Kay Hutchison

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to thank the Senator from Tennessee, a new Member of the Senate, for helping us with this debate, for helping us point out the important decisions that we are making today and tomorrow. It has really been wonderful to see the freshmen Senators, the new Senators, like the Senator from Tennessee and like the Senator in the chair, tonight adding to the debate and adding to the energy and vitality of the changes that we are making for America, the changes that the people asked for in 1994 so forcefully by giving a mandate to Congress to do the right thing, to keep the promises that were made. The American people have seen time after time after time politicians making great speeches, beautiful speeches at conventions and big events and rallies and they see them make the promises and they see the promises broken almost the day after the election. Now, for the first time in years, the American people are going to see the promises being kept. I think you are seeing such clear differences between the leadership that the President has shown versus the leadership that the Members of Congress are showing now finally. The President's theme has been balance the budget on the backs of the Medicare recipients and the welfare recipients and education. That is the theme that we see recurring on the floor of the Senate day after day after day after day--the class warfare: ``Oh, yes, they are balancing the budget, but they are doing it at the expense of the people in our society who are receiving Medicare and welfare.'' That is all we have heard. Where is their plan? Where is their suggestion? As the Senator from Pennsylvania said earlier tonight, their Chief of Staff has said, ``It's a big game of chicken. If you put your budget out there and we're going to slash it to ribbons. If we put our budget out there, you are going to slash ours to ribbons.'' So who goes first? Mr. President, the Republicans are going first. We are putting something on the table that makes sense. We are taking the bold step and we are protecting Medicare for the future, and we are going to have a welfare system that tries to bring people up, not hold them down for generation after generation, and to give the taxpayers of our country the opportunity to see that it does not pay not to work if you can. So, Mr. President, where is the President of the United States in this debate? He gave a budget to the Congress. We voted on it. It was the first vote we took in this budget debate. It was a budget which would increase the Federal deficit from $203 billion in 1994 to $276 billion in the year 2000. In fact, the Clinton budget, submitted to this Congress, called for another $1.2 trillion in deficit spending over the next 5 years. That is the budget he has presented until yesterday. And yesterday the President said, ``I'm going to give you a balanced budget.'' We are 4 days into the budget debate and the President says, ``I'm going to give you a balanced budget.'' Where was he in the first year of his term? Where was he in the second year of his term? And where was he when we started the hearings in the Budget Committee when Senator Domenici was trying for a consensus, trying to bring everyone into the process, where was the President then? Where is the alternative now? There is no alternative except the one on the table that the Budget Committee has put forward which will balance the budget of this country by the year 2002. It is the budget that is going to protect Medicare for our future generations. It is the budget resolution that says to our children, we are not going to turn our backs on you. Finally, we have drawn the line in the sand, and we are going to do what is right for this country. This is, indeed, a moment in history. Tomorrow, we are going to make history in America. The other body is going to do what the House of Representatives did last week, and we are going to keep our promise to the American people. Do all of us like everything in the budget? Absolutely not. There is probably not one Member of the Senate that says this is a perfect budget. Not even Senator Domenici likes everything in this budget that he worked so hard to bring out of that committee with the strong vote that he did. In fact, today I voted to change the budget, to give more to national defense because I am so worried that we are shortchanging our national defense in this country, and I wanted to try to change the priorities. Other people have been offering amendments to add to education. Others have offered amendments to add to Medicare funding. Others have offered amendments for all different things that they think should be a priority. But, Mr. President, this is a good, solid, balanced budget. It is a balanced budget in the sense that, of course, it is going to take away deficits after 7 years. But it is a balanced budget in that it has taken into consideration what the Federal Government should be doing. And it is cut from some of the areas where the Federal Government has gotten too involved and in fact has encroached on our State governments and our local governments. It has cut back in those areas. We are going back to the concept of a Federal Government that has specific powers and everything is not reserved to the Federal Government. It is going to be left to the States and to the people. That is the 10th amendment to the Constitution, and we are going to resurrect it and we are going to start with the budget that we are going to adopt tomorrow. We are going to give the power back to the people and back to the governments that are closest to the people, and that is where we are going to stop the spending binges from the Federal