no use to the taxpayers. Appropriately, our elected leaders have
also allocated $140,000 for swine research."

A line-item veto will allow President Clinton an opportunity to
do what we have shown ourselves incapable of doing — exercising
fiscal restraint and eliminating funding for things like swine re-
search.

Mr. President, I state again, we must give the President the line-
item veto. I hope the Congress will act quickly on this issue.

I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the Legislative
Line-Item Veto Act of 1993 appear in the Record following my re-
marks.

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

• Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I am happy to join Senators
McCain and Coats in introducing the legislative Line-Item Veto
Act. This legislation gives the President the authority to strike spe-
cific provisions from spending bills without having to veto the en-
tire bill.

It is clear to most of us here in the Senate that we must begin
to take the necessary steps to reduce the deficit. The national
debt — now exceeding $4 trillion — is choking the Federal Govern-
ment, and threatens our ability, as elected representatives, from ef-
fectively addressing the problems facing this country. Most econo-
mists agree that the Federal Government's huge Federal deficits
were a factor in the recent recession, and hinder the recovery that
is underway.



344

Last year the Federal Government paid gdmost as much in inter-
est as it spent on all domestic discretionary programs combined, in-
terest expense is the third largest single expenditure in the Federal
budget, behind Social Security and defense. If we continue our
present course, interest will soon surpass defense as the second
largest spending item in our budget.

We must remember that paying interest on the debt does nothing
to address this country's most pressing needs. Interest does not as-
sist in providing pregnant women and newborns with the medical
and nutritional help they need. It does nothing in support of en-
hancing research and development to make our country more com-
petitive. Interest provides no funds for expanding the Head Start
Program so that all eligible children can receive the educational as-
sistance they need. In short, the interest we now pay to support
our past excesses robs us of the ability to meet today's pressing
needs.

The line-item veto authority is one tool that we can give to the
President to combat the deficit. It alone cannot balance the budget.
Entitlement programs comprise almost half of all Federal outlays,
yet they are not subject to the annual appropriations process. We
must also find a way to control these programs. And, finally, it may
be necessary to look at additional revenue sources to help balance
the budget, but it is my hope that we will look long and hard at
the spending side of the budget before we take that step.

Mr. President, I commend the Senator from Arizona, Mr.
McCain and the Senator from Indiana, Mr. Coats for reintroduc-
ing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this effort so
that the new President has the tools he needs to fulfill his cam-
paign pledge to reduce the deficit.*

Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, during this past year the citi-
zens of my State and the country have demonstrated grave con-
cerns with regard to the fiscal crisis and dilemma being experi-
enced by our country.

In the Presidential campaign, all candidates spoke eloquently
and often to issues of debt and deficit. In his inaugural speech,
President Clinton addressed the issue of debt in our Nation.

In record numbers, Georgians and Americans turned out to ex-
press their frustration and concern in this past election. It is clear
to me that much of this concern is rooted in the issue of the finan-
cial crisis faced by our country as shown by this debt and deficit.

Mr. President, 49 Governors of the United States, including the
former Grovemor of Arkansas and now the President of the United
States, had as a fiscal tool to utilize in financial discipline, the line-
item veto.

Mr. President, as a member of the Georgia Senate for many
years, I had the opportunity to witness first hand the value of the
chief executive of our State having as a financial discipline the tool
of the line-item veto.

I believe it is exceedingly important that the 103d Congress be
responsive to the call of our new President. I believe it is respon-
sible for us to react to the electorate of this country when it calls
for enormous proportions the institution of new disciplines and
rules that relate to the manner in which we manage our financial
affairs.



345

Therefore, I join with the President of the United States, Senator
McCain, and others, and the people of this country, in their call
for the institution of a line-item veto.

Mr. President, thank you.

I jdeld the floor.

January 27, 1993

[From the Congressional Record page S754]



103d congress
1st Session



S.224



To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
to grant the President enhanced authority to rescind amounts of budget
authority.



IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 27 (legislative day, January 5), 1993

Mr. ExON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
jointly pursuant to the order of August 4, 1977, to the Committees on
the Budget and Governmental Affairs, with instructions that if one Com-
mittee reports, the other Committee have thirty days to report or be dis-
charged



A BILL

To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Con-
trol Act of 1974 to grant the President enhanced author-
ity to rescind amounts of budget authority.

1 Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act m?iy be cited as the "Enhanced Rescissions

5 Act of 1993".



346
2

1 SEC. 2. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN PRO-

2 POSED RESCISSIONS.

3 (a) In General. — Part B of title X of the Congres-

4 sional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2

5 U.S.C. 681 et seq.) is amended by redesignating sections

6 1013 through 1017 as sections 1014 through 1018, re-

7 spectively, and inserting after section 1012 the following

8 new section:

9 "EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN PROPOSED
10 RESCISSIONS

11 "Sec 1013. (a) Proposed Rescission of Budget

12 Authority. — In addition to the method of rescinding

13 budget authority specified in section 1012, the President

14 may propose, at the time and in the manner provided in

15 subsection (b), the rescission of any budget authority pro-

16 vided in an appropriations Act. Funds made available for

17 obligation under this procedure may not be proposed for

18 rescission again under this section or section 1012.

19 "(b) TRANSmTTAL OF SPECIAL MESSAGE. —

20 "(1) Not later than 3 days after the date of en-

21 actment of an appropriation Act, the President may

22 transmit to Congress one or more special messages

23 proposing to rescind all or any part of any item of

24 budget authority provided in that Act and include

25 with each special message a draft bill or joint resolu-

26 tion that, if enacted, would rescind each item of

•8 SM IS



347

3

1 budget authority (or part thereof) proposed to be re-

2 scinded.

3 "(2) Each special message shall specify, with

4 respect to the budget authority proposed to be re-

5 scinded, the matters referred to in paragraphs (1)

6 throu^ (5) of section 1012(a).

7 "(c) Procedures for Expedited Consider-

8 ATION. —

9 "(1)(A) Before the close of the second day of

10 continuous session of the applicable House after the

11 date of receipt of a special message transmitted to

12 Congress under subsection (b), the m^gority leader

13 or minority leader of the House of Congress in

14 which the appropriation Act involved originated shall

15 introduce (by request) the draft bill or joint resolu-

16 tion accompanying that special message. If the bill

17 or joint resolution is not introduced as provided in

18 the preceding sentence, then, on the third day of

19 continuous session of that House after the date of

20 receipt of that special message, any Member of that

21 House may introduce the bill or joint resolution.

22 "(B) The biD or joint resolution shall be re-

23 ferred to the Committee on Appropriations of that

24 House. The committee shall report the bill or joint

25 resolution without substantive revision and with or

•8 SS4 IS



348

4

1 without recommendation. The bill or joint resolution

2 shall be reported not later than the seventh day of

3 continuous session of that House after the date of

4 receipt of that special message. If the Committee on

5 Appropriations fails to report the bill or joint resolu-

6 tion within that period, that committee shall be

7 automatically discharged from consideration of the

8 bill or joint resolution, and the bill or joint resolu-

9 tion shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.

10 "(C) A vote on final passage of the bill or joint

11 resolution shall be taken in that House on or before

12 the close of the 10th calendar day of continuous ses-

13 sion of that House after the date of the introduction

14 of the bill or joint resolution in that House. If the

15 bill or joint resolution is agreed to, the Clerk of the

16 House of Representatives (in the case of a bill or

17 joint resolution agreed to in the House of Represent-

18 atives) or the Secretary of the Senate (in the case

19 of a bill or joint resolution agreed to in the Senate)

20 shall cause the bill or joint resolution to be en-

21 grossed, certified, and transmitted to the other

22 House of Congress on the same calendar day on

23 which the bill or joint resolution is agreed to.

