Patty Murray: “I voted against House Joint Resolution 1, the so-called balanced budget amendment. I voted no because this amendment is…”

“I voted against House Joint Resolution 1, the so-called balanced budget amendment. I voted no because this amendment is a 10-second political sound bite with decades of economic implications. It will handcuff future generations to an economic blueprint this Congress dictates in 1995. And, worst of all, it makes a mockery of the most important document this country has ever produced. I am a member of the Budget Committee. When I came to the Congress 2 years ago, I faced the largest debt ever amassed by any country in the history of civilization. More debt was created during the 12 years of Republican administrations in the 1980's and early 1990's than in the entire 200 years preceding them. I strongly support putting this country's economic house in order. Mr. President, I support a balanced Federal budget. The people of this Nation deserve nothing less. But this amendment does not get us there. Words on a piece of paper cannot balance the budget, only legislators like you and I can. We have to make tough choices as we correct the fiscal mismanagement of the 1980's. We have to balance the budget with surgical cuts; with a scalpel, not a meat cleaver. Mr. President, we have made some very tough decisions. I was one Member of this body who voted for a plan--a plan with specific cuts and common sense--which reduces the deficit by $505 billion over 5 years. Program-by-program, cut-by-cut.”