Government--and, oh, by the way, the strings that go with the spending binges. That is as costly as anything we do. The strings we attach to the State government when we send them the money, we are going to take the strings away; we are going to send them block grants. They have the ability to make the decisions for what is best for the people in their States. They are the closest to the people, and they should be determining what their priorities are. We do not need to tell them what to do in Washington, DC. So tomorrow is the beginning of a new day in America. It is the beginning of the time that we are going to take the ship of state and we are going to start the turn in the right direction. We are going to provide a future for our children and grandchildren. We are going to keep our promises. We are going to fulfill the mandate that the people gave to us. The President has talked a good game. He is a great speaker. He has made a lot of promises. But what has he done? He has given us a budget that does not balance. He has passed the largest tax increase in the history of America. He has financed our debt with short-term borrowing. And we are going to have to pay the price down the road for that mistake. And he has woefully underestimated the need for a strong national defense. We are going to start turning this country in the right direction. We started in January, and we are going to take a major step tomorrow to do the right thing for the people of this country. We are working very hard, Mr. President, to do what we believe is the right thing to do for our children, for our senior citizens, for the people that are truly needy, and for the people who are out there working for a living to be able to keep the taxes that they earn for themselves and not give it to the Government to determine the priorities for their families. And we are going to work for that small business entrepreneur to be able to make it and to live the American dream and to grow and to prosper and create the jobs that will give others the opportunity to live the American dream of doing better for their families than they have been able to have as they immigrated into our country, or as they were the first member of their family to get a college education. That is who we are working for, Mr. President, and that is what this balanced budget is going to ensure will continue to be the American dream. That is why we are here [[Page S7244]] tonight at 10:30 p.m. eastern time, to talk about the importance of doing the responsible thing. The easy thing? No. The tough decisions, the right decisions, and the responsible decisions that we were elected to come to Washington to make. Mr. President, we are on the eve of a very historic time, and I am proud that I believe we are going to do the right thing tomorrow. The Senate is going to put aside all of the differences that we might have and priorities and pass a balanced budget that will start our 7-year march to the time when we will begin to start paying down that long- term debt. Mr. President, I thank you. I am soon going to move to close. Does the Senator from Iowa have anything further?

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I have, of course, been watching the debate for the last few days and there is no question, this is a tough debate. We are getting down to the decisions that are very difficult to make. But I have been watching my colleagues with charts really since this debate started last week. You see everybody's chart, and there are the budget lines that go up and budget lines that go down. But now we are into making those tough decisions and saying, You know, everybody in America is going to disagree with something that we do. In fact, probably every Member of the Senate is going to disagree with something we do in this budget resolution. But, in fact, we have to make the priority choices. We have to go back to the basics and talk about what is the role of Federal Government. what must we do to set those priorities and then with the money that we have left, we have to determine where we have to cut and where we need to spend. I think that Senator Roth has done a very responsible thing. He has proposed a sense of the Senate about what we would look for in ways to meet these budget targets that we are going to be voting on for the next few days--200,000 positions by 2002. That is over a 7-year period and is about 11 percent of the work force. Now, if we make the budget cuts that we are talking about making over the next 7 years to get to that magic number in the year 2002, we are going to have to cut. We are going to have to cut the size of Government, and that means that we will have to downsize departments. I remember when I first got here about 2 years ago, I introduced an amendment to cut the legislative branch budget by 7 percent. Mr. President, you should have heard the debate. People came running on the floor and they said we might have to shut the Library of Congress. We might have to shut the Washington Monument. You know, we always have our priorities and we decide what is important in those priorities. Of course, shutting the Library of Congress would not have been an option. But we heard the sky-is-falling-theories all over the place. I lost on that amendment by about two votes. Do you know what happened? After all the sky is falling and after losing that amendment 2 years ago, guess what? This year, we come in and we have cut our legislative branch budget about 15 percent. Is the sky falling? I do not think so. Are we making do with less? Yes. Are we doing the responsible business of our Government? Yes. And I do not think one person in America has written me a letter saying you cut