Larry Craig: “let me speak briefly to a couple of comments the Senator from Wisconsin has made today as it relates to his concern…”

“let me speak briefly to a couple of comments the Senator from Wisconsin has made today as it relates to his concern about a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. I want to have the Senator's attention for a few moments, if I could, because I find it unique that the basis of his reaction and therefore rejection of this process is to suggest that we are not specific enough in how we would arrive at these areas that we have delineated on a section-by-section basis. How does the Constitution speak to being specific about the right of free speech? It does not list a thousand ways in which free speech shall be obtained in our Nation. What it says is that this is a principle and this is a right that is established, and we expect our Government to carry it out because it is a right of the people. Thousands of pages of civil law later, and a variety of court tests that even go on today, free speech is adhered to--not that our Founding Fathers were so specific in the beginning, but because it was a right. I think the Senator is every bit as concerned as I am about fiscal responsibility, and I in no way in my comments want to impugn his record in the time that he has been here. His votes in this area have been excellent. He and I have joined in a variety of areas to cut the budget. But what we might disagree on is the approach.…”