Angie Craig: “For over 5 weeks we had debated the issue of a balanced budget and why this Government and why the Congress of the…”

“For over 5 weeks we had debated the issue of a balanced budget and why this Government and why the Congress of the United States ought to be held to the constraints of a constitutional amendment requiring us to balance the Federal budget. While there were many arguments from a variety of perspectives, there was one overriding influence that could not be ignored nor could it be denied, and that was, had this issue passed the Senate yesterday, it would have been sent to our 50 States to begin a ratification process that I believe would have moved very rapidly to gain the necessary 38 States to bring about ratification. In doing that, of course, the Congress knew that would begin a long and very difficult process to move us to a balanced budget by the year 2002, but one the American people now demand and expect from us, and one we know we can accomplish, if we can bring about the discipline but, more importantly, the pressure and the kind of control that a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution would result in.”