your legislative branch budget 15 percent and I miss that money. Not one person. So I think that Senator Roth is trying to do the responsible thing. He has come in and he has said we are going to have to have an 11 percent cut. Well, if we are going to cut the budget for the next 7 years in the places where we can, if we are going to stop the growth in increases in our budget, of course, we are going to have fewer employees. And I think it is very important that we establish a sense- of-the-Senate resolution so that we can have the parameters we need when we start making these tough decisions. You know, the people of America have been looking at the debate for the last few weeks in the House, and the last few days on the Senate side, and I think the people of America are really beginning to see the differences between the two parties and the way we come at the problems of Government. And I think the people of America are going to be able to make a decision about what is right. And I think they are seeing all the smoke and that there is a group of Senators that really wants to do what we said we were going to do. I was elected in 1994 and I did promise that I would do everything in my power to have a balanced budget for the future of our country. I am going to do everything in my power to keep that promise. That is something the American people have not had for so long--politicians who make a promise and lo and behold, keep it. They are going to keep their promises this time, and that is new. We have seen politicians from both parties--this is not in any way partisan --come in and they make promises and then the election is held and they go about the business of Government, business as usual, just like it has always been. Not this year. This year is going to be different. We are going to pass a balanced budget resolution. We are going to take the tough steps. And even if we disagree on this part of it or that part of it, I think enough Senators are going to take the responsible step and say my part may not be so important that I would hold up the progress of this Senate for the future of America. That is the parameter we are going to have to put around that final vote. Is it more important that we get every single thing we want, just the way we want it, or is it more important for us to say in the long-term, the most important vote we will ever take is to start that long march toward a balanced budget for the future of this country. This is a historic moment; it is a historic debate and we do have the opportunity to do what is right for America. So I appreciate my colleague, Senator Roth, and my colleague Senator Domenici for working so hard, for so many years to try to make this happen. I appreciate the input that we are having on this floor. But I hope that in the end, when all of us, Democrats and Republicans, have had our say, maybe we have won a few, maybe we are going to lose a few; but when it all comes down to that last vote, the people of America are going to have the ability to judge which politicians are keeping their word and which of us are ready to take that historic step, change the way Washington does business and start balancing that budget. Mr. President, this resolution is going to be one of those first steps. We will see a lot more over the next few days. But on Wednesday, I hope we will be ready to do the right thing for America. Thank you. I yield the floor.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I just want to talk about some of the things that were just said by my distinguished colleague from Ohio. I would like to talk about the tax increase that he mentioned that was passed without one Republican vote in 1993, because I do think there was a difference of opinion that became very clear when the Democrats passed the largest tax increase in the history of America without one Republican vote. It was described as a tax on the rich, but I do not think Social Security recipients making $34,000 a year or couples making $44,000 a year are rich people. That is middle income. And the taxes were raised on those people. I do not think that was the way to start the process of getting to a balanced budget. In fact, the President's budget that has been sent to us does not balance the budget. The President gave up on balancing the budget. He left it to us to do it. He left us the responsibility. In fact the deficits are lower in the last 2 years but the reason the deficits are lower is because we have financed our debt with short-term borrowings. We are in fact in one of the weakest recoveries from a recession that we have ever had. We should be in a booming economy and we are not in a booming economy. We are in a relatively flat economy. It is going up a little. The deficit is coming down a little. But we are going to have to pay the price. We are going to have to pay the price for short-term borrowing to finance that debt. That was a bad decision and we will have to pay for that later. If interest rates go up there is no question that the deficit is going to rise when we have to refinance that debt. This is all going to become very clear when we have to raise the debt ceiling toward the end of the summer, this year. That is going to be the scary thing. We have $5 trillion in debt in this country. That is not a small amount. The debate we are having today is for the future of our country. We cannot continue to raise that debt ceiling without taking care of that long-term debt situation. So I think it is very important that we keep our eye on the ball here. We cannot continue to raise taxes to try to bring the deficit down. We cannot do short-term financing on that long- term debt, because the price will go up. Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, told us what would happen if we balanced the budget and if Congress shows it has the will to balance the budget. That is when we will see our economy take off. That is when the investors in our country will know that they are making a good and wise investment for the long term. We will be able to see our economy take off. We will be able to see the deficit come down, if we take the steps to balance the budget. I just hope my colleagues, like the Senator from Ohio and the Senator from Minnesota, will help us when that final vote is taken. It is going to be tough. Senator Roth is giving us a tough choice. But we are going to stand up and we are going to do it and I hope it will be a bipartisan effort in the end, because we are going to do it without increasing taxes and that is the distinction between the philosophy of the President, who gave us a budget that is not balanced, and the Republican majority in Congress that is going to give a balanced budget to the people of this country. Mr. President, I yield the floor. Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to say I yield to no one in my admiration for the senior Senator from South Carolina. I just want to say he is an example of just what I was talking about. If he would not mind my calling him a senior Senator or senior citizen, he is the kind of senior citizen, as a Senator, who is leading the effort toward doing the responsible thing. This is a distinguished veteran of World War II who understands the importance of a strong national defense. I am going to join with him later today or next week to try to strengthen the defense part of this budget resolution. All Members are going to make our arguments. We are going to say what our priorities are. I know that the Senator from South Carolina who chairs the Armed Services Committee, and I believe we should have a stronger national defense element in this budget. In the end, we are going to vote for a budget resolution that balances the budget of this country. After everyone has spoken and everyone's priorities have been looked at and considered, we are going to go with the majority of this Senate. I appreciate the leadership of the Senator from South Carolina, and I appreciate his words today, leading the charge for the responsible effort that so many of the senior citizens of this country are expecting.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Now I yield to the Senator from Pennsylvania.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I watched, as I am sure many people in America did, last night and all day yesterday, I guess starting at noon, the two sides debating probably the most important vote we will take maybe in our lifetime. The balanced budget amendment, I felt, was the most important vote because that would set a framework for us, for the future generations to make sure that in our framework of Government we would not allow one generation to put in debt future generations. So while I reserve that vote as the most important vote, nevertheless, what we are doing today is implementing the balanced budget amendment that did not pass. We are taking up for consideration a budget resolution that will balance by the year 2002. I was watching C-SPAN this morning and I saw a recap, I guess, of the debate on the House floor yesterday. They were talking about Democrats holding up pictures of the elderly and Republicans holding up pictures of children saying, basically, that is where the arguments are--that the Democrats are going for the senior citizens and the Republicans are talking about protecting children. I think that they are saying to the senior citizens, ``We do not think you will be responsible.'' I think that is what the Democrats were saying on the House side. ``We do not think you will making sure that we continue all of these programs, business as usual,'' and I do not think the seniors of America are saying that at all. In fact, one of the callers on the show called in from Florida, and the woman said, ``I am a senior and I want my grandchildren to have a balanced budget. I want them to have the same kind of America that I have had. I do not want to be a senior that plunges our country into debt and will not take the responsible position.'' I think if there is an effort to pander to seniors, the people of this country are smarter than that, and especially the seniors are smarter than that. They are looking for the future of this country. They want to cut this growth in spending so that we will have a future for their children. We have been talking about cuts, cuts, cuts. I must remind everyone in this debate we are not talking about cutting. We are talking about less increases, fewer increases. We are talking about a 7-percent increase in Medicare, which we believe is a responsible rate of growth for Medicare. In fact, it will save the system for future generations. That is in question if we do not take the steps now to give innovative alternatives to the Medicare system we have now so that we will be able to say by the year 2002 the Medicare trustees were wrong. It is not going broke. They were wrong because we did what we needed to do with their warning and we saved the system. I hope in the year 2002 that I will be here along with many Members who will take the responsible position for our country to celebrate that our Medicare and Social Security systems are intact for our seniors because we have done the responsible thing. More importantly even than that, that we have a balanced budget to give to our children and grandchildren, which is what I think the seniors are expecting Members to do. Mr. President, we are going to see debate all day today in the Senate. We are going to see it on Monday and Tuesday. We will have this monumental vote probably sometime Wednesday. I want to commend the House of Representatives for taking this step first. I want to say that I hope that my colleagues will follow so we can make history for this country and move toward this very important balanced budget. I yield the floor at this time to the Senator from South Carolina.