Political Quotes

“I rise today in support of the Reid alternative amendment. I think Senator Reid offers a different, a fairer, and a more enforceable balanced budget amendment. The amendment offered by our friend from Nevada excludes the Social Security trust fund from the budget, and, in so doing, he exempts Social Security from any program cuts that might be needed to enforce the balanced budget stricture. This balanced budget amendment vests in the Congress and the President the exclusive responsibility for implementing legislation that produces the necessary deficit reduction. It removes the ambiguities that might create a court-ordered fiscal policy. I think it would be the height of irresponsibility for this U.S. Senate to hand over to the judicial branch the decisions about how the budget of the United States and the business regarding the budget of the United States are to be conducted. As a matter of fact, I think that would be a gross violation of the balance of powers in the Constitution. But the Reid amendment mandates that the Federal Government balance its books. It mandates that it do so in the same way that the States do--separating operating budgets and capital budgets. This process safeguards needed investments that will yield long-term benefits to the Nation.”