Date: 1984-06-15
Speaker: PHILIP M. CRANE (republican)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for those remarks. Mr. Speaker. I would like to add to that something again that has happened in the time I came to Congress. I came here in 1969. I remember that the President at that time attempted to carry out the congressional mandate given him. because we gave him his marching orders down there. and lie felt that he could do that. and make some economies. They called it impoundment. And what was the congressional reaction? Why. Congress promptly passed the AntiImpoundment Act. I liken that to the chief executive officer sitting down with his board of directors to run a company in tilie private sector and they map a budget for the year. but the board also expects the chief executive officer to exercise some independent judgment in pursuing the interests of the company in seeking to maximize profits. and if lie can save a dollar along the way. if lie does not try and save that dollar or increase profits in the process. then he surely is going to be confronted with a pink slip forthwith at t lie next board meeting. And yet in effect that is what we have asked our President to do. We give him his guidelines. and we say. *-You cannot effect it." I had Don Hodel out in my district at a bankers conference Inst October. and Don HIodel. who was kind of new in town in that new position. felt that he could carry out all the responsibil ities that we gave him. follow the in structions we gave him. and yet do ii with 300 fewer personnel than le Iac on his payroll at that time. le wa! promptly informed that lie could nol make that economy. that that was congressional decision. And to thi degree those are congressional deci sions and we do not permit the flexi bility to those administrators in th executive department to effect econo mies over the guidelines that we givi t hem. I think we have locked into thi system excesses that cannot in an: way be blamed on the execltiVe branch of Government. What is the other tool the President has? He can veto legislation. And if lie gets onethird support for his veto. he can force us to go back and negotiate. with a view to trying to hold down total levels of expenditure. But that Is the only weapon available to the Chief Executive. the veto. And the Senate can force us into compromises. If they wanted to be hardnosed and fiscally more responsible than the House is. they could force us into compromises to get legislation through the two Chambers. But the significant thing is. as the gentleman from Pennsylvania just observed. all of that process really begins right here in the House. and no one focuses attention on the House. Back home they are mostly preoccupied with case work and local problems. and every time we get somebodys Social Security check sprung when it was caught up in the bureauciratic redtape or If we take care of a veterans problem. or an immigration or passport problem. our staff does It. we get the credit for it. And you will never be able to bad mouth in the presence of a person thus served out of any congressional office that. Member in the future. I do not care what the party affiliation Is. We do that indiscriminately. Democrats. Republicans. vegetarians. Independent.. Everybody gets served the same way out of a congressional office. But It is also something that tends to Ingratiate the Member in the eyes of his voting constituency. What they have to do is look beyond just constituent service and look at some of these vital issues that come before this body. especially those involving expenditures. and insist that those of us in this Chamber will vote to guarantee that we do indeed live within our means. And when I suggest that. I am not reeommending raising taxes. Lfther. The fact of the matter is that the percentage of our gross national product consumed by government today is at an all time high. We ranted and raved as Republicans at it getting up to about 22.9 percent In Carters last year. and Republicans were committed to try to get it down. hopefully. to the 19 percent range again. where it was as recently as 1973. By 1983 ft was up to 25 percent of the gross national product. That is the problem. And we did have an opportunity to vote on it. Anc again people should go back and chetck - these votes. The are important. t We had the balanced budget amend. I ment brought before this body s through a discharge petition. We t could not get action on it in commit a tee. But we finally did get the bal e anced budget bill up which did nol - just mandate balanced budgets bul - put a fix on total levels of spending e with an escape clause provision thal - will enable us to break that by a spe e cial vote in any given fiscal year if e case of a national emergency. And un v fortunately. while we had a majority 11 5911 we did not have the twothirds necessary to report It out. I submit 10 you that this ofendmit is an important ingredient of addresing the problem. There are many other aspects as well. but we will save that for anot her occasion. I viII be happy to yield to my ciiileague. the gentleman from Peniisylvan ia.