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, this morning the leader time has been reserved and the Senate will immediately resume consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 13, the budget resolution. Under the previous order, a rollcall vote will occur this morning at 10:45 on the Domenici amendment, the text of which is President Clinton's budget. That will be the only rollcall vote today. However, the Senate will remain in session in order to debate the concurrent budget resolution.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I introduce legislation that is critically needed along our southern border. The Southwest Public Health Laboratory Act was approved by the Senate last year as part of S. 1569, the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act. Unfortunately, Congress never completed action on S. 1569 and consequently the grave health and environmental risks along the United States-Mexico border continue to spread. This legislation will allow for the establishment and operation of State health and environmental labs along the United States-Mexico border. The grants made available by this act will support and leverage the important laboratory work our border States are already providing. Currently, all the border States suffer from a critical shortage of environmental and occupational health monitoring. The laboratory services provided by this legislation will support both local and State health and environmental agencies. As population and commerce increases along the border as a result of our commitment to hemispheric free trade, the need for state-of-the-art laboratory capacity will only increase. We have all seen the media accounts from California to New Mexico to Texas spotlighting the deplorable environmental conditions along the border. Beyond those television reports are millions of border residents, primarily minority, who are subject to health risks incumbent to these conditions. We are already aware of some of these risks, such as polluted water sources, untreated sewage, and pesticides, but there are others we may not be aware of simply because there are not enough facilities to analyze them. Let me give you an example of this problem from my home State of Texas. In the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, researchers obtained samples of fish from nearby waterways, a regular staple of many local diets, and it was determined that the edible tissue of the fish contained an unacceptable amount of the highly toxic chemical PCB. After further analysis, the Texas Department of Health promptly issued an advisory strongly recommending that fish taken from the waterways and reservoirs in the area may not be eaten. Of course, this discovery and analysis was given prompt attention. However, there are many potential risks along the border that are going unchecked. There simply is more work of that nature in the United States-Mexico border area than there are facilities to do it. There is an intolerable potential cost--the health of the citizens in the border area. So Federal support will mean badly needed improvement in the border States' abilities to respond to the health and environmental risks facing all citizens. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation that is critical to the health of citizens not only along the southern border but also across the United States. The health and environmental problems along the border do not check with customs or immigration before crossing the border. The Southwest Border Health Laboratory is an essential component in battling these risks before they have a chance to spread beyond the border.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Yes, I yield an additional 3 minutes to the Senator from Tennessee.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I yield 5 minutes to Senator Frist.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes the concurrent budget resolution on Friday there be 40 hours remaining for debate under the statutory time limit.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to Senator Lott.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, this is the end of a long day. It is the end of a very important day for this country. We have heard so many arguments. The numbers are running in people's heads. They are conflicting. One person says there are cuts. The next person comes in, and says they are not cuts, they are just fewer increases. But in fact, it really comes down to the basic commonsense arguments that the people of America understand. The debate today is for the soul of America. It is for the future of our children. And what we do over the next 50 hours is going to determine whether our children and grandchildren in fact will have the right to inherit the same kind of America that we have been able to grow up in and for which we have known such great advantages. The House of Representatives tonight has taken the first bold step. They have passed a budget resolution that will balance the budget by the year 2002. The Senate is starting on the road that will have the same result. I was talking to a group of leaders from all over the world today. They really had one basic question. Does America have the guts to balance the budget? Will they really do it? Do they