Bob Dole: “Let me indicate first that I acknowledge the Senator's efforts over the years to face up to the budget problem. He has…”

“Let me indicate first that I acknowledge the Senator's efforts over the years to face up to the budget problem. He has demonstrated it with his votes. I think in this case though--I do not have the amendment before me. I know what it says. I think if we do that over a period of years, others would like to do it right now--we phase it out. I think the Senator is saying he would prefer we do it immediately. We have been doing it the way proposed here for some time. Even in the 7-year budget plan we proposed, of course, we did not use Social Security. So our view is--my view on this balanced budget which I will discuss tomorrow--is that we need to make it very clear precisely what we are doing because we need this discipline. We need to send this to the States, and give the States a chance to ratify it. If Kansas does not want to ratify it, or South Carolina, or Arizona, or Idaho, that is their right. But if three-fourths of the States do not ratify the amendment it does not become part of the Constitution. I think the Senator from South Carolina also shares our views on Medicare. He is one Senator who will not stand here and let Medicare go belly up. I hope that there will be enough bipartisan support that whatever the problem is can be remedied and remedied very quickly.”