Russ Feingold: “I think the discussion of both the issue of tax cuts and the Social Security benefits points up how serious it is to…”

“I think the discussion of both the issue of tax cuts and the Social Security benefits points up how serious it is to amend the Constitution in order to balance the budget. In effect, we are not going to be able to use a surplus that has been built up to give a tax cut. If we do not worry about it now and we only worry about it when there is a surplus, the problem is it is going to be in the Constitution. We are not going to be able to just fix it. We had one experience like that in this country in prohibition, and it took quite an effort to undo it. So, again, there appears to be a major uncertainty with regard to this. The important question is do we really want to be faced in the future years with a system set forth in the Constitution that gives us no flexibility, that requires a three-fifths majority of both Houses in order to simply access and use the Social Security trust funds? The other side is not denying that is what is happening.”