24 "(2)(A) A bill or joint resolution transmitted to

25 the House of Representatives or the Senate pursu-
es sm is



349

5

1 ant to paragraph (1)(C) shall be referred to the

2 Committee on Appropriations of that House. The

3 committee shall report the biU or joint resolution

4 • without substantive revision and with or without rec-

5 ommendation. The bill or joint resolution shall be re-

6 ported not later than the seventh day of continuous

7 session of that House after it receives the bill or

8 joint resolution. A committee failing to report the

9 bill or joint resolution within such period shall be

10 automatically discharged from consideration of the

1 1 bill or joint resolution, and the bill or joint resolu-

12 tion shall be placed upon the appropriate calendar.

13 "(B) A vote on final passage of a bill or joint

14 resolution transmitted to thai House shall be taken

15 on or before the close of the 10th calendar day of

16 continuous session of that House after the date on

17 which the bill or joint resolution is transmitted. K

18 the bill or joint resolution is agreed to in that

19 House, the Clerk of the House of Representatives

20 (in the case of a bill or joint resolution agreed to in

21 the House of Representatives) or the Secretary of

22 the Senate (in the case of a biU or joint resolution

23 agreed to in the Senate) shall cause the engrossed

24 bill or joint resolution to be returned to the House

25 in which the bill or joint resolution originated.

•8 284 IS



350



6

1 "(3) (A) A motion in the House of Representa-

2 tives to proceed to the consideration of a bill or joint

3 resolution under this section shall be highly privi-

4 leged and not debatable. An amendment to the mo-

5 tion shall not be in order, nor shall it be in order

6 to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion

7 is agreed to or disagreed to.

8 "(B) Debate in the House of Representatives

9 on a bin or joint resolution under this section shall

10 not exceed 4 hours, which shall be divided equally

11 between those favoring and those opposing the bill

12 or joint resolution. A motion further to limit debate

13 shall not be debatable. It shall not be in order to

14 move to recommit a bill or joint resolution under

15 this section or to move to reconsider the vote by

16 which the bill or joint resolution is agreed to or dis-

17 agreed to.

18 "(C) Appeals from decisions of the (Dhair relat-

19 ing to the appUcation of the Rules of the House of

20 Representatives to the procedure relating to a bill or

21 joint resolution under this section shall be decided

22 without debate.

23 "(D) Except to the extent specifically provided

24 in the preceding provisions of this subsection, con-

25 sideration of a bill or joint resolution under this sec-

•8 324 IS



351

7

1 tion shall be governed by the Rules of the House of

2 Representatives.

3 "(4) (A) A motion in the Senate to proceed to

4 the consideration of a bill or joint resolution under

5 this section shall be privileged and not debatable. An

6 amendment to the motion shall not be in order, nor

7 shall it be in order to move to reconsider the vote

8 by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to.

9 "(B) Debate in the Senate on a bill or joint res-

10 olution under this section, and all debatable motions

1 1 and appeals in connection therewith, shall not exceed

12 10 hours. The time shall be equally divided between,

13 and controlled by, the majority leader and the mi-

14 nority leader or their designees.

15 "(C) Debate in the Senate on any debatable

16 motion or appeal in connection with a bill or joint

17 resolution under this section shall be Umited to not

18 more than 1 hour, to be equally divided between,

19 and controlled by, the mover and the manager of the

20 bill or joint resolution, except that in the event the

21 manager of the bill or joint resolution is in favor of

22 any such motion or appeal, the time in opposition

23 ■ thereto, shall be controlled by the minority leader or

24 his designee. Such leaders, or either of them, may,

25 from time under their control on the passage of a

•8 224 IS



352

8

1 bill or joint resolution, allot additional time to any

2 Senator during the consideration of any debatable

3 motion or appeal.

4 "(D) A motion in the Senate to further limit

5 debate on a bill or joint resolution under this section

6 is not debatable. A motion to recommit a bill or joint

7 resolution xinder this section is not in order.

8 "(d) Amendments Prohibited. — No amendment to

9 a bill or joint resolution considered under this section shall

10 be in order in either the House of Representatives or the

1 1 Senate. No motion to suspend the application of this sub-

12 section shall be in order in either House, nor shall it be

13 in order in either House to suspend the application of this

14 subsection by unanimous consent.

