Summary

Democratic Senators react to the failure of the balanced budget amendment.

Source CONUS Archive
Record ID 260416
Story Slug REPUBLICANS / BALANCED BUDGET VOTE REACTION (1997)
Location WASHINGTON, DC
Format TVD
Date 3/4/1997
Archive Time :10
TRT 2:44
Supers 1) Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) 2) Senator Larry Craig (R-ID)
Description Democratic Senators react to the failure of the balanced budget amendment.
Script (SUGGESTED TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO) Unknown Speaker 00:00 This was not the it was not the Republicans. That broke their promise it was three quarters of the Democrats in my opinion. This is not a this is not this was not just a debate about our country's future. But it was a debate about honor, fiscal integrity, and keeping your word with the American people. I have to say that I was really pleased to see all 55 Republicans vote for this. It was worth the whole battle just to see that first time that's happened that we've had unanimity in and then near 2001 2002, that is what I call absolute hypocrisy. There's no question about it. If he can't even present a budget to the American people with fiscal integrity. What kind of a fool does he think all of us Americans are? What kind of afford as we think we are, that he can play this game up through the time that he leaves office and then say it's all going to be balanced with a trigger in the last two years, it's just hard to believe. I think Americans probably through responsibility. This is important. This is not some insignificant debate. And by the way, it's not over. I never quit. And I told you last time, when it was up here, I look for a wishbone even in a soft boiled, boiled egg. And I'm gonna keep doing that. And there are a lot of software snakes out there who voted against this. And I but Unknown Speaker 01:29 that's exactly what Republicans did today. 55 Republicans honored their commitment, their promise and their pledge to the American people. Tragically enough, on the other side of the aisle, there were those who walked away from their promise, their pledge, and their commitment. This is a tough issue. It's a broad sweeping and very important issue to the American people. When Orrin started on this, Unknown Speaker 01:56 the appointment of an independent counsel with each day, however, an each new and significant bit of information, revelations are surfacing. And then I believe that there are specific allegations from credible sources that warrant further investigation by an independent counsel. Now, the independent counsel statute just so Unknown Speaker 02:22 we're rejecting you could pick up enough Democratic votes. Well, we've always been willing to do that. But we haven't Unknown Speaker 02:31 I and in all these other words, why aren't Republicans laying on the table, your own balanced budget? Unknown Speaker 02:39 Well, I think we've we tried that last year and passed a balanced way.
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