really have the guts to set a course over the next 7 years that will be very tough but will make the difference in the economy for our country, and for the whole world? And I said emphatically the answer is yes. We do have the guts. We do have the courage. We do have the will. And we will set on the course. Will it be easy? No. But we are going to do it because the people of this country made a statement in November 1994. They asked for courage, and we are going to give them the courage that they had in the vote they made last November, and that they deserve from the people they elected and put their faith in. We have heard so many statements on this floor that I think we must try to correct, as best we can, some of the misstatements that were made. First of all, it was said that this budget resolution has tax cuts for those making $200,000 a year. Well, the fact of the matter is this resolution does not have tax cuts at all. This budget resolution does not speak to tax cuts. But it does have a sense of the Senate that, if there are tax cuts that result from cutting spending, they will be targeted and focused to people making under $100,000. There are no tax cuts for the rich in this resolution. That is a smokescreen. That is put out by people who do not want us to pass a balanced budget. Then there was the talk about defense spending. There was ranting about the firewall put up for defense spending so that we would have domestic spending and defense spending. Well, in fact, there is a firewall, Mr. President. Thank goodness there is a firewall. People talk as if, when the cold war was over, the world was a safe place. I am on the Armed Services Committee, and I am on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. I am scared to death about the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons all over the world right now. We have as much danger in the world today as we did when Russia was at the height of its strength. It is a different kind of problem. It is a different kind of terror we are seeing in the world today, but nevertheless the greatest superpower in the world is not going to let down. We are going to have to understand what happens when sarin gas is let out in a subway killing people before our very eyes, and when you can make bombs from fertilizer and fuel oil, and we see the loss of over 100 lives in our own country, and when we see the capability to produce missiles that could take these gases, the biological and chemical weapons and the nuclear weapons anywhere in the world. You bet we have a firewall in this budget resolution. Thank goodness we do for the defense spending, because I think the defense cuts are too much in this resolution, and I hope we can fix it because I wish to be on the leading edge of technology. When our young men and women give their lives to protect our freedom in our armed services, you bet I want them to have the tanks and the fighters and the bombers they need to make sure that they do it as safely as possible for themselves and with the strength they need to protect us. So, yes, there is a firewall. Thank goodness there is. And I hope that we can correct even right now in this budget resolution what, I think, is a woefully inadequate amount for defense. But we are not going to pass a resolution saying we increase defense spending without looking at the priorities and saying where is it going to come from and making those priority judgments. That is what we are here to do. Does this resolution cut school lunch? No, it does not cut school lunches at all. That is an absolute smokescreen. Does it cut the earned income tax credit? No. In fact, the earned income tax credit will remain. That is a good program. It is a program for the working poor. For someone making $20,000 or $18,000 a year, that has one or two children, they do get a tax rebate in this budget resolution just as they do today, and in fact that amount increases by the year 2002 because we want to encourage people who are helping themselves. So there is no cut in the earned income tax credit. There are only increases. It is important that we set the record straight on that. Now, it has been said that Medicare is going to be cut. Once again, Mr. President, that is not true. Medicare spending will increase 7 percent a year in this budget. Does that mean Medicare is going to be the same as it has always been? I hope not. I hope we can get efficiencies that make Medicare more cost conscience because it has been increasing at a much greater rate than 7 percent per year. We are not cutting Medicare. We are going to try to put some innovative solutions in Medicare so that our seniors who need Medicare will have it available, and they will have other options, and there will be incentives for them to save money, incentives that they will earn for themselves and for the taxpayers of America. We are going to have some innovative solutions, but we are not going to cut Medicare. We are going to try to save Medicare. That is going to be one of the key missions of this budget resolution, to save Medicare, so that when our future generations grow old it will be there for them. The President's own cabinet officers who sit on the Medicare trust fund board have said it is going bankrupt, and it will be bankrupt by the year 2002 if we do not take steps right now to save it. And that is one of the key purposes of this budget resolution. Now, it has been said that the space station has not been cut. I wish it had not been cut, because I do think the space station is one of the technologies that is going to provide jobs for our future, but it is cut. It takes its fair share. It is cut $3.5 billion over the next 5 years. It is taking its fair