Sam Gibbons: “a call to action has been given. The Clinton-Gore administration has been called upon to join this Republican Congress…”

“a call to action has been given. The Clinton-Gore administration has been called upon to join this Republican Congress in protecting the future of the younger generations of Americans. The Republican leadership has called upon the President to make a real commitment by joining our effort to use up to 90 percent of the surplus to pay off the national debt. Yet, what has been the President's response to this call to action? Well, so far it has been ambivalence. He has said, well, that depends on ``what the various spending commitments are.'' Well, Mr. President, that simply is not good enough. It is time to stop wasteful Washington spending and pay off our national debt. This fiscally responsible Republican Congress is protecting the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds; and now it is time to pay off the public debt so that our children will not be burdened by it in the future. Mr. Speaker, I call upon the administration to join with us and my colleagues on this fair, middle ground to pay off our national debt and to protect the future of our Nation and of our children.”