Date: 1981-10-15
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Montana. I shall not try to hold the floor at length. Mr. President. I NOs want to emphasize. for those Senators who may be in their offices listening. that Congress gave to the President his requested package of $35 billion In cuts prior to the August recess. He has now requested additional cuts amounting to $13 billion for fiscal year 1982. 1 anticipate that there will be further requests for cuts In January or the early spring. So. what we see here is a succession of requests for cut after cut after cut in the budget. Mr. President. viany of us on this Bide of the aisle were under the impression that the first $35 billion cut that was requestedalthough we opposed certain aspects of It and tried to amend the package. most of us went along and supported It once we failed In our efforts to amend itbut many of us were under the impression that that was the economic package of budget cuts for fiscal year 1982. We were told that we had to give the whole package. the whole thingtax cuts. budget cuts amounting to $35 billion. increased defense expenditures--and most of us voted for all of that. Now we find that. come September. there Is a request for an additional $13 billion in nondefense cuts. and additional cuts in defense expenditures amounting to $13 billion across the 3year period. Mr. President. we undoubtedly will be asked for more reductions. I do not believe the budget can be balanced simply by the process of cutting the budget. I think that Is part of the process. of course. and we have cooperated with the President In that fashion. But I just do not think that to balance that budget in fiscal year 1984 by budget cuts alone is doable. I do not think the American people are aware of the dimensions of the cuts that are yet to be made. There was quite a whoop and a holler about the $35 billion cut package that was enacted. a lot of celebrating of the enactment of that package. and so on. Now we find. as I say. another $13 billion In raquests. But that Is not all of It. We find. as we scrutinize the administrations budgetar" assumptions. that there will be $51.7 billion in unidentified euta for fiscal year 1983. and an additional $82 billion In unIdentified cuts for fiscal year 1984. Mr. President. the full revelation of what these budget cuts are really going to mean is going to sink home in due time. When the American people awaken to the fact that In order to achieve this socalled balanced budget In fiscal year 1984. the administration has cranked In--cranked into the balanced budget"unidentified cuts" amounting to $82 billionwhat does that mean. Mr. President? Does that mean additional cuts in defense? Does It mean that revenue sharing Is going to be eliminated? Does It mean that there are going to be some cuts in social security? Does it mean that there are going to be cuts In veterans pensions? Does It mean that there are going to be cuts In black lung payments and railroad retirement benefits? Does It mean there are going to be cuts in Federal retirement benefits? Are there going to be further reductions in synthetic fuels and energy conservation? Are there going to be further cuts in mass transit? Are there going to be further cuts In college loans. child nutrition. and school lunch programs? Are there going to be further cuts In coal research?. Are there going to be further cuts in water and sewer projects. education. and health programs? Are there to be further cuts in flood prevention projects. farmers home loan guarantees? Where are the cuts going to be made? If the administration knows. then it ought to say. Otherwise the financial markets are not going to believe that the administration can be successful in achieving the cuts that are wrapped into the designation of "unidentified cuts" for fiscal year 1984. Where Is that balanced budget? Does the administration know? Or does the administration not know? If it knows. then let it speak. The American people have a right to know. They have a right to know what the dimensions of this cutting exercise are going to be within the next 2 to 3 years. And the Congress needs to know. How can Congress proceed In a reasonable way to deal with the budget If it does not know where the cuts are going to be proposed by the administration? So. Mr. President. I call on the administration to open Pandoras box. Let us take a peek. Just let us have a little look into this Pandoras box. Let us see what is in there. in this box that is labeled "unidentified cuts."9 .Let us be assured that there will not be anv cuts In social security. Let the old folks throughout this country be assured that there will not be cuts in social securitv that are Included in that $82 billion in unidentified cuts for fiscal year 1984. Let the elderly. community of this country receive assurances that there will not be cuts in that Pandoras box labeled "unidentified cuts" that really are cuts in social security. Let the veterans be assured that there will not be further cuts In veterans health care. Let the administration speak and let the financial community. the financial markets. the business community of this country know that the administration really is on track. that it really knows where It Is going. that it really does know what cuts are going to be made. and that it can achieve those cuts: or else the financial markets are not going to be convinced that they can be made. Mr. President. my amendment would require that information. Truth In budgeting: that is what Is needed. We have heard of truth in lending. truth In this. truth in that. This is the "truth In budgeting" amendment. I hope that all Senators. will support this amendment. How can any Senator go home. how can I as a Senatordoes the Senator from Kansas wish tr. be added as a cosponsor?