share of cuts. It is going to be more efficient, just like everything else in Government, and hopefully we will have a space station that will provide the new technologies and the new industries and the new jobs for our future. But everything is going to have to be more efficient, and it is going to have to meet a number of tests to make sure that it is right for the taxpayers and for our future generations. There is a test that I have, and I am going to use it on everything that we vote on when we come to appropriations bills in the next few months. It is going to be the $100 test. If you take $100 and you put it on the kitchen table [[Page S6906]] and you say, now, would you like to have this wonderful program that is going to cost $100 for your family? Most people would probably say, yes, I would like to do good things. Sure, I would like to have that program. But if the choice is for you to keep the $100 on your kitchen table and spend that money for what you want to spend it for for your family, what is going to be your choice? Are you going to send the $100 to Washington to spend on a program that sounds very good or are you going to want to keep that $100 to make the decisions for your family yourself. We are going to try to keep that $100 on the table for your family, so that you can decide what your priorities are rather than letting someone in Washington, DC, you have never met make those decisions for you. Two economists developed a model for the future called generational accounting. This model calculates how much short-term budget policies will cost future generations. It looks beyond 5-year budget projections and was developed from the help of the President's Office of Management and Budget. These two prominent economists have produced some shocking forecasts. On the day a child is born, that child owes $19,000 in Federal debt. When that child's sibling is born in 4 years, the baby brother or sister will be $24,000 in debt. There will be fewer jobs available for that child. And when it comes time to take out a personal loan to buy a new car or to own a home, our children that are being born today will find that Federal deficits have driven the interest rates up 2 percent. But borrowing money for a home will be just a dream for those children. If we continue at the rate we are going right now, what we are really going to give our children is not the ability to buy a home at all. They will not be able to buy a home because their tax rate will be 82 percent--82 percent is what we will be giving to our children and grandchildren if we do not take steps right now to correct the runaway spending that this Congress has had for the last 40 years. And yet, this administration has refused to abandon the practices of Congresses for the last 40 years. In fact, this administration has dealt itself out of this debate. The President submitted a budget but it does not balance. It does not balance in the year 2000 or the year 2002. The President abdicated that responsibility and has left it to Congress. Now we are going to get a chance to vote on the President's budget that does not balance. In fact, the President's press secretary said on Tuesday that that will be a good place for us to begin. In fact, Senator Domenici has decided that that is indeed a good place to begin. So, when I finish my remarks, on behalf of Senator Domenici, I am going to submit the President's budget. That will be the first vote of this budget debate and we will get a chance to see if people want to vote for a budget that may have fewer decreases than increases, but does not balance at the end. We will see who is willing to cross the line that will be drawn in the sand to say, we will take the responsible course for this country and we will do what the people asked us to do last November. In fact, we are in the toughest debate that we may ever have. No one, probably even Senator Domenici, agrees with everything in this budget resolution. I do not agree with everything in it. Not one person in this country probably agrees 100 percent with everything in it. Because, you know, Senator Domenici compromised. He tried to work with people and their priorities. He may not have liked everything that is in this resolution even though he is the prime author of the resolution. But we are going to rise above our small differences. We are going to try to set the priorities. We are going to have amendments. We may vote for some of those amendments, but in the end, Mr. President, the people who are doing what is responsible for this country are going to vote a balanced budget out of the Senate just as they have done in the House today. And we are going to make history. We are going to begin to turn the ship of state that started going in the wrong direction in the 1930's when we started building up spending and big Government until in 1994 the people said, ``I know I'm going to have to sacrifice. I'm ready.'' The people of this country said that. They understood what they were doing. And when I go home, people say to me, ``You hang tough. Don't back down now.'' This is our chance to save our country. And if we miss it, the people of America know that we will not have this chance again maybe ever but certainly not in the near future. There is a new spirit in this country. The spirit of the Americans who went to the polls in 1994 and caused a revolution in the way that our Founding Fathers provided them to have a revolution. And that was the ballot box. The people had a revolution and they took their Government back. They have experienced the right of democracy. And now the people of America have said, ``We want you to do what is right. We understand that it will be tough. We understand that we will have to sacrifice. But we are ready. We are ready to do what is right for our children and our grandchildren.'' Mr. President, it is time for us to look to the future, not to the next election. If we do what is right, everything else will take care of itself and we will create the jobs and the future for our children and that is what we are going to do. Amendment No. 1111 (Purpose: To propose the President's budget)

