Pete Domenici: “the hour is late. Much has been accomplished today. I want to extend my congratulations to the distinguished majority…”

“the hour is late. Much has been accomplished today. I want to extend my congratulations to the distinguished majority leader, Senator Dole. The day before yesterday, all was not so pleasant for there were many who were second-guessing our majority leader who used the phrase ``enough is enough,'' and proceeded to send to the House a targeted appropriations bill which broke the ice and which brings us here tonight. As I see it, we are now given 21 days without the problem of the Federal Government workers being out of work and unpaid--21 days, if the President of the United States will submit his first balanced budget using the Congressional Budget Office estimates. If he does that, all of Government will be open for 21 days, which means for the next 3 weeks congressional leaders from both sides--the executive branch, the President, and others--can meet day and night if they like, as long and as hard as they want to work, and Government will be open. The people of the United States can focus on what we are doing in our efforts to get a balanced budget instead of on the current problems which, day by day, grow worse for many innocent people, including many Federal workers who are hostage to this crisis. I personally believe, as one who is in the middle of all of these negotiations, that we can accomplish much more with the pressure of day-to-day problems of our Government being part closed, part furloughed and part working behind us.”