Cord Byrd: “Please take a look at the amendment which you are supporting. It does not say anything about building up a surplus in 1…”

“Please take a look at the amendment which you are supporting. It does not say anything about building up a surplus in 1 year. It does not say anything about 3 percent or 2 percent or 10 percent or 20 percent. It says, ``Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year * * *'' Napoleon said that on his council there were men who were far more eloquent than he, but he always stopped them by saying 2 and 2 equals 4. So I am going to say to you, Senator--and I say this with great respect, and the Senator from Pennsylvania, and any other Senators on the response team--2 and 2 makes 4. Read it. Read what your amendment is saying. ``Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not * * *.'' It does not say may not. ``* * * shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year.'' Now, 2 and 2 makes 4. Do not come at me with all implementing legislation, ``We might build up a surplus.'' We will not be around here. How do we know what a future Congress will do? ``We will do this and we will do that in implementing legislation. We will build up a surplus. We can roll that over if we hit a year in which there is a deficit. We can just roll it over next year.'' Suppose there is a deficit next year? ``Well, we can roll it over.'' Suppose there is a deficit next year? ``Well, we can roll it over.'' That is not what those people over there are being told. And you know it. And you know it, Senator. We all know it. Read it for yourselves. I did not write it.…”