Sen. Paul Simon

It ought to be a very rare thing. We can't just be an international Rambo wandering around doing whatever we want regardless of international law.

You face a much harsher judge than this Committee, and that is the judgment of history, and that judgment is likely to revolve around the question, did you restrict freedom or did you expand it.

A rising tide of red ink sinks all boats.

A rising tide of red ink sinks all boats.

You face a much harsher judge . . . than this committee and that is the judgment of history.

Find compassion in your heart for our most vulnerable and sweetest citizens, our children.

I think it is worth reminding ourselves also, as we talk about Martin Luther King, his last effort was in behalf of custodians--janitors, if you will--in Memphis, TN. We have a country today where 23 percent of the children live in…

Yes, it is. If any such right currently exists under 42 U.S.C. section 1983, this Act does nothing to preclude such an action.

I would point out simply that is the policy of this administration as spelled out in the Wellstone amendment. That is why I am hoping that maybe we can still work out some kind of a compromise with the Senator from Kansas because I do not…

Just in response to one item mentioned by my friend from Tennessee. He and I agree on Social Security. We differ on the Reid amendment. When he talks about 110 percent of debt versus GDP in 1945 after World War II, what that ignores is…

The National Taxpayers Union just released a poll done of 1,000 Americans asking about this constitutional amendment: Favoring it, 67 percent; opposing it, 18 percent. That is almost 4 to 1. That simply underscores it. Then, in terms of…

I will yield myself 1 minute simply to commend my colleague from Maine for his excellent, logical remarks. And particularly, he is a wordsmith. When he comes up with a phrase, 'fiscal child abuse,' that is precisely what we are doing. We…

Absolutely not. And the argument that we are taking away Presidential prerogative is not valid. The President has the obligation to submit a balanced budget. But the President may very well say, because of circumstances, we are in a…

The answer is we will occasionally do so, and for those who say what about a recession, since 1962 we have had 11 stimulus packages pass the U.S. Senate. All of them passed with more than 60 votes.

The answer is that we could, but the argument that my colleague from Michigan makes is precisely the opposite of the argument that we have been hearing over and over and over again on the floor. Some of my colleagues say this is too tough…

The answer is that it would, and that is why we have that flexibility. We do not go as far as Thomas Jefferson wanted to go. He wanted to absolutely prohibit any Federal Government borrowing.

First of all, I congratulate my colleague on becoming a grandfather. I am pleased to have him join the ranks. Talk about taxation without representation, that little grandchild of yours faces that.

Forget GAO projections and all the others. Look at the lifetime net tax rates under alternative policies. Under OMB figures in that budget they just gave us, tax rates for someone my age, 1930--I was born in 1928--but let us say 1930 are…

It is designed so that Members of the Senate who under pressure from the administration or because of persuasion from Senator Byrd or whatever other reason, they want to vote against Senate Joint Resolution 41, the real thing, but they…

I think he has made an important point; this amendment is introduced for political cover only.

My colleague is absolutely on target. The cases are very rare. There have been a few, but they are rare indeed. So the combination of that experience, plus the other amendment should really preclude any problem along this line.

Let me make one other point that I should have made to Senator Conrad earlier when I talked about countercyclical effect. I mentioned that those who now receive the $293 billion in interest are more likely to save the money than someone…

I heard Senator Brown the other day say if this does not pass, then we will, before the decade is out as the situation gets more extreme, pass a more extreme constitutional amendment. I think that is the reality. As my colleague from Utah…

Let me just say again in response, we will take a look at whatever is suggested. We felt the judicial amendment was not necessary, but just to make sure, because there are genuine concerns, as you have expressed and others have, I think we…