Political Quotes

“we are, of course, at the outset of a debate on a profound and important issue to the future of the United States, a debate on the Constitution itself and on whether or not it should be amended to require or to encourage balanced budgets and, if so, how. I hope to have a number of occasions on which to speak on this amendment, but in this first try, rather than to outline what is in it or even to deal with the important reasons for its passage which have already been explained with considerable eloquence by previous speakers this afternoon, I would like to share a few observations on the nature of the debate on which we are embarking. First, we will be faced with a demand during the course of this debate that its proponents outline precisely and specifically, perhaps even to the extent of a specific bill with various mandatory requirements included in it how a balanced budget will be reached by the year 2002. And during the course of that debate, what is likely to be obscured will be the alternatives to this constitutional amendment.”