Mr. President, I believe that many senior citizens will be confused by the floor debates and amendments on <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020300039"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020300114"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security offered last week during debates on the unfunded mandates legislation, and in the future in regard to the <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020300081"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020500083"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>balanced budget amendment. Such confusion is understandable. Both sides tend to claim to be protecting <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020300114"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020600075"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security.<p>
Last week, I voted for Senator Harkin</b>'s amendment to the S. 1, the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995, instead of Senator Kempthorne'</b>s amendment, because I believed that the language of the Harkin amendment was much stronger language to protect <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020400093"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020700068"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security trust funds if a <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020400106"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020600014"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>constitutional amendment to balance the budget is adopted.<p>
Personally, I oppose a balanced budget amendment, and I hope that over the course, of time people will understand how such an amendment will affect programs that are vital to the citizens in their States and that such a <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020500083"></a><a href="bbs09.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000022300055"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>balanced budget amendment will not be added to the Constitution.<p>
But because the fate of a <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020600014"></a><a href="bbs09.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000023400035"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>constitutional amendment to balance the budget remains unclear, the Harkin amendment is a very important symbol of the <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020600052"></a><a href="../viewdata/s.htm#_ICONOVEX_SENATEINTENTIONOF"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>intention of the Senate not to jeopardize or play games with <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020600075"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020700027"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security or use the <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020600086"></a><a href="../viewdata/s.htm#_ICONOVEX_SOCIALSECURITYTRUSTFUND"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security trust fund in calculations to balance the budget.<p>
I voted last week for Senator Harkin'</b>s amendment which says that <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020700027"></a><a href="bbs08.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000020700113"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security should be exempt in any calculations required by a <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020700050"></a><a href="bbs09.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000022900201"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>balanced budget. I did it to protect the <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020700068"></a><a href="bbs20.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000044300039"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security trust funds and to reassure senior citizens who rely on <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020700093"></a><a href="../viewdata/s.htm#_ICONOVEX_SOCIALSECURITYBENEFITS"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security benefits. My record in fighting to protect <a name="_ICONOVEX_00000020700113"></a><a href="bbs09.htm#_ICONOVEX_00000023100050"><img src="../viewdata/default5.gif" alt="@" border="0"></a>Social Security and senior citizens is clear.<p></body>
