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

Mr. President. at the column labeled unidentified cuts based on the administrations budgetary In fiscal year 1983. and If we look at the and economic assumptionsnot on the column labeled unidentified cuts In assumptions by the Congressional Budget 1984cuts amounting to $51.7 billion for Office. but based on the administrations fiscal year 1983 and $82 billion for fiscal own economic assumptionsas of the year 1984. respectivelythese are not July budget revision. the midyear review. cumulative cuts. These are cuts for each there were $30 billion in unidentified cuts fiscal year-$51.7 billion. unidentified. in fiscal year 1983. and then in fiscal year 1984 an additional $82 billion in unidentified cuts. If the administration Is unwilling to identify the unidentified cuts. then how do we know that the administration is not Including social securitycuts in that designation of unidentified cuts? -Has the $19.8 billion social security cut assumed in the July budget disappeared? Where are these cuts? If social security cuts are not Included In the unidentified savings assumed in the 1984 budget. what cuts are included? Can we assume that if the total of the cuts cannot be Identified the slack will come from social security? The amount the administration has assumed for unidentified cuts has grown with each budget request. The only thing that has not grown Is the information as to what makes up the unidentified cuts. In the most recent budget request submitted to Congress. as I have indicated. there are $82 billion In unidentified or undistributed cuts Included for fiscal year My amendment asks that Congress simply be told and that the American people be told. In essence. what these cuts are. if the administration can assume that amount of money in balancing the budget. why can it not tell us how it reached that number? How did It reach the number of $82 billion In unidentified cuts for 1984? How did it arrive at that number? It must have some Information as to where the cuts will be made. Jt it has that Information. then Congress Is entitled to know about It now. not to have to wait until 1984 to find out. Now. The American people are entitled to know now. not next year. not In 1984. as to what those $82 billion in unidentified cuts are. As I say again. If the administration does not know. then the socalled balanced budget Is a worthless piece of paper. The administration claims -that it knows ways other than cutting social security in balancing the budget and that it has Included those ways In Its budgetcutting plan. All I want to know is. what are these plans? Can someone tell us? What are the plans? Eightytwo billion dollars in 1984. Fiftyone point seven billion dollars In fiscal year 1083. That is a total of $133.7 billion In unIdentified cuts that the administration Is counting on making. Cutting $82 billion from a budget In one single fiscal year Is a difficult task. and If the plan to achieve these cuts is In place. Congress should be told. Congress represents the ultimate authority. Congress should be told what programs will be cut and ought to be told now. and the American people ought to know now. I think what we have her. ir. a Pandoras box. Do not lift the l!d. Do not take a look at what Is In that box of unidentified cuts. Do not take a look too early. The American people might be disturbed. If the cuts have not been Identified. then. as I say. the budget submitted by the administration cannot lead to the balanced fiscal year 1984 which has been promised so often.