Pete Domenici: “first, let me suggest that this idea that we are locking out any amendments with our Social Security Protection Act is…”

“first, let me suggest that this idea that we are locking out any amendments with our Social Security Protection Act is nice to say, but it isn't true. If the Democrats let us vote on this, we will see whether it passes or not, but once it passes, it is subject to amendments. The good Senator from New Jersey, my dear friend, can offer his substitute or his amendment, but first we have to have an opportunity to vote on this amendment, which for some strange reason, while the other side of the aisle and the President keep saying, ``Let's not spend any of the Social Security trust fund,'' they somehow do not want to vote for a proposition that will really lock it up so it cannot be spent, it cannot be embezzled, as some Democrats called it a few years ago, when you use it. They said you were embezzling the trust fund. I would think if that is true--I never used that word--you ought to lock it up tough, you ought to put a whopping key on it that can't hardly be moved. So that is what we have done. For those who say, ``If you can't spend the Social Security trust fund, you are going to destroy the economy of America,'' that is just absolutely untrue. Would anyone believe that taking a trust fund which belongs to Social Security, using it to pay down the debt until we need it for Social Security reform, would anybody submit that that is going to harm America? That is going to help us.…”