Bob Dole: “with the passage of the Balanced Budget Downpayment Act, instead of the headline reading ``Government Shuts Down,'' it…”

“with the passage of the Balanced Budget Downpayment Act, instead of the headline reading ``Government Shuts Down,'' it will read ``Government Scaled Down.'' Instead of adding to the frustration that the American people have with Government, we'll be adding to the amount of money we are saving taxpayers. Instead of punishing Federal employees; we'll be eliminating unnecessary Federal programs. Everybody knows that this bill is not perfect. Each of us, if given the opportunity, would write it differently. Some, like President Clinton, would prefer to spend more tax dollars. Others, like me, would spend less. But I think we can all agree that this bill is much better than shutting down the Government. The bottom line here, Mr. President, is that with this Balanced Budget Downpayment Act, we fulfill our commitment to keep the Government open, while at the same time we ensure at least $30 billion in budgetary savings for the current fiscal year. This puts the focus back where it belongs: On cutting unnecessary Washington spending and reducing the budget deficit. And let me leave no doubt: The Republican promise to the American people to balance the budget the right way in 7 years is not something we are willing to sacrifice. We will never relent in our fight to protect future generations of Americans and leave them the legacy of a better America. And today's continuing resolution is a genuine downpayment on that promise.”