Thomas Daschle: “I had hoped, Madam President, that the next time Congress voted on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, I…”

“I had hoped, Madam President, that the next time Congress voted on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, I could support it. Instead, we are faced with the same deeply flawed amendment that was rejected last year. This did not have to be. We had scores of opportunities to fix it, to protect Social Security, to provide for the possibility of a capital budget, to build into this amendment the flexibility to protect our Nation in times of war, disaster, or regional or national economic emergency. But every one of those opportunities--every one--was rejected along party lines. I have been astonished during the debate to hear some of my colleagues say they will vote for this amendment even though, in their words, it is not perfect.”