Pete Domenici: “I wanted to have a few moments with the chairman and Senator Gramm and others who are interested, building off your…”

“I wanted to have a few moments with the chairman and Senator Gramm and others who are interested, building off your current amendment, which is pending--and I thank you for the accommodations that you have made to it--one which is very important to our side, very important to everyone, as we have come to know it, with the understanding that you know these enforcement provisions are not, for the most part, found in the Budget Act. These enforcement provisions were designed principally by a huge conference that was presided over by former White House OMB Director Darman--remember him-- and Senator Robert Byrd--you know him--and a few other people. We were about 2 weeks out there at Andrews Air Force Base when we tried to negotiate a budget. It fell apart in terms of numbers, most interestingly. Some people didn't get treated well politically, and others did. Those who know have said the most important thing we did in 1990 or 1991 were the enforcement provisions. We were doing something rather significant. It turned out the tax part didn't work out as well for the President as it should have, but these enforcement provisions survived. The principal author of those was Senator Robert Byrd, because we were giving, in a sense, many things he wanted, and in exchange he was trying to make sure that if they didn't do their job, something could happen to them, including his committee.”