15 "(e) Requirement To Make Available for Obli-

16 GATION. — ^Any amount of budget authority proposed to be

17 rescinded in a special message transmitted to Congress

18 under subsection (b) shall be made available for obligation

19 on the day after the date on which either House defeats

20 the bill or joint resolution transmitted with that special

21 message.

22 "(f) Definitions. — ^For purposes of this section —

23 "(1) The term 'appropriation Act' means any

24 general or special appropriation Act, and any Act or



•8 224 IS



353

9

1 joint resolution making supplemental, deficiency, or

2 continuing appropriations.

3 "(2) The continuity of a session of the Congress

4 shall be considered as broken only by an a4Joum-

5 ment of the Congress sine die, and the days on

6 which either House is not in session because of an

7 ac^oumment of more than 3 days to a day certain

8 shall be excluded in the computation of the periods

9 of continuous session referred to in subsection (c) of

10 this section. If a special message is transmitted

11 under this section during any Congress and the last

12 session of the Congress adjourns sine die before the

13 expiration of 10 calendar days of continuous session

14 (or a special message is transmitted after the last

15 session of the Congress ac^joums sine die), the mes-

16 sage shall be deemed to have been transmitted on

17 the first day of the succeeding Congress and the pe-

18 riods of continuous session referred to in subsection

19 (c) of this section shall commence on the day after

20 such first day.".

21 (b) Exercise of Rulemaking Powers. — Section

22 904 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 621 note) is amended—

23 (1) by strikmg "and 1017" in subsection (a)

24 and inserting "1013, and 1018"; and



•8 »4 IS



354

10

1 (2) by striking "section 1017" in subsection (d)

2 and inserting "sections 1013 and 1018".

3 (c) Conforming Amendments. —

4 (1) Section 1011 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 682(5))

5 is amended —

6 (A) in paragraph (4), by striking "1013"

7 and inserting "1014"; and

8 (B) in paragraph (5) —

9 (i) by striking "1016" and inserting

10 "1017"; and

11 (ii) by striking "1017(b)(1)" and in-

12 serting "1018(b)(1)".

13 (2) Section 1015 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 685)

14 (as redesignated by section 2(a)) is amended —

15 (A) by striking "1012 or 1013" each place

16 it appears and inserting "1012, 1013, or

17 1014";

18 (B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking

19 "1012" and inserting "1012 or 1013";

20 (C) in subsection (b)(2), by striking

21 "1013" and inserting "1014"; and

22 (D) in subsection (e)(2) —

23 (i) by striking "and" at the end of

24 subparagraph (A);



•8 224 IS



355



11

1 (ii) by redesignating subparagraph

2 (B) as subparagraph (C);

3 (iii) by striking "1013" in subpara-

4 graph (C) (as so redesignated) and insert-

5 ing "1014"; and

6 (iv) by inserting after subparagraph

7 (A) the following new subparagraph:

8 "(B) he has transmitted a special message

9 under section 1013 with respect to a proposed

10 rescission; and".

11 (3) Section 1016 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 686)

12 (as redesignated by section 2(a)) is amended by

13 striking "1012 or 1013" each place it appears and

14 inserting "1012, 1013, or 1014".

15 (d) Clerical Amendments. — The table of sections

16 for subpart B of title X of such Act is amended —

17 (1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-

18 tions 1013 through 1017 as items relating to sec-

19 tions 1014 through 1018; and

20 (2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-

21 tion 1012 the following new item:

"Sec. 1013. Expedited consideration of certain proposed rescissions.".



•S 234 IS



356

Mr. EXON. I am introducing today a package of budget reform
measures that I hope the Congress will pass and the new adminis-
tration will use in order to get our countr3r's bloated Federal spend-
ing under control.

One of the first places that needs to be cut in the Federal budget
is the pork barrel spending. Each year Congress passes appropria-
tion bills that are laden with individual funding for special
projects, funding that is sought by specific Members of Congress.
Although each such item no doubt has its merits, there is little
question but that a prime motive in many appropriation items is
to enable a Member of Congress to bring home the bacon.

