U.S. State Secretaries of State

This amendment is being sold to the American people as a way to balance the budget. Is that not a bit misleading?

I want to say this, Mr. Leader. The leader and I have worked together many years in various capacities. No leader has ever offered as many cloture motions as I have and seen them all fail to be adopted. It is conceivable that a Senator…

I must say that this Senator's concerns are not allayed. I will expound upon those concerns in due time, and I also expect to have an amendment prepared, and perhaps a couple of amendments, which, if agreed to, will allay my concerns.

Well, strike out all reference to appropriations, and then the authorizing committees could review them every year if they want to.

Under the Constitution, only the Congress has the power to enact laws, and only the Congress can appropriate moneys. If there is a need to rescind or to repeal or to modify, why does the legislative branch not do that? Why turn that over…

I think we are opening up a Pandora's box here, if we are going to provide authority to an executive branch agency to modify or to nullify a mandate if the Appropriations Committees of the Congress do not provide the full appropriations…

Why not eliminate these two paragraphs, eliminate the risk of litigation, eliminate the risk of running afoul of the Constitution in respect to the separation of powers? This troubles me. Why have language in the bill that would open up…

Why do we leave it in the hands of a Federal agency to determine whether or not a mandate should be nullified or should be modified? Why should a Federal agency determine on the basis of 'less money, less mandate'? Why should not the…

As the distinguished Senator has correctly, in my judgment pointed out, this is a separation of powers issue. The agency will void the mandate if the appropriations committee at any point in the future provides insufficient funding to…

It does not name the agency. It is obviously--to me--not the Congressional Budget Office. It says, ``responsible Federal agency.'' To me, it is referring to an executive branch agency, some agency in the executive branch.

It seems to me it is incumbent on the Senate to eliminate this provision until such time as the issue is more fully debated.

Well, as I said earlier, I may vote for this unfunded mandates bill. I probably will. I do not know yet. I still want to study it some, and may offer an amendment or so. But I am a little bit surprised that the leader is implying that a…

I thought progress was being made on the bill. It seems to me that the Senate was working its will.

I do not mean for the Senator to address that particular aspect of it. That was not my point. I do not expect this bill to address that aspect of it. But Mrs. Boxer and others are obviously very concerned with respect to the unfunded…

That is why I voted for the 1990 package that was developed at the summit among the Republicans and the Democrats, when Mr. Bush was President. That is why I voted for the 1993 package. Not a Member, not one of our friends on the other…

I personally favor a sunset provision in this legislation. We are reading and hearing a great deal about welfare reform. I think that if we had had a sunset provision in the laws regulating and governing welfare in this country we would…

I am not for it; I am not against it. I do not know where I am on this bill. I have not had an opportunity to study a committee report, although the committee report that was accompanying the bill which came from the Committee on…

That is not a committee report. I do not know whether all the members of the minority had an opportunity to present their views or not. There is a great difference between the committee report and the statement of the Senator in the Record.

If the leader will yield, I have no objection if the Senator wants to move to table them all. I am not here fighting this bill or supporting it. Before we vote up or down on an amendment, I want to know what we are voting on. If the…

Does it not follow then that if in due time amendment No. 1 is restored, would the number, the numbers that are being renumbered now, would they not have to be restored to their present stature?

But, Mr. President, we also have obligations, each of us has an obligation to know what is in this bill, and I think it is very important that we see those committee reports. I wish to see the committee report from the Committee on the…

The Congress declares that prior to any vote to adopt in the first session of the 104th Congress a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution requiring a balanced Federal budget, it is essential... It is essential that it…

The Senator is getting very close. He is getting very close. I do not want to say right here that I would support that as the Senator has outlined the precise changes, but he is moving in the direction, and I would like to see what he puts…

His proposal does not correct that fact. Why does the Senator not offer a proposition that will provide cloture only by two-thirds of those present and voting or by three-fifths of those present and voting?