Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Thank you Mr. President. I really appreciate what our colleague from Florida, Senator Mack, is doing, and I certain…”

“Thank you Mr. President. I really appreciate what our colleague from Florida, Senator Mack, is doing, and I certain liked the colloquy between the two Senators because it really does show what our problem is. Federal deficits and accumulated Federal debt long ago passed the point of threatening our children and grandchildren. Congressional rhetoric on this issue long ago numbed the ears of even the most interested taxpayer. We need a completely different approach. This amendment, Mr. President, is such an approach. Ordinary common sense restraint has not prevented Congress from running up the national debt to more than $4 trillion. And when Congress has tried to enforce fiscal discipline through stop gap devices or the long range Gramm-Rudman-Hollings plan, the discipline breaks down as soon as the spending cuts become politically inconvenient. Last year, President Clinton mustered bare majorities of both Houses of Congress to win approval of the largest tax increase in the history of our country. Spending cuts were promised. But the spending cuts have not come. Fortunately, we do not have to look far. Several years ago, Congressman Dick Armey led the fight in Congress to enact a most innovative solution to a nearly intractable problem--military base closings. And it worked.”