Lloyd Bentsen: “This is the type of resolution that gives Congress a bad name. I know the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) has…”

“This is the type of resolution that gives Congress a bad name. I know the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) has only the best intentions, but the fact is the CBO, our budget office, has already said that we have spent the Social Security surplus. The problem is, Republican after Republican has come down here and said the President does not want to do this, the minority does not want to do this. They are in the majority. They control the Committee on Appropriations. They control the floor schedule. Bring the Labor-HHS bill down to the floor. It is not our fault we have not gotten the budget done and the fiscal year is almost over. If my colleagues want to pass that bill and show the American people how much they want to cut out of education, do it. But they cannot do it. Somebody said both sides cannot come to the table. Apparently that is all in the Republican Caucus because they cannot bring their own bills down here. They cannot keep their own bills within the budget caps set in the 1997 budget agreement. So they cannot do it on their side, and they blame it on us. They are in control. Perhaps what the American people need to learn about this is it is time to get rid of that control and get some people who are going to be honest about the process and save Social Security.”