Mark Hatfield: “we get into these exercises of contesting who can cut most--who can cut here, who can cut there--and we think we are…”

“we get into these exercises of contesting who can cut most--who can cut here, who can cut there--and we think we are going to get a lot of political brownie points from the public or the constituents out of this great budget-slashing activity. Well, I think there is always a threshold between responsible budgeting and irresponsible budgeting. I think this amendment is irresponsible. And I say that because the chairman of our subcommittee, the Senator from Nevada, has already demonstrated the overall picture of what has been happening in the past 3 or 4 years of reducing the legislative branch expenditures. Let me say, Mr. President, there is no other subcommittee that can take the kind of pride in true responsible budget cutting than the legislative subcommittee. Now we reach a threshold of whether we are responsible or irresponsible. I want to say that there is not a Senator here on this floor that cannot move ahead unilaterally and do all the budget cutting they want in this legislative branch by cutting their own offices. No one is precluded from cutting their office. If they think they can operate on this kind of reduction at their offices, go ahead and cut it. There are a number of Senators who have turned back unexpended, unobligated funds from their personal office budget. Nobody is being forced to spend this money under this legislative branch appropriation bill that relates to their own office.”