Bob Filner: “2 years ago, a Democratic President and Congress passed a budget that cut the deficit by more than $600 billion over 5…”

“2 years ago, a Democratic President and Congress passed a budget that cut the deficit by more than $600 billion over 5 years and produced real deficit reduction for 3 consecutive years--the first time this has happened since World War II. The question today is: How should we build on this success? Should we now pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution? Seeing the passionate fervor that was driving this amendment's sponsors, I began to ask my Republican colleagues the magic formula for achieving this budget miracle. With envy, I assumed my colleagues had already concocted the recipe for balancing our budget and were now simply applying the finishing touch: A constitutional requirement to do that which they had already devised. My envy turned to curiosity. Like Roger Moore from the movie ``Roger and Me,'' I set out through the Halls of the Capitol searching for the magic budget plan. I checked in the offices, the cloak rooms, and the chambers. I cornered my colleagues and begged them to show me the secret plan. But it soon became clear: There is no plan behind the balanced budget amendment. ``How can we say what we will do, if we cannot say how we will do it?'' The means are at least as important as the ends. Unless the end is simply the next reelection campaign. Mr. Speaker, I cannot support an amendment that presents a bottom line without a plan to get us there.”