Cord Byrd: “It is about more than that. That is why we need to take the time to probe and to explore these provisions that are in…”

“It is about more than that. That is why we need to take the time to probe and to explore these provisions that are in this amendment to balance the budget. We are all in agreement, I say to the Senator, with the goal of a balanced budget. We are all in agreement. I am in agreement that we need to reduce the deficits. And I agree that it is going to require some pain. I also am of the opinion that we do not need to wait 7 years. We started in 1990. We took a great step beyond that in 1993. We need to do more. Why cannot we continue on that course of enacting multiyear budget deficit reduction bills? Do you know why? Because of the pain, and part of that pain may just have to be an increase in taxes. I do not like to vote to increase taxes. I have been in political office 48 years, and I know it is not easy to vote to increase taxes. It is always easy to cut taxes. It was easy to cut taxes in 1981 when Mr. Reagan asked for a tax cut in one package involving 3 successive years of cuts, 5 percent the first year, 10 the next, and 10 the next. It does not take courage to vote to cut taxes. But in a situation--I keep getting back to this section 5. What is the Senator's answer? Is he willing to put this Nation's security in peril by requiring a supermajority consisting of a majority of the Senators and House Members elected? The Framers did not think that was wise. We had just come through the Revolutionary War. We had still ahead of us the War of 1812.…”