Charles W. Stenholm: “January 26, 1995, I joined with the 135 remaining Members on this side of the aisle to pass a balanced budget…”

“January 26, 1995, I joined with the 135 remaining Members on this side of the aisle to pass a balanced budget constitutional amendment. It is one of the happier days of my now 24 years in this House of Representatives. One of the saddest days was watching it be defeated by one vote on the floor of the Senate. Had the Senate voted for the balanced budget constitutional amendment, this bill could not be on the floor today, could not be on the floor today. But it is on the floor today. Suddenly deficits do not matter. Balancing the budget does not matter. It is all on the myth and projections that we have heard over and over and over again, not only by this bill today, but also the one in 2001 and 2002. And the facts will speak for themselves. I rise today in this motion to recommit and urge the 135 of you still here, including the Speaker, the majority leader, and all of the leaders on this side who will bring a constitutional amendment back to the floor by the first of July, I ask a simple question: How can you support this bill and at the same time say you believe that fiscal responsibility and balancing the budget matters? Deficits no longer matter, Mr. Speaker. They matter to me. I am just as consistent today in my vote no on final passage and yes on this as I was when I joined with you regarding the seriousness of balancing the budget. And to those that argue that this is a growth package, your own economics do not support that this will be paid for.”