Orrin Hatch: “I cannot see a reason in the world why on legislation regarding unfunded mandates we should have an amendment like this…”

“I cannot see a reason in the world why on legislation regarding unfunded mandates we should have an amendment like this or why we should spend 2 minutes on it. We all know the balanced budget amendment is going to come up within days on the House floor and within a week on the Senate floor, that is if we ever get through this unfunded mandates bill. If we do not get through this legislation pretty quick, we will not get through the Mexican loan guarantee legislation with all its problems, which are very, very serious. As I say, I am not sure why we are here debating this issue now. We are supposed to be passing a bill to provide relief to the States from unfunded mandates. Everyone knows we are going to have ample time to debate the balanced budget amendment on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and we should not hold up this bill to debate an amendment like this. The provision that the Senator would like us to have--I know he is sincere; I have watched the distinguished Senator from Minnesota for his whole Senate career, and I know he is sincere--but this amendment puts the cart before the horse. It puts the cart before the horse in two ways: First, in time since this debate should happen on the balanced budget amendment itself, not here; and second, this amendment cannot be complied with as it is written. The balanced budget amendment requires the Congress of the United States to work to balance the budget.…”