Jim Kolbe: “I rise in strong support of the balanced budget amendments put forth by Congressmen Stenholm, Smith, Barton, and Kyl and…”

“I rise in strong support of the balanced budget amendments put forth by Congressmen Stenholm, Smith, Barton, and Kyl and against the Wise substitute. Listening to what has been said about the balanced budget amendment, I cannot help but be reminded of the ``Chicken Little'' fable. Recall that Chicken Little was struck in the head by an acorn while walking though the woods one day. Believing that the sky was falling, Chicken Little ran to warn the King of the imminent danger. On his way to see the King, Chicken Little convinced other animals of the apparent tragedy, except one--the wolf--who saw through their foolishness and took advantage of their fears. What does this all mean in the context of the balanced budget debate? It means we can imagine many of our fears into existence. ``Courage,'' said Plato, ``is knowing what to fear''--and we most certainly should not fear the balanced budget amendment. Administration and Democratic leaders want us to believe the sky will fall if the BBA were to pass. They are using scare tactics--targeting various groups and segments of the population--seniors most notably-- arguing that the amendment would wreak havoc, causing massive cuts if not outright repeal of programs.”