George Voinovich: “I have devoted more than 30 years of my life to public service. I have held elected office as mayor of the city of…”

“I have devoted more than 30 years of my life to public service. I have held elected office as mayor of the city of Cleveland, and I served as Governor of the State of Ohio. Now I am privileged to serve the citizens of Ohio as one of their U.S. Senators. I am deeply honored by the confidence they have bestowed upon me. They have placed their faith in my ability and my judgment to consider and vote upon and bring to the forefront issues of national significance. It is for this reason that I have come to the Senate floor to discuss what I consider to be the most serious financial and economic threat facing our Nation today. Through the tough choices made by Congress in passing the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, and through our continued strong economy, the days of escalating, crushing budget deficits appear to be coming to an end. In Washington, politicians are saying we have turned the corner, and for the first time in 30 years, we have a budget that shows a surplus. If it is true, it would be brand new territory for many Americans. Tens of millions were not even born yet when we had our last surplus. However, it is my contention that we do not yet have honest budget surpluses, and unless we take bold steps, our actions will continue to leave our younger citizens and future generations liable for three decades of massive deficits and a national debt that has made us the greatest debtor nation in the world.”