back to the people. This bill is right for senior citizens. We will save, preserve, and strengthen Medicare. It will still grow at a rate of 6.4 percent. We believe that is a step in the right direction. But looking at other beneficiaries, somebody who buys a home will save a lot of money because interest rates will come down. If you buy a car, if you are going to buy farm machinery, if you take out a loan to send your child to college, or if you are trapped in a failed welfare system--not anyone in this body would say we do not have a failed welfare system. It seems to me that if we are going to promise to end business as usual, we have to start putting up or shutting up. We cannot do all of the things that my colleagues on the other side say--keep spending more money, spending more money, more taxes, more regulations, more government--and ever make a fundamental shift in America. I hope, again, knowing the bill is going to be vetoed, but I hope the American people know that we are not going to mortgage their future with this bill; that we are going to cut taxes for families with children; we are going to encourage savings and investment and economic growth. We have kept our promise. We kept our promise to shift power out of Washington, DC, to the States, and we have kept our promise there. I just conclude, because I know there are some of us going to another debate, and some are getting nervous, which is all right with me, but I simply ask the President of the United States to take another look at this product. This is a good product, Mr. President. You ought to sign it. You ought to make up for all the things you have done wrong in the past 3 years and sign this bill. Then you would be right on target again. You would be that new Democrat you wanted to be or thought you were or might have been. Mr. President, we are doing the right thing. We are doing it because we stuck together, because we kept our promise, and because we love America. Mr. President, soon after my election to the Kansas State House of Representatives, a reporter asked me whether I had a legislative agenda. And I replied that my agenda was simple--it was to stand up for what I thought was right. And I have tried to follow that philosophy throughout my career. In just a few minutes I will vote to approve the Balanced Budget Act of 1995. I believe the vote is one of the most historic votes ever taken in this Chamber--and certainly the most important one I have cast in my years in the Senate. And as I cast my vote to approve this landmark legislation, I can say that I have never been so certain that I am standing up for what's right. I have never been so certain that the U.S. Senate is standing up for what is right. Mr. President, the Balanced Budget Amendment Act of 1995 is right for America's future. It is right for the American people. It is right for our children and grandchildren. It is right for our States, our cities, and our neighborhoods. It is right for our senior citizens. It is right for every American who is saving to buy a home. It is right for every American who is buying a car. It is right for every American who takes out a loan to send a child to college. It is right for those trapped in our failed welfare system. Mr. President, last fall, Republicans asked voters to give us a majority on Capitol Hill. And we left absolutely no doubt about what we would do if we got that majority. We promised we would put an end to business as usual. Tonight, Americans know that we have kept our promise. We promised to stop the mortgaging of our children's and grandchildren's future, and to put America on a path to a balanced budget. Tonight, Americans know that we have kept our promise. We promised to replace our failed welfare system with one based on the principles of work, family, and personal responsibility. Tonight, Americans know that we have kept our promise. We promised to cut taxes for America's families, and to encourage savings, investment, and economic growth. Tonight, Americans know that we have kept our promise. We promised to shift power out of Washington, DC, and to return it to where it belongs--our States, our cities, and our people. And tonight Americans know that we have kept our promise. A balanced budget. True welfare reform. Lower taxes. More freedom and power for our States, our cities, and our people. That's what Republicans are all about. And that's what this bill is all about. President Clinton has said that he will veto this bill. He will, as is his habit, stand in the way of change. And I would simply say to the President to take another look at this bill. We are told that the President's pollsters are advising him that the American people have concluded that his actions don't match his words. By signing this bill, President Clinton would prove that his actions do match his words on a number of issues. President Clinton has told the American people many, many times that he is for a balanced budget. He said on June 4, 1992 he would balance the budget in 5 years. He said on May 20, 1995, he could balance the budget in less than 10 years. He said on June 13, 1995, he would take 10 years. And on October 19, 1995 he said he could balance it in either 7 years, 8 years, or 9 years. Despite these claims, President Clinton did everything he could to defeat a balanced budget amendment, and the Congressional Budget Office-- which the President has previously endorsed as an honest scorekeeper--has said that the budgets the President did propose left us with $200 million in deficits far into the next century. President Clinton said in 1992 that he would end welfare as we know it. Yet, he admitted recently that the only welfare bill he proposed was a disappointment. The