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Domenici, I send to the desk the President's budget and ask that the President's budget be put on the table for consideration beginning tomorrow morning on Friday so that we will be able to have our first vote on the President's budget and we will see who wants to balance the budget and who is willing to take the steps that are necessary to do it.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, the bill I introduce would make it possible, in a limited number of school districts, for students to learn in a single-sex classroom setting if they so wish. Let me emphasize--``If they wish.'' This bill does not compel any school to offer or any student to participate in single-sex classes. It merely allows students--and their parents--in a qualifying school district, to exercise that choice. Our Nation has a compelling interest in assuring that all children receive a high-quality education. Providing families with another constructive educational option will further this interest. This legislation has three purposes: First, I want the Secretary of Education to give schools the discretion to experiment with offering same-gender classes to low-income, educationally disadvantaged students. Second, I want to establish reliable information to determine whether or not single-gender classes make a difference in the educational opportunities and achievements of low-income, educationally disadvantaged students. Finally, I want to involve parents in the educational choices their children make. Let me stress that this legislation imposes no financial obligation on the part of the Federal Government. My bill requires the Secretary of Education to grant up to 10 waivers to title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The bill would not provide school districts or schools any additional funding if they apply for and are granted a waiver of title IX. The waiver is very narrowly tailored to ensure the unimpeded development and operation of single-gender classes. In recent years, efforts to experiment with same-gender classes and schools have been inhibited by lawsuits and threats of lawsuits from private groups, as well as Government. My bill would ensure that such threats can no longer interfere with educational innovation. Nothing in my legislation affects efforts at overcoming the effects of past discrimination made on the basis of sex. Research indicates that single-sex classes can help minorities--girls and boys--perform better in school. African-American students in single-sex classrooms scored nearly a grade level higher than their coeducational counterparts in academic achievement tests. Girls in single-sex schools scored a full grade above their coeducational counterparts on academic ability tests. And girls in single-sex schools outperformed girls in coeducational schools almost a full grade level on science tests scores. Some studies indicate that boys may perform better in single-sex schools as well. Cornelius Riordan, of Providence College, has found that a cognitive development among boys enrolled in single-sex Catholic high schools is more advanced than that of boys enrolled in coeducational Catholic high schools. Mr. President, there is a compelling Government interest in granting the Secretary authority to insulate from lawsuits, for a limited time, a small number of local educational agencies and schools which experiment with same-gender classes. My bill addresses this Government interest, and will allow data to be compiled to prove that single-sex classes can work to the advantage of children. Most importantly, by offering parents and children a choice, this legislation would re-involve the family in educational decisionmaking processes. [[Page S6927]] It is my hope that my colleagues will recognize the value of such academic innovation and support this legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, for a very important negotiating session, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be deemed read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar Order No. 104, S. 184.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in recess until the hour of 8:45 a.m. on Friday, May 19; that following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be deemed approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then resume consideration of the concurrent budget resolution.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. For the information of all Senators, tomorrow morning the Senate will debate the Domenici substitute, which is the text of President Clinton's budget, with that vote to occur at 10:45 a.m. That will be the last vote for the day. However, Senators Lautenberg and Rockefeller will offer an amendment on which there will be debate. A vote will occur on that amendment at 3:15 p.m., Monday, under a previous order. That 3:15 vote on Monday is the first vote of the day. Additional rollcall votes can be expected throughout the day and into the evening on Monday.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to report that I lost the negotiation and, therefore, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess under the previous order.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Thank you.