Pete Domenici: “shortly, the Congressional Budget Office--that is the official professional staff that has been in existence for many…”

“shortly, the Congressional Budget Office--that is the official professional staff that has been in existence for many years that helps the Congress with budgeting--is going to issue--it is already prepared, it is ready for a formal issuance--an analysis of the President's budgetary proposals for the year 1999. Before I tell the Senate what they are going to conclude, let me hearken back to when the President issued his budget. There were many Senators who asked me, ``How can the President have so many new domestic programs when we have an agreed-upon limit for the year 1999 and the year 2000 and the year 2001, all the way to the year 2003, that doesn't permit any growth in the Federal domestic program?'' As a matter of fact, to be accurate, it permits .5 percent growth, which the Congressional Budget Office has said, doing the arithmetic, it is even high; you cannot grow that much. So I was being asked: Where can the President find money for his education initiative--whether you are for it or against it--for his child care proposal--whether you are for it or against it --and a long shopping list of programs? And I believe I said then, and said on the floor of the Senate, I do not believe he can.…”