President promised in 1992 that he would give middle-class Americans a tax cut. Yet, in 1993 he gave America the largest tax increase in history. The President said that he wants to prevent Medicare from going bankrupt, as three of his Cabinet members have projected it will do within 7 years. Yet, he has refused to work in a bi-partisan manner with Republicans to save Medicare. Instead, according to a remarkable editorial in the Washington Post, the President has ``shamelessly used the Medicare issue * * * demagogued on it * * * and taken to the airwaves with a slick scare program.'' So, Americans have every reason to be confused. Just where does the President stand on balancing the budget? Where does he stand on reforming welfare? Where does he stand on cutting [[Page S 17330]] taxes for America's families? Where does he stand on saving Medicare? The President's decision on this bill will, once and for all, clear up all confusion. Because by signing this bill, the President will finally allow his actions to match his words. But by vetoing it, he will make very clear that he is against a balanced budget, and the benefits it will bring. He is against welfare reform. He is against tax reduction. He is against saving Medicare. And by vetoing this bill, the President will be against many other provisions. He will be against a capital gains tax cut. He will be against putting an end to the marriage penalty tax. He will be against medical savings accounts. He will be against adoption tax credits. He will be against helping Americans who provide care to their parents. Now, when President Clinton vetoes this bill, he will shake his head, and he will say what many of his liberal allies have said today. He will say that he would like to sign this bill, but it's just too harsh. He will say that we are cutting spending on programs for the less fortunate among us. He will say we are cutting Medicare. He will say our tax cuts favor the business community. He will say all that again and again. And he will be wrong every time he says it. He will be wrong because this bill does not cut overall Federal spending--it allows it to grow by 22 percent over the next 7 years. He will be wrong because this bill does not cut Medicare. In fact, Medicare will continue to grow at a rate of 7.7 percent a year. He will be wrong because this bill does not cut programs to the needy--it allows 34 percent growth over the next 7 years. He will be wrong because total funding for student loans will be increased by nearly 50 percent over the next 7 years. He will be wrong because 73 percent of the tax cuts in this bill will help families throughout their lives. Those are the facts. The President will try his best to obscure these facts with emotional rhetoric. In fact, the Democrat National Committee already has a television commercial on the air trumpeting the President's so-called balanced budget proposal, and saying that the Republican plan will cut Medicare. It's a nice commercial with catchy music, but not a word of it is true. As I have said, the President has never submitted a budget anywhere near balance. And the Republican plan increases Medicare spending. Mr. President, I'm from a farm State, and I want to say to the farmers of Kansas and the farmers of America that this bill is also important to them. Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, the Government has been in the business of telling farmers how to farm. Under this bill, that will end, and beginning in 1996, farmers will be planting for the market place. Under this bill, farmers will have full planting flexibility, elimination of set-asides, program simplicity, and a farm policy that transitions farmers into the next century without disrupting the farm economy or land values. While I am concerned about farmers receiving payments in good years, I am pleased we were able to cap the entitlement spending of agriculture programs. We accomplish this goal through a declining transition payment which is guaranteed to the farmer. In exchange, farmers will be required to maintain their land conservation efforts in both good and bad years. And this bill also protects family farms by providing some much needed estate tax relief. Mr. President, let me conclude by saying that I know that the American people have wondered about the events taking place in Washington this week. They have wondered why the Government was shut down. They have wondered why Congress and the White House aren't talking to each other. Well, as I have said many times this week, I wonder why we haven't spent more time talking to each other. And I remain ready to talk with the President any time to put all Federal employees back to work. But I also would tell Americans that if ever there was a debate you wanted your elected Representatives to have, this is it. This is it. Because we are debating your future. We are debating the future of your children and grandchildren. We are debating the future of America. I speak for all Republicans in saying that, as we approach Thanksgiving, we are thankful to have the opportunity to stand for something. We are thankful to have the opportunity to stand for fundamental change. We are thankful to have the opportunity to stand for a better future for the next generation of Americans. And let me close by saying--and I know I speak for all Members of the Senate--that we are thankful that we have the opportunity to serve with a Senator as courageous and committed as Pete Domenici, and I salute him for his many years of leadership in support of a balanced budget. Mr. President, let's do the right thing for America's future. Let's pass the Balanced Budget Act of 1995.

Mr. DOLE. I ask for the yeas and nays.