Our current system of Government works to fuel the flames of
unlimited spending and needs to be changed. It is simply unrealis-
tic to expect individual Members to volunteer not to pursue pork
for his or her State or district when others will continue their ef-
forts in that regard. The President, in determining whether to sign
a bill, must look at each bill as a whole and is therefore forced to
accept the good things in the bill along with the bad. So today I
am introducing the Enhanced Rescissions Act, which would give
our President the authority to rescind specific funding included in
our appropriations bills. Upon making a decision to rescind an
item, the President would be required to seek congressional ap-

Eroval. If Congress does not agree by at least a majority vote in
oth Houses, then the funding must be released. This is a reason-
able solution because it would require Members of Congress to pub-
licly vote on their spending requests and force them to defend each
item individually.

The second measure I am introducing as part of my budget re-
form package is a bill that would require the President to submit
and the Congress to enact a balanced Federal budget.

Several years ago I introduced similar legislation and noted that
deficit spending was one of our most serious problems. That was
before we set a record deficit of over $265 billion in 1991. That was
before our Federal debt topped the $4 trillion mark. It now seems
certain that our indebtedness will be well over $5 trillion before we
can begin to reduce it.

Our new President, like myself, served for many years as Grov-
emor of a State that requires a balanced budget. He knows that
balancing a budget requires making tough decisions and under-
standing that political leadership is essential if we are to develop
a budget that is fair and acceptable to the American public. The
Federal Government has no such law requiring a balanced budget
and in my opinion, it needs one as one more tool on the way to re-
storing fiscal responsibility to our Federal budgets.

The third measure in my budget package is debt ceiling reform.
Although we have now seen a series of bills that have addressed
our budget process, the fact is that we still do not link our budget
with our debt ceiling. This would be the most honest and obvious
way of measuring our Federal deficits.

This bill would mandate that we include extending the debt ceil-
ing as part of our annual budget process. Congress would be forced
to determine, as part of the budget process, how much the debt
ceiling needs to be raised for the coming year. This would neces-
sitate continuous enforcement of the deficit targets contained in



357

each year's budget. If Congress borrows funds at a rate faster than
contemplated by the annual budget, then a three-fifths vote would
be required to increase the debt ceiling. By contrast, other meas-
ures to resolve the problem, such as a reduction in spending, would
require only a simple majority vote. In the past, the easiest way
to resolve our debt ceiling.

As this new session of Congress begins, I am calling for several
reforms to our budget process. It is obvious that our efforts to place
some controls on our deficit spending have failed miserably.

But just a few days ago, we heard a stirring and effective inau-
gural address from our new President. What was particularly im-
pressive, and refreshing, to me as our new President's willingness
to call upon our citizens to make the sacrifices that we all know
must be made if we are to obtain some control over our Federal
budget. The measures I have introduced today would require the
Congress to meet the American people in this challenge. I think
they expect and deserve no less and I will be working hard toward
that end.

Mr. President, at this time, I send to the desk three bills that
I just referenced and I ask that accompanying statements with
each one of these bills be printed in the Record. I request that the
bills be printed in the Record and appropriately referred.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. EXON. I thank the Chair.

(The remarks of Mr. EXON pertaining to the introduction of S.
224, S. 225, and S.J. Res. 25 are located in today's Record under
"Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.")

[From the Congressional Record pages S796-798]

By Mr. EXON:
S. 224. A bill to amend the Congressional Budget and Impound-
ment Control Act of 1974 to grant the President enhanced author-
ity to rescind amounts of budget authority; to the Committee on
the Budget and the Committee on Grovemmental Affairs, jointly,
pursuant to the order of August 4, 1977, with instructions that if
one committee reports, the other committee have 30 days to report
or be discharged.

enhanced rescissions act of 1993

Mr. EXON. Mr. President, but a few days ago, we heard a stir-
ring and effective inaugural address from our new President. What
was particularly impressive, and refreshing, to me was our new
President's willingness to call upon our citizens to make the sac-
rifices that we all know must be made if we are to obtain some con-
trol over our out-of-control Federal budget.

Members of Congress must be willing to sacrifice as well. As far
as I am concerned, an excellent place to start is for Members of